Fivemind Reeds’ Stargazer project is an interdisciplinary concert experience combining musical, visual, literary, and theatrical arts. Modeled after works like Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Francis Poulenc’s L’Histoire du Babar, the program features American composers and their music accompanying a narration, paired with a made-in-house picture book involving a fascination with and travel into space.

This project is adaptable for any audience and context, and is designed to be compelling at every stage of its development, with the first stage being presented as a “jukebox” concert, utilizing existing music paired with illustrations by artist Christopher Kha. The fully-realized Stargazer project will also include original commissions by American composers, crafted to perfectly fit the narrative and illustrations.

For a younger audience, the illustrations and narrative show a character similar in age discovering their passion for space. This age group is likely going through similar experiences as the main character: learning who they are, what excites them, and what direction they would like their life to begin to take. The images appeal to the child artist, the writing to the storyteller, and the story to the future scientist.

For a mature audience, the music alone presents a narrative throughline. Paired with the narration and illustrations, the complete project reminds the adult of their own childhood interests and passions.

With this multifaceted presentation, the project aims to provide the audience with a more complete understanding and appreciation for several artistic and scientific disciplines.