Listening to trees listening to trees

Instrumentation: Flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, marimba

Duration: 6'30"

Year: 2022

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.