I love spend hours shifting the rocks that form the pond’s waterfalls to achieve the aquatic soundscapes I imagine. I place plants and gravel in specific locations to slow the flow of water and create distinct and natural textures. I add tall grasses and native plants—many are large leafy plants—which filter water to create a functional ecosystem, slow and direct the flow of water, create diverse protected habitat, and capture the sound of windy and rainy days, offering a soundscape of aquatic drums.

My earliest compositional works incorporate my pond and cello, and I continue to combine my environmental interests and my musical endeavors. My first composition, a video titled “Pondways (Pond Portfolio)” demonstrates my process and experiences in “world making.” The composition is sonically focused on the pond’s soundscape and my cello. I move between pizzicato (plucking) and light arco (with bow). This contrast expresses the flow of the waterfall and movement of water throughout the pond, taking inspiration from the subtle dripping of water between rocks and off leaves. The composition gradually grows into the wave of grasses in wind and the flutter of pectoral fins. The video moves beyond the human perspective and explores the underwater world of the pond’s inhabitants.