provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The San Francisco-based ClimateMusic Project will be performing Climate — an original composition by Erik Ian Walker that tracks historical and projected variations in the climate system — at 7:30 p.m. March 13.
As part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Evenings at the Homestead series, the performance and synced animation use music to tell the urgent story of climate change in a way that resonates, educates, and motivates.
“The music of Climate has a powerful impact; hearing and feeling it gives you an understanding of the issues from your core, in a way that looking at a chart simply does not achieve. It’s a must-listen,” says SCCF Adult Education Director Jenny Evans.
The ClimateMusic Project was created to connect people to climate science and action through the emotional power of music. Its premise is that music is familiar, accessible, and — for most people — much easier to relate to than articles or lectures about the climate crisis.
Its current portfolio features four compositions, each created in a different style of music, which have been performed internationally.
“Climate transports us from the past to possible futures that could await us — depending on what we do today — before bringing us back to the present, still in time to act,” said Walker. “Climate integrates well-established scientific insight and data, which affect the trajectory of the music.”
Walker composed Climate by identifying four key indicators and assigning each a musical analog:
• Carbon dioxide concentration is reflected in the tempo of the composition
• Near Earth atmospheric temperature is represented by pitch
• Earth energy balance (the balance between incoming energy from the sun and outgoing heat from the Earth) changes are audible as distortion
• Ocean pH is represented by the compositional form
Climate tells the story of climate change from 1800 to 2250, following two possible scenarios for the future.
Following the performance, there will be a Q&A with Erik Ian Walker, the musicians, and scientists. There will be light refreshments, and tables set up from our partners at SanCap Resilience and Florida Right to Clean Water.
The outdoor event will be held in the pavilion at the Bailey Homestead Preserve, 1300 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel.
This event is made possible by the SCCF Flourish Fund.