Sound Garden

The Sound Garden is located on Chestnut Street in Cadillac.Take Mitchell Street (Business 131) north to Pine St turn left and go through the light. Travel about one half mile and look for the Sound Garden on your right just past Consumers Power and across the street from the bridge.
The Sound Garden is a rustic musical art sculpture located at the Headwaters of the Clam River Greenway on Chestnut Street. The Sound Garden was a community art project that was initially funded through a Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies Community Partners Artists in Residence Program. The City of Cadillac and the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau were partners with Artist in Residence Frank Youngman in building the Sound Garden. Grant fundings were also received from the Cadillac and Kellogg for Youth fund of the Cadillac Area Community Foundation and the Michigan Rural Arts and Culture program of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Cheers from the Traverse City Record Eagle

"To Cadillac, which was recently recognized by the Michigan Municipal League for its proactive approach to lure travelers off the new U.S. 131 bypass into the city. The award specifically recognizes the Sound Garden, created by local artist and band teacher Frank Youngman, which features interactive pieces that clank, rattle or ring when people strike them with sticks. Cadillac was wise to come up with something to offset the impact of the bypass and its foresight is rightfully being rewarded now".

City wins recognition for its Sound Garden
By TOM CARR
Record-Eagle staff writer

 CADILLAC - The hands-on Garden sculpture in Cadillac was designed to lure travelers off the new U.S. 31 freeway into the city.
Now, it's ringing the bell of the Michigan Municipal League.
The league has awarded Cadillac its Superior Innovation Award for cities with populations between 5,001 and 25,000. The organization will issue 11 awards in different categories and four size classes at its annual convention on Sept. 18 in Detroit.
While the city named its entry "Don't Bypass Cadillac," the award specifically recognizes the Sound Garden, created by local artist and band teacher Frank Youngman.
The sculpture, which stands at the Chestnut Street entrance to the Clam River Greenway walking trail, includes boards, brake drums and other objects that ring, ding, clank and clunk different tones when people strike them with sticks.
"It sounded really great to me and the way they approached the bypass sounded very proactive and very unique," said Kim Cekola, information coordinator for the league.
The city began a concerted effort about two years ago, even before the bypass opened, to keep bringing motorists into town. Projects included a gazebo/clock tower on Mitchell Street, signs incorporating a new city logo pointing people to the downtown and lakefront areas and landscaping of freeway exits.
City manager Pete Stalker said he's pleased with the award, but many local residents deserve the accolades.
"Anytime you win an award from your peers, it's a nice recognition and this is a reflection on the entire community," Stalker said.

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"The natural maple-beach woods of northern Michigan were a perfect inspiration for the evolution of Frank Youngmans' original sound garden. Native materials, primarily silver maple, beach, and ironwood were used to fashion "instruments" which emit pure and natural sound when honed and played by a inspired patron. A series of other borrowed artifacts, such as steel brake drums and scrap metal, create a range of symphony in the midst of nature compelling even the non-musical to pick up a mallet and "play". The instruments themselves are sculptural."

"The new sound Garden space should relate, and tie to the water as much as the original garden tied to the forest. Many people will experience and interact with the public space; school-kids, trail users, lake-goers, locals, tourists, fisherman-women to name a few. All could be potential sound-garden players. Many will observe and listen.

Images of earth-form, rock and boulder clusters and introduction of plant materials to develop exterior "rooms" and small spaces to cloister hand-fabricated musical instruments and players and their audiences were evolving in my mind. Further discussions with the Cadillac Visitor's Bureau, and sound garden committee evolved the extended spiral walkway into a curved waterfront promenade that will complete the link of water and land."

Cadillac Garden Club, Wexford County Herb Society and The Wild Ones have all agreed to participate in the Earthscape. Boy Scout Troop #48 Eagle Scout project to locate and help install trees, boulders, gardens, Merrill's Auto Supply Tuning the Brake Drums, Cadillac Printing and Renata Olson Logo Design