"“I like what you did with those stories,” she told Saporiti, who also holds a doctorate in American Studies. “We know you write songs about history. Can you also write songs about trees?” Saporiti pondered. “I guess so,” he replied. “Did you have any trees in mind?” Turns out there were plenty of candidates in the Arboretum and beyond. That conversation sent Saporiti on an artistic journey that included his becoming the Arboretum's artist in residence (a title he made up), extensive study with scientists, attaching microphones to trees around the Portland area, a new direction for his songwriting - and a profound personal transformation."
"Arboretum Liberation The Gosper Mountain Mega Fire Firies held the line Imperiled, the Blue Mountain stand survived Like dinosaurs in shrines - “Wollemi Pine”"
Summer 2023 brought a prompt to write about trees after performances at Hoyt Arboretum. The setting contained thousands of tree and shrub species from multiple continents, and the exchange connected Saporiti’s history-focused songwriting to living plants. He pursued the idea by creating an artist-in-residence role, studying with scientists, and placing microphones on trees across the Portland area. The work shifted his songwriting direction and supported a personal transformation. New music draws on the creative process of listening to trees and translating their presence into sound and story, with performances planned at Walters Cultural Arts Center.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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