For piano
Standing before the majesty of an ancient tree—whether it's a towering Sequoia in Northern California, the sprawling Big Belly Oak in southwest England, or a mountain spruce in Romania's Făgăraș Mountains—is a truly breathtaking experience. Peering inside such an ancient tree reveals a far richer biodiversity than that of younger trees, hosting rare fungi, insects, and animals in its intricate ecosystem. An ancient tree sequesters significantly more carbon than younger, fast-growing trees, playing a crucial and natural role in regulating the planet's climate. Studies show that a single 1 00-year-old northern red oak captures as much carbon as 35 trees that are 30 to 50 years old, or more than 48,000 newly planted nursery trees. Protecting ancient trees—and, even more crucially, old-growth forests—is vital to preventing the Earth's collapse in the face of human-driven climate change. However, lax oversight and delayed regulations have caused a significant surge in logging, leading to the rapid loss of ancient trees and old-growth forests. In the U.S. Northeast, only an estimated 1 % of old-growth forest remains, while Europe holds around 3%. Yet, driven by capitalistic greed, we continue to destroy these vital ecosystems. By channeling musical emotion to bring awareness to this critical issue, I hope to spark meaningful conversation and inspire action.
Duration: ca 13 minutes
For piano
Standing before the majesty of an ancient tree—whether it's a towering Sequoia in Northern California, the sprawling Big Belly Oak in southwest England, or a mountain spruce in Romania's Făgăraș Mountains—is a truly breathtaking experience. Peering inside such an ancient tree reveals a far richer biodiversity than that of younger trees, hosting rare fungi, insects, and animals in its intricate ecosystem. An ancient tree sequesters significantly more carbon than younger, fast-growing trees, playing a crucial and natural role in regulating the planet's climate. Studies show that a single 1 00-year-old northern red oak captures as much carbon as 35 trees that are 30 to 50 years old, or more than 48,000 newly planted nursery trees. Protecting ancient trees—and, even more crucially, old-growth forests—is vital to preventing the Earth's collapse in the face of human-driven climate change. However, lax oversight and delayed regulations have caused a significant surge in logging, leading to the rapid loss of ancient trees and old-growth forests. In the U.S. Northeast, only an estimated 1 % of old-growth forest remains, while Europe holds around 3%. Yet, driven by capitalistic greed, we continue to destroy these vital ecosystems. By channeling musical emotion to bring awareness to this critical issue, I hope to spark meaningful conversation and inspire action.
Duration: ca 13 minutes
