Thinking of how we can connect to nonhumans, to plants, to trees, sound emerges as a shared medium. Annea Lockwood, a composer of soundscapes, including those found in nature, describes this phenomenon as “listening with”. Sound as a shared experience and energy channel that deeply connects us with fellow organisms in our environment.

Listening With Trees captures a conversation with trees. The wind was a material that enveloped and affected both my body and the trees’ bodies in similar swaying ways, and provided a medium to connect and convey our transmissions.

I built a long string aeolian harp, connecting my body to some of the last surviving trees in East River Park, a dialogue I engaged in several times over many weeks. Some days were quieter than others, and some generated ethereal and strange sounds. Documented here are some of these lingering and resonant tones.