Music project seeks your stories and reactions to California’s high wildfire risk

California-born composer and multimedia artist Scott Ordway is looking for your stories. The artist is working on a piece of music for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, which will debut next year.

Ordway’s project, “The End of Rain,” weaves together stories and words from regions of the Western U.S. recently impacted by wildfire and drought.

“In recent years, the western United States has experienced wildfire and drought with catastrophic frequency and intensity,” Ordway said in a release about the project. “These events force us from our homes, devastate our communities, and destroy forests, farms, ranches, and orchards.”

The piece looks to address the emotional changes in Californians affected by wildfires, answering questions about how the fires alter our relationships with the forests, each other and our homes, among others. Ordway and the festival have asked Californians to participate by sharing their stories through www.theendofrain.com. Submissions are welcome until Saturday, May 15.