“It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s lonely being haunted.” – Heather Christian, Animal Wisdom
Heather Christian an award-winning songwriter and storyteller who comes from a line of New Orleans Catholic women who have a deep connection with the dead. Her film adaptation of Animal Wisdom is an interactive glimpse into the spiritual relationships that are still tied together by the fibers of her soul; some of these relationships feel unresolved. These stories are told through a soulful mix of gospel, blues, folk, and soul saturated with a dash of classic New Orleans folklore.
Although Two Story Melody doesn’t usually focus on film, this entire musical performance makes a clear connection between songwriting and storytelling, which is perhaps one of the most important connections in music. After all, if we listen way back, we’ll hear the earliest forms of music carrying intimate stories of the human experience.
Let’s dig into Animal Wisdom to see what’s up.
Firstly, Animal Wisdom isn’t your average musical narrative on film. The only characters that are represented are actually conjured through Heather Chritian’s songwriting and small, meditative reflections in between songs. The only other performers are the band; they act sometimes to help solidify an idea or carry out a story. Other than that, the core of the performance sprouts from imagination and the interactive “rituals” used to create a unique experience for the audience.
With that aside, the music is where everything shines and we gain a stronger understanding of the unseen forces in Christian’s life. In between songs, she converses with us about music, religion, spirituality, physics, psychology, and the unknown – sometimes humorously. All of these themes are connected through musical stories about her interesting upbringing and the quirky personas of the ghosts that follow her. No matter where the music takes us, the journey is a seamless movement that always brings us back to the piano center stage.
What’s even more interesting is her lifelike summoning of these people.
These people from her past are painted like whimsical works of fiction, yet they feel very real. You can feel it through the haunting delivery of her voice and the poetic transitions between segments. The lyrics of the songs, although cryptic, are rich and moving. If you have any familiarity or love of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool, your ears will feel right at home.
Listening deeper into the music that threads everything together is a better way to understand the significance of Christian’s stories; they bring a haunting sense of mystery to everything she says. Whether you believe in supernatural forces or not, Christian’s words are heavy and surprisingly believable when she’s behind the piano. I’m personally a fan of any songwriter-composer who can deliver something that makes me question the world around me.
For more information about the film, visit www.animalwisdomfilm.com.
Listen to her music at www.heatherchristian.bandcamp.com.
