Art + Water Workshop: Aquasonos – Sounds of our Watershed with Dameun Strange

How do you listen to water? Join Saint Paul musician and composer Dameun Strange for an afternoon of sonic exploration. Together we will learn about the physics of sound waves, hear field recordings, and explore the sounds of our watershed on an outdoor sound walk. Participants will then learn to make field recordings using simple tools such as a smartphone. Come prepared to tune in, slow down, and reflect on the sound of water in your memories and your environment.

Workshop activities will take place indoors and outdoors at Capitol Region Watershed District. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Please bring a charged smartphone. No other equipment or previous knowledge is required! Light snacks provided.

Registration is required for this two-hour workshop. Workshop content is appropriate for ages 8 and up.  Those under 18 must attend with a registered adult. Limited to 30 participants. Please register each guest separately.

This event is part of the We Are Water MN exhibit at Capitol Region Watershed District’s Watershed Learning Center from April 23 to June 14, 2026. Art + Water Workshops are organized by CRWD Artist-in-Residence Sarah Peters and CRWD Community Engagement Coordinator Maricella Xiong.

Everyone is welcome at CRWD. We are committed to creating a safe environment for all visitors. If there are any safety updates, we will post them here and notify all registered participants. Questions? Please contact us; we’re happy to help!

Above image: As Above So Below (2025), graphic score by Dameun Strange.

About the artist:

Dameun Strange is an acclaimed sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, and award-winning composer. His body of work encompasses conceptual electronic and improvised electro-acoustic compositions that delve into the narratives and themes of the African diaspora, frequently incorporating surrealist and Afrofuturist aesthetics. Through sound and poetry, Strange’s artistic aim is to articulate the beauty and resilience of the Black experience, drawing upon ancestral influences to convey stories of triumph and forge connections across the past, present, and future.

Strange has composed for notable artists and choreographers including Leslie Parker, Ananya Chatterjea, Joanna Lees, and Pramila Vasudevan. His significant accolades include the 2018 ACF | Create Award and a 2019 Jerome Hill Fellowship. Most recently, he was named the inaugural composer-in-residence for the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) for their 2025-26 60th anniversary season.

We Are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.

We are Water MN is funded by the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.