INTRO MUSIC WATER FLOWING OVER ROCKS STEP, STEP, STEP, STEP, STEP.

>> STEP INTO MY FOREST OR BOG ON THE PLANET AND YOU WILL INSTANTLY SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS.

THEY ARE AT THE FOUNDATION OF ALL TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS AND ALL ANIMAL LIFE DEPENDS UPON THEM.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSER; YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH PLANTS INTERACT WITH ANIMALS.

A BEE SIPPING ON NECTAR OR A LEAF AND A CATERPILLAR OR GULLS LIVING INSIDE OF LEAVES.

♪ >> INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT ORGANISMS.

>> I AM MOST INTERESTED IN THIS LAST TYPE OF INTERACTION.

SYMBIOSIS.

DUE TO THE INTIMATE PHYSICAL NATURE OF THE INTERACTION, THE PLANT HAS A LOT OF SAY OVER THE LIVELIHOOD OVER THE INSECTS OR MICROBES LIVING INSIDE THEM.

THE PLANT IS THE ENVIRONMENT.

SO BY CONTROLLING THAT MICRO ENVIRONMENT INSIDE ITS TISSUES, A PLANT CAN PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF MUTUALISTS OR PARASITES.

♪ >> ANOTHER PLANT INTERACTION THAT INTERESTS ME IS CARNIVORIE, WHICH IS NOT AS UNCOMMON AS YOU MIGHT THINK.

IT'S NOT JUST THE VENUS FLY TRAP.

THERE ARE OVER 800 SPECIES OF CARNIVOROUS PLANTS.

PLANTS HAVE EVOLVED TO EAT INSECTS AT LEAST 10 TIMES AND THERE'S ALSO DIVERSE TRAPPING STRATEGIES AMONG THESE.

LITTLE BLADDERS THAT SUCK UP INSECTS, LEAVES COVERED IN STICKY HAIRS OR TUBE-SHAPED LEAVES IN WHICH INSECTS FALL AND DROWN IN A DIGESTIVE POOL OF FLUID.

THESE ARE ALL MODIFIED LEAVES.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF PITCHER PLANTS IN PARTICULAR AND I'VE MOSTLY STUDIED THE TROPICAL PITCHER PLANT WHICH NOT ONLY EATS INSECTS BUT HAVE SYMBIOTS LIVING INSIDE THEM AS WELL.

♪ >> THIS IS A DIVERSE PITCHER OF MANY SPECIES.

WITH DIVERSITY IN THE SHAPE AND COLOR WHICH ARE MODIFIED LEAVES.

THIS PITCHER DIVERSITY ACROSS SPECIES CAN BE LINKED TO DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL STRATEGIES.

THIS SPECIES USES A RING OF WHITE HAIRS TO ATTRACT TERMITES.

THIS SPECIES, THE LID DOESN'T COVER THE MOUTH LIKE IT DOES IN OTHER SPECIES, ALLOWING LEAF LITTER TO FALL INSIDE AND GAINS NUTRIENTS FROM PLANTS AS WELL BECOMING OMNIVOROUS AND THIS HAS LITERALLY EVOLVED INTO A TOILET IN WHICH IT SECRETES NECTAR ON THE LID AND IS JUST THE RIGHT WAY TO CATCH WHAT COMES FROM THE TREE.

IN ADDITION TO DIVERSITY ACROSS SPECIES, THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY WITHIN SPECIES.

MOST PRODUCE TWO DISTINCT TYPE OF PITCHERS.

THE VINES PRODUCE ONE TYPE OF PITCHER IN THEIR JUVENILE PHASE AND THEN MAKE A SECOND TYPE ONCE THEY ENTER THEIR CLIMBING PHASE.

♪ >> INDIVIDUAL SPECIES CAN VARY IN PITCHER COLOR, AS WELL.

I HAVE STUDIED COLOR VARIATION AND FOUND THAT RED PIGMENTATION MAY NOT BE IMPORTANT FOR ATTRACTING PREY, BUT RATHER LINKED TO DEFENSE AGAINST HERBIVORES.

♪ >> MY GRAD STUDENT SYLVIE AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF PIGMENTS IN THE UNRELATED AMERICAN PITCHER PLANTS.

SHE TOOK MANY OF THESE PHOTOS AND REALLY HELPED TO INSPIRE THIS MUSIC.

♪ >> ACROSS SPECIES.

>> PITCHERS NOT ONLY VARY IN HOW THEY LOOK BUT ALSO IN THEIR PHYSIOLOGY.

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE DIFFERENT SPECIES CAN ACIDIFY THEIR DIGESTIVE FLUID TO DIFFERENT DEGREE WAS SOME BEING ONLY MODERATELY ACIDIC AT PH 5 OR 6 AND OTHERS REACHING EXTREMES AS LOW AS PH2 OR EVEN LOWER IN SOME CASES.

♪ >> AND THIS ALLOWS THEM TO SELECT FOR DIFFERENT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES.

SO, DIFFERENT HOST SPECIES OF PITCHER PLANT CREATE DIFFERENT PH LEVELS WHICH THEN LEADS TO DIFFERENT MICROBES LIVING INSIDE.

EVEN COMING FROM THE SAME STARTING POINT WITH ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL.

THERE'S A TINY WORLD IN THAT PITCHER FLUID AND THE PLANTS SHAPE THAT WORLD.

♪ >> BECAUSE THE PITCHER IS JUST A MODIFIED LEAF, I AM CURIOUS WHETHER NORMAL LEAVES CAN ALSO CONTROL PH LEVELS ON THEIR LEAF SURFACES.

>> PITCHER PLANT, PITCHER PLANTS.

>> AND INDEED THIS TURNS OUT TO BE THE CASE.

PLANTS IN GENERAL DO HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER PH LEVELS ON THEIR EXTERNAL LEAF SURFACES.

THESE LEAVES CAN SLIGHTLY LOWER THEIR PH AND COTTON LEAVES CAN RAISE THEIR PH TO HIGH EXTREMES.

ALL AROUND IT.

EVERY LEAF HAS THE CAPABILITY TO ALTER PH AND SHAPE THEIR OWN TINY WORLDS.

AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PLANTS SHAPE THESE WORLDS BY REGULATING PH HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR PROTECTING CROPS FROM PATHOGENS AND ACID RAIN.

HOWEVER, ABOVE ALL, I AM REALLY JUST FASCINATED BY THESE SYSTEMS AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO EXPLORE AND DIVE FURTHER INTO THESE TINY WORLDS.

[MUSIC CONTINUES] [WATER ROLLING OVER STONES] [APPLAUSE] >> HELLO MY NAME IS BERKLEY WALKER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN PLANT BIOLOGY AND THE PLANT RESEARCH LABORATORY.

AND, FARM TO PLATE IS ALL THE RAGE TODAY.

PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN BEING ABLE TO TRACK OUR FOOD FROM WHERE IT WAS GROWN TO WHERE IT'S CONSUMED.

NOW, PART OF THIS COMES FROM OUR DESIRE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROCESSING THAT OCCURS WITH THAT FOOD.

BUT WE ARE ALSO FASCINATED BY THE PROCESS ITSELF.

SO, WHAT IF WE GO UPSTREAM FROM THE FARM.

WHAT IF WE GO TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF ALL LIFE ON THIS PLANET?

OF COURSE, I AM TALKING ABOUT THIS THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSION IN THE SKY THAT WE CALL THE SUN.

THE SUN BOMBARDS OUR PLANET WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

ABOUT A THOUSAND WATTS PER METER SQUARED.

THIS IS ENOUGH ENERGY HITTING EAST LANSING TO POWER A SEMI TRUCK AROUND THE WORLD ABOUT 250 TIMES EVERY HOUR.

THIS ENERGY TRAVELS TO OUR PLANET THROUGH SPACE IN THE FORM OF PHOTONS.

LITTLE PACKAGE OF LIGHT.

SO HOW DOES THIS PHOTON END UP ON OUR DINNER PLATE?

THAT'S THE PROCESS I STUDY.

I STUDY THIS ENERGIC JOURNEY.

I TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PLACES WHERE THAT ENERGY IS LOST DURING THAT JOURNEY WITH AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER.

BUT ALSO TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT JOURNEY WILL BE RESHAPED WITH CHANGING CLIMATES.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS THE CATCH-ALL TERM THAT WE USE TO DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS THAT MEDIATE THIS ENERGY TRANSFER, THAT CAPTURE THAT LIGHT ENERGY IN THE FORM OF PHOTONS AND USE THAT ENERGY TO GRAB CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND MAKE SUGAR.

WE USUALLY THINK OF SWEET STUFF BUT THE SUGAR IS THE BUILDING BLOCK OF LIFE ON THIS PLANET.

HOW EFFICIENT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN CONVERTING A PHOTON OF LIGHT INTO FOOD?

IT'S NOT AS EFFICIENT AS YOU MIGHT THINK.

IN CROP PLANTS, ONLY ABOUT 1% OF THE SOLAR ENERGY THAT ORIGINALLY HITS THAT LEAF ENDS UP AS OUR FOOD.

THIS 1% GIVES US NOT JUST THE FOOD THAT WE EAT, BUT THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE, THE CLOTHES THAT WE WEAR AND A GROWING AMOUNT OF THE ENERGY WE CONSUME.

NOW TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE SOLAR PANELS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON A HOUSE HAVE ABOUT A 20% CONVERSION EFFICIENCY.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FASCINATES ME ABOUT PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

CAN WE MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT?

HOW IS IT THAT AFTER 3.5 BILLION YEARS OF EVOLUTION, WE AS HUMANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN 200 YEARS?

NOW BEFORE I RAG ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS TOO MUCH, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ITS POSITIVES.

THIS IS ALMOST IDEAL FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE.

A LEAF IS SELF-REPLICATING, SELF-HEALING, LOW INPUT AND IT'S ALSO CARBON NEGATIVE.

SO THIS DICHOTOMY I REALLY LOVE IS THE INEFFICIENCIES BUT AS WELL AS THE SEEMING PERFECTIONS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

SO WHAT ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT THESE INEFFICIENCIES?

THE INEFFICIENCY THAT I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING CALLED PHOTORESPIRATION.

AND PHOTORESPIRATION COMES FROM A CO2 MOLECULE AND OXYGEN MOLECULE FLOATING AROUND, THEY ARE SIMILAR.

THE FIRST STEP OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GRAB THAT CARBON DIOXIDE MOLECULE GETS MIXED UP IN ABOUT ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR OR FIVE TIMES IT GRABS AN OXYGEN MOLECULE INSTEAD.

THAT FORMS A COMPOUND THAT'S COMPLETELY WORTHLESS TO THE PLANT AND IT HAS TO BE RECYCLED THROUGH A PROCESS WE CALL PHOTO RESPIRATION.

PHOTO RESPIRATION TAKES ABOUT 30 TO 40 PERCENT OF ALL THE LEAF'S ENERGY.

TO PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT, THAT'S ABOUT 320 TRILLION CALORIES EVERY YEAR JUST IN THE AMERICAN MIDWEST.

IF YOU WERE TO TURN THOSE CALORIES INTO DONUTS, AND STACK THEM ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO STRETCH TO THE MOON AND BACK ABOUT 11 TIMES.

OK.

SO -- THAT'S INTERESTING.

WHY IS THEMENT THROWING AWAY ALL THIS ENERGY?

-- WHY IS THE PLANT THROWING AWAY ALL THIS ENERGY AND WHY CAN'T WE MAKE IT BETTER?

THE ANSWER IS MORE NUANCED.

IT'S INTEGRATE TO MAKING VITAMINS THAT THEY MAKE AND POTENTIALLY MAKE THE PROTEINS THAT THEY USE.

SO, WE ARE SEEING THIS BALANCE WHERE THERE'S INEFFICIENCIES, BUT THERE'S UNREALIZED POTENTIAL IN THOSE INEFFICIENCIES, AS WELL.

SO I HOPE WHAT YOU TAKE FROM THIS IS NEXT TIME YOU EAT YOUR CARROT OR EAT YOUR DINNER, YOU THINK ABOUT THE JOURNEY THAT THAT PHOTON TOOK FROM OUT ARE SPACE TO REACH YOUR PLATE AND YOU ARE A LITTLE MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

NOW, WE WILL GET TO HEAR THE JOURNEY OF THIS PHOTON FROM THE SUN TO YOUR PLATE IN THIS PIECE BY SPENCER ARIAS ENTITLED THE INEFFICIENCIES THAT FEED US.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC BEGINS] [MUSIC BEGINS] ♪ [MUSIC CONTINUING] [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS KRISTA ISAACS.

I AM AN INTERNATIONAL SEED SYSTEMS SCIENTIST.

TONIGHT IS ABOUT MUSIC AND SCIENCE.

AND YOU HAVE COME TO LISTEN AND, OF THE TWO, WE MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATE LISTENING WITH MUSIC.

MY APPROACH TO RESEARCH ON SEED SYSTEM WAS SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN THE WORLD, MY FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB IS TO LISTEN.

DEFINITELY NOT TO STAND UP HERE ON A STAGE.

I LISTEN THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND CONVERSATIONS.

AND I LISTEN IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PREFERENCES AND NEEDS AND THE INCREDIBLE WISDOM THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE.

THIS INFORMS THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK TOGETHER.

LISTENING.

I IMAGINE THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE BAKED BREAD.

HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW IT SINGS TO YOU WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE OVEN?

HOW IT POPPLES AND CRACKS?

PERHAPS IT'S THE WHEAT TALKING TO US FROM THE GRAVE.

HOW CLOSELY DO WE NEED TO LEAN IN, IN ORDER TO HEAR WHAT IT HAS TO SAY?

HOW WE LISTEN AND WHO WE LISTEN TO INFORMS OUR PERSPECTIVE.

DIVERSE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD SHOULD BE SHAPING HOW WE DO SCIENCE THAT CO-GENERATES SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH LISTENING TO FARMERS IS THAT THE NEXT BEST IMPROVED SEED THAT HYBRID VARIETY OR THAT NEW AGRO CHEMICAL OR THAT NEW FANCY TECHNOLOGY OFTEN DEVELOPED BY BIG CORPORATIONS AND, YES, SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS, NORMALLY DOESN'T WORK IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT OR WITH THEIR SOCIO CULTURAL CONTEXT.

LOCAL AND INDIGENOUS VOICES NEED TO BE PART OF THE EQUATION WHEN WE DO AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE.

SEEDS AND THE GENETIC DIVERSITY THAT THEY CONTAIN ARE THE FOUNDATION OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS.

THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR NUTRITIOUS FOOD SYSTEMS AND THEY ARE KEY TO OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

DIVERSE VARIETIES IN CROPS ON FARMS ALLOW FOR NEW OPTIONS AND RESILIENCE AND THEY ARE REQUIRED FOR THE THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT AND GROWING ENVIRONMENTS THAT EXIST AND EMPLOY 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE AND, OF COURSE, NURTURE US.

ENSURING ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY TO DIVERSE SEEDS AND ENSURING MAINTENANCE AND CONSERVATION OF THIS GENETIC DIVERSITY ARE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD ENSURING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND FOOD SECURITY.

SOME OF THE WORK THAT I HAVE DONE IN INDIA IS AN EXAMPLE OF INCREASING ACCESS TO THIS PREFERRED QUALITY SEED.

ON THIS PROJECT WITH WOMEN'S MICRO SAVING SELF-HELP GROUPS IN WHICH HUNDREDS OF WOMEN BECAME SEED PRODUCERS, OF VARIETIES THEY SELECTED FROM THE PUBLIC VARIETY.

THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THEY NOW SELL OR BARTER THIS SEED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND MAKING SEEDS ACCESSIBLE TO SMALL-SCALE FARMERS THAT WASN'T ACCESSIBLE BEFORE.

THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH THE WOMEN, I LEARNED THAT BECOMING A SEED PRODUCER TRANSFORMED THEIR SENSE OF SELF, THEIR SENSE OF AGENCY, THEIR STATUS IN THE HOUSEHOLD, AND THEIR STATUS IN THE COMMUNITY.

THESE WOMEN THAT BARELY LEFT THE HOUSE BEFORE THE PROJECT ARE NOW SOUGHT OUT BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR THEIR SEED.

AND THEY WERE SOUGHT OUT BECAUSE THEY HAD SPECIFIC AND VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE AND, BECAUSE THEY HAD MORE ECONOMIC SECURITY.

THEY ALSO FOUND THEIR VOICE AND TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THE SEED SUPPLY.

BY PRODUCING IT, BY SELECTING THE VARIETIES, AND BY DISTRIBUTING IT.

THE FOLLOWING SCORE COMPOSED BY LIBBY MEYER CAPTURES THIS TRANSFORMATION OF THE WOMEN AND INTEGRATES THE WORDS OF THE WOMEN FROM THE INTERVIEWS INTO THE PIECE.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PROGRAM NOTES.

QUOTE.

NOW I HAVE MY IDENTITY AND NOW I AM NOT JUST A WIFE OR A DAUGHTER.

I HAVE GAINED MY NAME.

INTERVIEW NUMBER ONE.

FROM A PLACE OF LISTENING IS REFLECTION ON THE WORK OF AGRIECOLOGISTS KRISTA ISAACS WITH WOMEN IN UDDAR PREDISH.

IT INCLUDES SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

LISTENING TO THESE WOMEN AND THEIR DESIRES FOR THEMSELVES AND RELATIONSHIP WAS THEIR FAMILIES, DR. ISAACS AND OTHERS HELPED THEM TO LEARN SKILLS THAT EMPOWERED THEM AND MADE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES.

FROM A PLACE OF LISTENING, ASK PERFORMERS TO REALIZE A COMPOSITION BY CAREFULLY LISTENING TO EACH OTHER.

THE THREE DISTINCT SECTIONS ARE AS A WHISPER EMERGING AS A SONG AND AS A DANCE.

TRACE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THESE WOMEN'S LIVES AS A RESULT OF THE WORK.

SOME SECTIONS ARE PRECISELY NOTEATED WHILE OTHERS REQUIRE THE PERFORMERS TO IMPROVISE.

THE WORDS SPOKEN ARE QUOTES FROM WOMEN WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN ENRICHED OF THE CHARITABLE TRUST AND SELF-HELP GROUPS.

PROGRAMS THAT EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND SKILLS INVOLVING SEED PRODUCTION, SELECTION, AND BREEDING.

AND WITH THAT, I GIVE YOU PAT, CHRIS, AND IVAN TO SING SOME BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.

PLAY MUSIC.

[APPLAUSE] >> I MAKE MY OWN -- [MUSIC BEGINS] [MUSIC IS CONTINUING] >> I MAKE MY OWN IDENTITY.

[MUSIC CONTINUES] [MUSIC HAS PICKED UP TEMPO] >> I HAVE GAINED MY NAME.

[MUSIC PICKS UP IN TEMPO] [APPLAUSE] >> I AM PHOEBE ZARNETSKE, ECOLOGIST IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATED BIOLOGY AT M.S.U.

MY RESEARCH FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING AND PREDICTING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON BIODIVERSITY, ESPECIALLY HOW IT DISRUPTS SPECIES INTERACTIONS.

WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE.

ALTHOUGH PLANTS AND ANIMALS HAVE EXPERIENCED CLIMATE CHANGE OVER GEOLOGIC TIME, THEY HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A PACE THIS RAPID.

SOME SPECIES ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP PACE.

AND BECAUSE ALL SPECIES INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, WE ARE ALREADY SEEING MISMATCHES BETWEEN HERBIVORES AND PLANTS AND BETWEEN PREDATORS AND THEIR PREY.

IN THE ARCTIC, THIS IS PARTICULARLY EVIDENT.

FOR EXAMPLE, CARIBOU ARE UNABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH EARLIER SPRINGS AND ARRIVE TOO LATE TO THEIR FORAGING GROUNDS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIGH-QUALITY PLANTS LEADING TO POPULATION DECLINES.

POPULATIONS OF PREDATORS LIKE WOLVES ARE ALREADY DECLINING FROM HUMAN PRESSURES AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING IT HARDER FOR THEM TO FIND THEIR USUAL PREY.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS INHERENTLY LINKED TO THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS.

GOING FORWARD, WE HAVE A CHOICE.

WE CAN CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL, EMITTING MORE AND MORE FOSSIL FUELS, OR WE CAN COMMIT TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE PATH THAT MINIMIZES CLIMATE CHANGE BY REDUCING ENERGY USE, USING MUCH MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND COMMITTING TO MORE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION.

EARTH'S FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF BIODIVERSITY IS IN OUR HANDS.

[APPLAUSE] >> MY NAME IS LYN GOERINGER.

I AM A COMPOSER FROM BALTIMORE.

I WORK AT THE PEABODY INSTITUTE.

POTENTIALITIES HAS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO EACH INSECT TRIMENT.

THE CLARINET IS CARNIVORES, THE ELECTRONICS, PLANTS AS WELL AS RECORDINGS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS.

TO COMPOSE THE WORK I BUILT AN ALGORITHM THAT GENERATED NOTES TREATING THEM AS SHARED RESOURCES FOR TROPIC POPULATIONS.

WHEN NOT OVERUSED EACH PLAYER HAS FULL ACCESS TO THEIR GIVEN RANGE.

WHEN RESOURCES BECOME OVERUSED THEY DISAPPEAR GIVING PLAYERS FEWER NOTES TO WORK WITH UNTIL THE KEY CHANGE WHICH REPRESENTS FINDING NEW RESOURCES.

YOU WILL NOTICE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS BECOME MORE AND MORE VOLATILE AS THE PIECE STANDS WITH SOUNDS OF A FOREST BY A LAKE AND ENDS WITH THE SOUNDS OF FIRES AS LIVES DISAPPEAR FROM THE SOUNDSCAPE.

THIS IS THE BUSINESS AS USUAL AND LESS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

IN THE SECOND MOVEMENT, THE OUTCOME IS MUCH DIFFERENT.

LEVELS ARE STILL ENGAGING WITH ONE ANOTHER BUT THE TRANSITIONS ARE OFTEN SMOOTHER BETWEEN KEY CHANGE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS REMAIN CLOSER TO A NORMAL OR PREFERRED SEASONAL CHANGE WITH THE WORK ENDING WITH THE RETURN TO SPRING AND LIVE INSTRUMENTS FADING INTO THE BACKGROUND LEAVING US WITH A CALM SPRING MORNING IN THE END.

THIS IS THE MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

[MUSIC BEGINS] [MUSIC BEGINS] [MUSIC BEGINS] [APPLAUSE]