Fish Out Of Water

a performance by Lorena Wheeler Roderer with music composed by Emma Cardon, animation by Stacy Nuñez

Fish Out of Water was a collaboration initiated by violinist Lorena Wheeler Roderer, who was called to action to bring awareness to the drought conditions and overuse of the Colorado River. Using her text accompaniments and her interest in the Pike Minnow as a basis, I created short vignettes to be viewed at different points during her performance. The story follows a PikeMinnow inspired to move upriver to spawn. On his way to the grounds, he encounters obstacles that include narrow waterways and poison, alluding to the drought conditions and pesticide techniques used to encourage the proliferation of non-native species into the river. Ultimately the journey is unsuccessful, as the audience observes the minnow pass on, some hope is presented in the form of a few eggs rolling down the river floor.

A large part responsible for the style of the vignettes was inspired by children’s drawings. The Colorado river in all its beauty and splendor supports a large variety of flora and fauna, all of which is at risk due to constant drought and human intervention. It is the responsibility of us all to keep the river and its occupants healthy so that they can be enjoyed and cared for by the next generation. With that at the forefront of our mind, the animation’s style is a reminder of who will be affected by the choices we make and how we care for our natural resources now.