A meditation on photosynthesis

Hi friends,

I’ve been fixated on photosynthesis for a while now. The magical process whereby plants eat sunlight and air (!). Although I studied the carbon cycle in school, I think my current obsession began about a year ago reading this passage by Diana Beresford-Kroeger in her book Our Green Heart:

I think this is the most poetic description I’ve ever encountered of this process which underpins almost all of life on earth. So central, so elegant, so complex!

In late January I hosted 3 nights of deep listening at Vancouver’s iconic Bloedel Conservatory. We celebrated the release of my new record, Photosynthesis, by immersing ourselves in the flora (and fauna) of the tropical dome. We allowed ourselves to relax and re-imagine our roles in nature. Each night I was joined by a different guest musician. On night 2, Piu (aka Priyanka) brought her modular synth, a host of pedals, and her gorgeous voice to the garden. We recorded the session and I’m so excited to share it with you here. In the video above you’ll find our final piece, a spontaneous meditation and improvisation on photosynthesis.

For paid subscribers, to thank you for your kind support (it means more than you can possibly imagine), I’ve included the audio recording of our entire show below. Please enjoy a suite of improvisations that begin by tapping into the aerial roots of an orchid, move on to an Anthurium flower, and finally finish with an orchid tree 💚

I’m back at home this month, working hard on a number of Pocket Scion related projects - stay tuned for a big Pocket Scion update over the coming weeks! I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.