We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Willow Waters. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Willow below.

Willow, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I have been involved in so many deeply meaningful projects over the years here in Minneapolis. It’s hard for me to pick just one as the most meaningful, but one that stands out in my mind right now is Bone Mother, a theater / aerial silk dance production telling the Russian folktale of Baba Yaga. It was put on by Sandbox Theater Company and I had the opportunity to collaborate with so many amazing actors, directors, story tellers, and aerialists, and three musicians I deeply admire, Emily Kastrul, Sarah Larsson, and Anna Johnson. It was such a beautiful process of co-creation and community building. The story with which we were working was really meaningful to me at a time when I was still finding how to hold my femininity sacred. The cast was largely queer and/or femme and I felt so much trust and support. It really helped me solidify my sense of self in a way that made me feel I belong.

Willow, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Willow Waters. I am a neurodivergent, queer, genderfluid, genrefluid, singer-songwriter, composer-arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and music teacher living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I perform in many bands including my own singer-songwriter project The Earth Tones, chamber-pop septet Sister Species, abnormal folk-rock trio Ginger Bones, and leftist protest marching / brass bands Unlawful Assembly and Brass Solidarity to name a few. When the opportunity arises, I also love to compose and perform music for theatrical productions.

I am influenced by everything I’ve ever heard. So much catches my ear. From the sound of a gentle wind through a cottonwood to the thrush of a fast moving current to the unmatched intensity of John Coltrane’s later works to the peaceful stillness of Brian Eno’s Thursday Afternoon. The Eels were the first band I ever discovered for myself; System of a Down was my first concert; I listened to music most nights as I went to bed in middle and high school, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, The Books’ Lemon of Pink, and Pink Floyd’s Animals were in the rotation; I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning broke my heart open; Phosphorescent Blues gave me wild blooming inspiration; Radiohead taught me slowness, patience and the value of deep listening; The campfire I last had in the woods grounded me into the spiritual understanding that all things are music. My music reflects this fluid experience of boundless appreciation, which similarly is reflected in my gender and sexual fluidity.

If you want to hear what this musical fluidity means to me, I recommend my latest release, The Friction I Demand. The Earth Tones and I just released this new record and are very delighted to have the music out in the world. Find it on Bandcamp, Spotify, or anywhere you get your music.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My creative endeavors are what get me out of bed in the morning. There is so much I could say about meaning and purpose. I am not sure how to even name what brings inspiration. It seems to travel down from the ether and finds me in times and places I don’t expect. In the midst of this mystery, I do have clarity about what the creative process does for me. More often than not, the purpose behind a composition or a poem is simply to process the complexity of my emotions and experiences, be they harsh and grief stricken or blissful and warmhearted, optimistic or simply realistic. The meaning is held in movement. Music and poetry, unfolding over time, each act as a vessel to hold this movement through feelings deep in the heart. The writing process helps to crystallize and clarify these feelings to arrive at a place of deeper understanding and compassion. And then performing the music becomes a sort of cathartic release and a way to relate to and connect with people near and far, and all creatures and spirits that feel the airwaves wiggle past them. I hope that this process is not just for me, but that the creation birthed from my journey has meaning and purpose for at least one ear that catches it.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I feel I am constantly pivoting. Perhaps it’s simply a consequence of my neurodivergence and my inability to sit still. I find myself diverting my attention from project to project constantly. In truth, I relish it. There is never a dull moment in my ever active mind. I always have at least five groups I’m performing with at any given point in time. Opportunities emerge and I jump on them like a duck on a pond, eager to swim with friends new and old.

Contact Info:

• Website: willowwatersmusic.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/willowwatersmusic
• Facebook: facebook.com/Willowwatersmusics
• Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=RiQaYVyIVI8

Image Credits
All photos by Madison Gies-Guy