Concertgoers face a small stage at the bow of an open-air boat. Blue-bodied damselflies hover and land on their hats. As the sun begins to set and clarinet notes rise, the surrounding canyon turns from rust to pink to gold. … Campfire smoke reaches the boat from shrub-lined shores. The campers wave. The Colorado River is often portrayed as a site of crisis, where heat and humans throttle nature and demand outstrips supply. Yet the Moab Music Festival sees the river and its surrounding landscape as a source of creativity – collaborator and muse. The late-August “floating concert” is part of a summer series, the festival’s main annual event held in venues across town. The current water theme will continue and expand next year, organizers say. Commissions of works inspired by the Colorado River will honor and educate about its struggle.

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