Echo, Eco: Deep Listening, Call, & Response with a Landscape

There are very few places in the world where one can experience true silence.

Even when we have the privilege of being “alone” in the wilderness, something is always sounding: the subtle rustle of spruce branches, the drone of a freeway, the chip-chip of a hummingbird, the buzz of a pollinator… In this workshop, we’ll slow down to listen and respond to this ever-present soundtrack.

What becomes possible when we attune to the sonic landscape and listen to ALL our relatives: the animals, plants, elements, and each other? In this workshop, we invite you to:

• Practice listening with your whole self — how does ambient sound affect our minds/bodies/spirits?
• Notice and map your responses to subtle vibrations in the sonic landscape.
• Play with sound-making and explore the creative potential of your body as an instrument of connection and inter-elemental conversation.
• Participate in creating a sound bath in collaboration with each other and the environment — stretching and relaxing into a collectively-generated sonic container.

What to Bring

• Warm layers in case it gets breezy!
• Water (stay hydrated!)

What's Included

• Guided mindful listening practices
• A collectively-generated sound bath / sound healing experience
• A zine filled with prompts to help you map your experiences, questions, and revelations.

About Wild Awake

Wild Awake curates immersive outdoor learning experiences that are rooted in connecting with and caring for ourselves, each other, and the more-than-human world. We believe that when we practice reawakening to the wonder of the present, we can embody deep awareness of our relational interdependence.

For more details about Wild Awake, please visit www.wildawake.us.

About the Guide

Nikbo (she/they) is a Filipinx singer-songwriter and amateur naturalist who was raised in Morocco, Canada, Malawi, and Kazakhstan before moving to the Bay at age 16.

Nikbo, who was born Nicole Marietta Francisco Bonsol, inherited her grandmother’s green thumb and big forehead. She is a Capricorn Rising, Taurus Moon, and a Sagittarius with her Sun in the 12th House. She’s obsessed with chai. In her previous lives she’s been a Human Biology major, an a cappella kid, a North Shore barista, a spoken word poet, and a mental health case manager.

In this life as a musical artist, Nikbo collects field recordings from the Filipino diaspora and blends them with emotive melodies and electronic production to create what she calls “Third Culture Pop.” Regardless of what genre you try to put her in, at the root Nikbo weaves Nature and music to create sonic refuge for anyone who feels othered. From her creative process to performance, she’s aiming for her own wholeness AND deeper connection with each other and our more-than-human relatives.