Weeding Freedom, 2005      In early 2001, the city of Moorhead, MN, erected its first wind turbine. The windmill was named "Zephyr." A year later, in 2002, a second was built in the same plot of land. This one was named "Freedom," and emblazoned with an American flag. The difference in the two names is a simple indicator of pre- and post-9/11 attitudes regarding nationalism and energy dependence. The base of the turbine "Freedom" was surrounded by a small pair of benches, and recycled rubber from tires to create a sitting area. The idea occurred to me that this public space needed to be maintained. The title of this piece refers to idea of freedom as a garden that needs to be weeded. But what are we actually throwing away, and who determines the desirables from the undesirables? I wrote the music for this video as well.