Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Instrument made from old agave plant starring in concert

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A concert of original music composed for a flute made from the stalk of an 80-year-old agave plant is taking place at the University of Michigan.

Saturday’s concert at the Ann Arbor school is titled “Listening to the Agave” and will be performed by shakuhachi flute player Michael Chikuzen Gould and University of Michigan School of Music Professor Michael Gould. Despite similar names they’re not related.

The American agave dies after flowering. The plant had called Ann Arbor home since 1934 and it grew to 28 feet after a rapid growth spurt in the spring of 2014 that preceded its flowering, which ended later in the year.

The agave at the university’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens then went into rapid decline, which is normal, and it was cut down in 2015.

This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Ann Arbor News.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles