Celebrating Mother Earth Virtually

Although we won’t be gathering en masse to celebrate Earth Day’s 50th birthday, it doesn’t mean we can’t spend the day honoring Mother Earth. In fact, just for the occasion, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) is hosting #TogetherWeEarthrise, a virtual festival on Wednesday, April 22, that will feature conservation-minded speakers and musicians. The artists slated to perform ​— ​from their homes, of course ​— ​include Kenny Loggins, Zach Gill, Michael McDonald, Tina Schlieske, and Glen Phillips.
I recently caught up via email with Phillips, who had some thoughtful responses to my questions about music and nature.

Does nature spark your songwriting? There have always been threads of natural inspiration in my writing. It’s not the only one, but it’s up there. I notice that when I’m trying to write something that feels more enduring and less specifically situational, nature holds all the best imagery and metaphor. I also notice that the more I’m paying attention, the less I feel there is anything but nature ​— ​we’re part of a vast, multifaceted organism. As much as we believe in functional fictions like economies, nationalities, and hierarchies, the truth is we’re just a bunch of mortal squishy things going out and exploring, just as all life does.

How can we look to nature for inspiration and guidance during this pandemic? Getting outside of the frantic pace of doing and producing gives us a great opportunity to slow down and remember what it feels like to just be. I’ve had some periods during these weeks where I’ve over invested in distracting myself ​— ​binge watching Netflix or sucking down all the news I can find. It leaves me anxious and afraid. When I’ve gone outside, felt the sun, listened to the birds, and turned down the noise, I can start to feel a little peace again. The more I try and tamp down the nervousness, the bigger it becomes. The more I allow the feelings and sink back into the pace of nature, the more I find I can move through it and find peace again.