David Leddy’s Susurrus runs for the entire month at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. What did you think? Help others understand what the experience is like. Check back frequently and subscribe to comments to follow the conversation all month long.

Come visit the UMS table at Festifall (on the Diag, in front of the library) to get information on all of our incredible student ticket programs, inlcuding $10 Rush Tickets and the Fall Half Price Sale!

This year, the Institute for Humanities gallery opens with John Cage’s installation, “Lecture on the Weather,” a multi-media presentation based on the writings of Thoreau that brings together speech, music, lighting, and a weather soundscape. The installation sets the stage for a year of fantastic presentations and programming university-wide that will consider experimental music, dance, and performance, and the value of revisiting and re-creating time-based work.

Rather than solely relying on our own ideas, we consult quite a bit with our UMS Teacher Advisory Committee, an invaluable and indispensable resource to us. Its members (about 40 educators from throughout southeastern Michigan) represent the range of K-12 stakeholder and service providers: classroom and retired teachers, administrators, school board members, university faculty and staff, and others.

This week’s news includes an update on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra contract negotiations, an interview with jazz pianist Vijay Iyer, and a debate about the impact of live cinema broadcasts by the Met and others.