Thank you for visiting the site for “Talking Trees.” We hope to use this site as a kind of online journal where we can record our progress on the project.

First, a little background. I first met Harvey Sollberger at the June in Buffalo new music festival in 2000. I was a participating composer, Harvey was one of the masterclass teachers. I remember his kind and supportive demeanor, as well as his insightful comments and vast musical knowledge. About 9 years passed without further contact, and then at a concert in Cedar Rapids, I reconnected with Harvey, who had recently retired from his position at the University of California-San Diego and was living in Strawberry Point, Iowa, of all places. As we conversed, Harvey mentioned a long-term goal of building an outdoor sound installation on his property. I mentioned my own interest in sound installations, but neither of us purused anything concrete.

In the summer of 2011, it came time for me to submit a sabbatical proposal for the spring of 2013, and remembering my previous conversation with Harvey, it seemed that a project, such as we discussed in broad terms, might make a good collaboration. I was successful in my application, and we then turned to the task of deciding what/when/where/how it would all happen.

Our initial thought was to make our piece on a piece of undeveloped woodland owned by Harvey and his wife, Marla. Its attractions are many–it is remote, rugged, diverse in its vegetation and topography, and completely removed from traffic, mechanical or airplane noise. Unfortunately, it also poses challenges: its remoteness makes it less accessible, there is no trail through the property to speak of, and the idea of making a hiking/walking experience safe for visitors seemed daunting. We began thinking of an alternate venue. Right away, Seed Savers Exchance in Decorah came to mind.

On a whim, we visited the property in early spring, 2012. Without knowing whom to talk to or where to start, we were guided to Shannon, who coordinates public programs on the farm. Within a few minutes, she had agreed to allow our project to happen on the Seed Savers property, so long as Harvey and I would be responsible for doing the “heavy lifting.” With a site and general time frame in place, “Talking Trees” began to take shape.

The last piece of the puzzle was securing funding, which would mainly allow us to purchase audio gear. Within a few days of partnering with Seed Savers, we submitted a grant proposal to the Iowa Arts Council, and later in the summer, we learned that we had been funded in the amount of $4800. Thus begins our journey…