W
hen Communication senior Tucker DeGregory was growing up, Joni Mitchell was a constant presence. The music of the acclaimed singer-songwriter provided the soundtrack for many milestones in his life. When he was a toddler, his mother would sing “Little Green” to him as he went to sleep; his father played “The Circle Game” at his preschool graduation, and he would sing the same song at his high school graduation; and his freshman year of college, when he was homesick, he would listen to her albums to remind him of his parents. “I’m amazed at how she wrote all of her songs from her personal perspective, but was able to make them so universal,” DeGregory said. “It’s amazing that she can capture as complex and poetic stories as she does and make them so universal. She’s able to produce work that anyone from an old man to a young girl to anyone in between can find something in.” Now, DeGregory is honoring Joni Mitchell through his upcoming project “Joni: Busy Being Free,” a presentation that chronicles the life of the Canadian songwriter. The project is DeGregory’s Capstone research project for his Music Theatre Choreography module, a program in the School of Communication for students interested in pursuing choreography. “Busy Being Free” is presented as a concert, with three actors representing Mitchell at different ages, acting out and discussing moments from her life and singing songs to the audience. When the actors sing, several dancers will perform choreographed routines to the songs in front of them. According to DeGregory, the dancers and actors complement each other but don’t directly interact with one another onstage. Communication junior Susie McCollum, who plays the middle Mitchell in the performance, said the singer has been one of her all-time heroes, and she was excited and intimidated to step into the role. McCollum said that, as someone who writes her own music, Mitchell’s storytelling ability has had a huge influence on her. “Her entire life is one that celebrates and redefines art and the way that we use words and how we see the world,” McCollum said. “She’s an incredible figure of musicianship and artistry that we all should know who she is.” DeGregory said most people wouldn’t consider Mitchell a musician whose work lends itself to dance. That’s why, when he pitched “Busy Being Free,” he was interested in figuring out how dance interacted with her music. While researching for the project, he learned that when Mitchell was growing up, she wanted to be a professional dancer –– but her dreams were ruined when she developed polio at age 9 and lost functionality in her lower back and legs. She continued to dance for fun at sock-hops and clubs and referenced dance in many of her songs as a metaphor for freedom. “The show is about freedom in many pursuits,” DeGregory said. “Freedom romantically and sexually, professionally and also physically. She had this weird confine put on her by polio and was always thinking of dance and singing about dance as a way to free the body and to express herself and freedom.” DeGregory said this context helped inform his choreography for the project, which he describes as a physicalization of her lyrics. While the actors are singing, the dancers use their bodies to depict her lyrics and the story being told. For example, during the performance of the song “Woodstock,” the choreography is meant to reflect the themes of counterculture reflected in the lyrics. Communication senior Cailyn Johnson is one of the dancers in the production. Before being cast in the show, Johnson was unfamiliar with Mitchell’s life, but knew some of her music, having figure-skated to her song “River.” However, she said she has grown impressed by the raw emotions of her work, and is excited