Listening to trees listening to trees (2022)

for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and marimba

Commissioned by the Boulder Altitude Directive

Program Note

Listening to trees listening to trees explores what we hear when we listen to trees, as well as what trees “hear” when they listen to each other. Beneath the sounds of leaves rustling, trunks creaking, and wind rushing through the forest canopy, trees are in communion with each other, sharing nutrients and information through underground fungi networks and pheromones. In this piece, a familiar soundscape is intertwined with one that’s just below the surface, bursting with life and a community all its own.

This music was informed and inspired by the books Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.