Mono Mills Cave…in Stereo!

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Mono Mills Improv

This ancient, naturally-formed cave, just 10 minutes drive along gravel roads outside of the charming hamlet of Mono Mills, is simply stunning!

At the end of a wending country driveway canopied by mature maples on either side, and hidden way in a mature mixed-deciduous forest, one finds an extraordinary Eden on Earth: a series of falls tumbling over long, broad steps of the Niagara Escarpment that you can plainly hear cascading nearby in this recording. Idyllic in late summer, this river likely transforms into a thunderous torrent during spring run-off. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a good snowfall this winter, since apparently the river is at its lowest level in 100 years this season.

As a natural shelter for tens of thousands of years for First Nations Communities, this haunted, hallowed space invites exploration…and flute improvisation! For more information and ideas about improvisation, as well as a creative musical approach to practising, check out Chris Foley’s wonderful Collaborative Piano site.

The ‘Stereo’ in the title of this post I really couldn’t resist! In the opening pages of This is Your Brain on Music, author Daniel Levitin advocates the use of headphones for the fullest stereo listening experience…they don’t have to be high-end Sennheisers, and even a $10 pair from an electronics shop on Yonge Street will do the trick!

My thanks to the staff of the Mono Mills Inn for the personal tour: absolutely unforgetable.