Our Common Nature Acadia: Yo-Yo Ma and the Wabanaki Play for the Dawn
Oct 8, 2025
Yo-Yo Ma, the world-renowned cellist, and Chris Newell, Passamaquoddy musician and educator, join for a mesmerizing exploration of music and nature. They delve into how Bach connects with the natural world, reflecting on the absence of nature in Yo-Yo's life. Chris shares insights on Wabanaki traditions, including sunrise songs meant to welcome the day. The podcast captures the magic of a collaborative performance at Acadia National Park, blending classical music with indigenous rhythms, showcasing music as a medium for cultural unity and healing.
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Music As Joining A Natural Flow
- Yo-Yo Ma connects Bach's Prelude to images of water, birds, roots, and underwater life to access a flowing musical state.
- He joins an energy that 'has been happening forever' rather than forcing the start of the music.
Common Nature Ties Ethics To Survival
- Yo-Yo Ma frames 'our common nature' as a reminder that humans are part of nature and depend on it to survive.
- Acknowledging that relationship makes our treatment of nature directly affect our lives.
Match Musical Style To Purpose
- Treat music and sunrise as complementary energy systems that shape human and ecological rhythms.
- Match musical style to purpose because different sounds set different states of mind.