Chicago Philharmonic Sound Walks: Bloomingdale Trail - Chicago Philharmonic

Chicago Philharmonic Sound Walks:
Bloomingdale Trail

Take a walk on the sonic side!
Chicago Philharmonic and the Chicago Park District bring you a curated “sound walk” playlist. Put your headphones on and immerse yourself in the sounds of our city!

The following playlists have been curated by The Chicago Philharmonic Society, and are presented by the Chicago Park District – Night Out in the Parks.
For more information on our nature trails, please visit us at: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/nature

The Bloomingdale Trail


 

Enjoy this playlist as you stroll through the Bloomingdale Trail, taking in the sights and sounds of this walkable trail that traverses the West Side of Chicago. Featuring some of our favorite collaborators (including Sleeping At Last, Nas, and Lindsey Stirling), this playlist spans the musical breadth of our incredible city! From new pop artists like Amira Jazeera, to Chicago classics like Wilco, this playlist will keep you moving and grooving along the trail.

 

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I Can – Nas


 

Legendary rapper Nas is known for his powerful lyrics and social insight. Rising to fame with his 1994 debut Illmatic, he remains one of hip-hop’s most influential voices. His song “I Can” encourages young people to believe in themselves and reach for their dreams, blending a sample from Beethoven’s “Für Elise” with an uplifting message. As you walk along the Bloomingdale trail, let Nas’s words inspire you to reflect and move forward with purpose. Nas recently made his Chicago Philharmonic debut at Ravinia Festival! July 2, 2025.

Learn more:
https://chicagophilharmonic.org/events/nas-with-the-chicago-philharmonic/

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Crystallize – Lindsey Stirling


 

Lindsey Stirling is a genre-defying violinist, composer, and dancer whose fusion of classical music with electronic and dubstep has captivated audiences worldwide. Her breakout single, “Crystallize,” released in 2012, showcases her signature style—melding intricate violin melodies with danceable rhythms. The song draws inspiration from research on the impact of positive energy on water crystallization, symbolizing the transformation of inner beauty and self-empowerment. The perfect song for relaxing outside, let “Crystallize” resonate with your surroundings, encouraging reflection and a harmonious connection with the natural world. Lindsey Stirling recently made her Chicago Philharmonic debut at Ravinia Festival! June 26, 2025.

Learn more:
https://chicagophilharmonic.org/events/lindsey-stirling-with-chicago-philharmonic/

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Bloomingdale Prelude – Ronnie Kuller


 

Here at Chicago Philharmonic, we’re all about community, and we love collaborating with the amazing cohort of artists we have here in Chicago. Ronnie Kuller is a Chicago-based composer, arranger, pianist and accordionist who we’ve had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with across multiple concerts. In 2018 Kuller composed a suite of dances inspired by the Bloomingdale Trail as part of a commission for the early music ensemble BBE. Working out of the Kimball Arts Center at the time, Kuller chose the Bloomingdale Trail to create music inspired by a Chicago neighborhood, and we’re excited to include selections from this suite in our playlist.

For more information on Kuller’s work visit: https://ronniekuller.com/

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About The Bloomingdale Trail


 

As part of a plan to bring more open space to Chicago’s northwest side, the city converted the underused Bloomingdale Rail embankment into a 2.7-mile elevated trail linking a series of grade-level parks. When active rail service ceased in the 1990s the embankment, which was built right on Bloomingdale Ave following the Great Chicago Fire, was reclaimed by community members as an impromptu trail. In the early 2000s the idea gained traction through several community-based visions and in 2004 as part of the Logan Square Open Space Plan. The linear park had widespread community support and input from the beginning, helping to develop the park’s design, function, and aesthetics. The Bloomingdale Trail opened in 2015, connecting four diverse neighborhoods, and bringing together arts, history, and design. The elevated Bloomingdale Trail welcomes approximately 1.2 million bikers, runners, and walkers a year and connects four existing and 2 planned adjacent ground-level parks. Combined, the Bloomingdale Trail plus it’s access parks are called The 606 —named for Chicago’s zip code prefix. The Bloomingdale Trail as well as several of the access parks were developed through a private partnership between the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, the Trust for Public Land. Today the parks are managed by the Chicago Park District and the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail as the Park Advisory Council.

The trail is located at the 1800 block north in Chicago, between Ashland (1600W) and Ridgeway (3750W), with 12 access points along its nearly three miles. For more info visit https://www.the606.org/ or https://www.bloomingdaletrail.org/

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