Talking Trees – Deep Listening

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TalkingTrees is a project by Bert Barten and a collaboration between artists, musicians, scientists and nature lovers.

This project lets the audience experience direct contact with nature through music.

The result is an interactive audiovisual performance. It consists of four tree sensors which are connected to a series of analogue synthesizers.

The sensors provide information about the sap flow speed, foto synthesis, volatile organic compounds and moisture.

This information determines the pitch and timbre of the synthesizer sounds and also their spatial positioning.

The sound subsequently controls a couple of graphic image generators which are projected on big video screens.

The digital data of a tree which were collected during one year have been compressed in time and translated into musical values

One month became twenty minutes (as in a time lapse film). The data of eight months (in winter this tree slept) resulted in eight musical pieces of the months april to november.

By this method of working the ego of the composer moves to the background. Now the source of the musical composition lies with the tree itself.

a project by Bert Barten

“…when you go into a forest and get very quiet and then start with ‘Deep Listening’, you will come to understand that you are connected with everything…”

– Bert Barten

Contact:

Contact : Bert Barten | +316 50600627

Office | info@talkingtrees.com

The Courage Company by Bert Barten

http://bertbarten.com

http://iampresent.com

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“Heartbeat of Trees” album presentation and Tree Concert at Oosterpark Amsterdam November 24

Trees from the Oosterpark/Amsterdam will be heard on Sunday evening, 24 November.

Artist Bert Barten literally gives the trees a voice by converting their sap flows, photosynthesis and heartbeat into music. It is the first time that a dance event has taken place on Dutch soil to the rhythm of trees. “Trees produce vibrations that we do not hear but that are there,” says Barten. “Making it accessible to our audience creates a new kind of consciousness in people. It is very moving when you hear that a tree really lives on the inside and reacts with different sounds to its growth process and environment. If you amplify that sound beautiful danceable rhythms emerge and my goal is to make people feel more connected to nature”

Synthetic party drugs are not allowed during the dance event. Phytoncide is used in the form of a spray instead. This substance comes from trees and was discovered in Japan, where forest baths have been a phenomenon for years. Scientific research shows that phytoncide lowers the stress level and gives the immune system a natural and healthy boost.

Before everyone can go wild on the beats of trees, Bert Barten will explain how he monitors the inner voice of trees and converts them to music.

“Heartbeat of Trees” takes place in the Generator Hostel-Amsterdam, the monumental old university building for health education, in the middle of the Oosterpark. The evening consists of two parts where multiple musical disciplines and styles are discussed.

PART 1 – For part one of the program we take place in the beautifully renovated lecture hall, here all your questions will be answered in a mini lecture; what is Talking Trees? How does it work? What kind of data does Bert measure? And how does one make music out of this!

Next, music tracks by Talking Trees will be played by leading Dutch musicians such as ‘De 3 Violas on Viool’ and ‘Xavier Boot & Friends’ on Piano. We will close this part of the program with a short break.

PART 2 – For the second part of the program we follow the thick cables entering the underground nightclub from the trees of the Oosterpark through the stately front door of the building. Through these cables data is flowing which Bert subsequently uses to mix his new CD Heartbeat of Trees with live data from the trees of the Oosterpark.

Where: Mauritskade 57, entrance Oosterpark side. Navigation link: Generator Hostel A’dam

When: Sunday, November 24

What time: 19:00 – 21:30 followed by a drink

Facebook: www.facebook.com/events

Ticket link: heartbeat-of-trees-live-bomenconcert-oosterpark/event

Talking Trees Forest and Magic Glass Wand

Take part in planting 5 million trees of the international Talking Trees forest and become climate neutral! Our goal is to plant 5 Million trees within 3 years! Make a positive contribution to the climate and offset your CO2 through our sustainable international Talking Trees forest projects.

Bert Barten has been an artist dedicated to the climate all his life. In the time of the acid rain, for example, he played with his protest band and at present, through the international phenomenon Talking Trees, he leaves people in direct contact with nature.

Why neutralize my climate CO2 footprint through Talking Trees forests? With his internationally recognized project ‘Talking Trees’ Bert Barten has access to a global network of tree scientists, nature organizations and universities from all over the world.

This means that we, as an organization at national and international level, have a very strong specialized team to implement this huge project in the right way. In this way Talking Trees makes the maximum impact in CO2 reduction with the right specialists in the right place!

Your business can be climate neutral. Have you mapped the footprint of your organization and do you want to structurally compensate CO2 in a sustainable and socially responsible way? If so, you can do this through one of our forest projects. We are entering into a collaboration of at least two years. As far as we are concerned, the cooperation is successful if CO2 emissions are reduced every year. Just as long until your company is climate neutral!

Donate trees to the Talking Trees forest! Price indications are in the Online Store.

Go to our online-store to order: TalkingTrees Forest

Buy a Magic Wand and let 50 trees bloom! The glass art object was designed by Bert Barten and made in Paris by craftsman Olivier Juteau. The Magic Wand is 30 cm long and comes with a certificate of authenticity in a beautiful box! The price for the art object is € 750.

This year’s Dwarslopers Festival 2020 will be taking place in the city of Zeist at the Vrije Hogeschool Zeist and the Evangelische Broeder Gemeente.

Saturday March 14 14:00 – 19:00

Talking Trees tree concert. Listen live to the plane trees in ARTIS Amsterdam Friday 6 September 7.30 p.m.

video link: ARTIS Academy X Talking Trees

The artists’ collective Talking Trees is an international phenomenon with their concerts in which they transform the sounds of trees into music. As a result of growing, the flow of sap and photosynthesis, trees produce vibrations that we cannot hear. And if you amplify and accelerate those vibrations, beautiful rhythms come out. The result sounds like electronic music, in which the wildness of nature is captured in music. Tonight we listen live to the plane trees of ARTIS.

We listen through wireless headsets from Audivers

Where: ARTIS Park Amsterdam

When: Friday 6 September

What time: 7.30 p.m. (walk-in 7 p.m.) Costs € 12.50 per person (ARTIS members € 10 per person), including a drink afterwards

TalkingTrees presented their first CD and LP “Live” at the unique location of Radio Kootwijk. On sunday April 15 the large radio hall was filled with 400 spectators. After an introduction by host Petra Kalden guest speakers Harry Starren and Wim Hof elaborated on the theme ‘humans and nature’. Bert Barten continued with a discussion with the audience and responded to questions.

The evening was completed by an integral performance of the “Live” CD. The TalkingTrees line-up consisted of Hans Aalbers, Floris Kolvenbach, Dennis Verschoor and Dennis Sacerdos Vigilia on synthesizers, Hans Meijer visuals and Bert Barten music mixing.

The CD&LP are available via the TalkingTrees OnlineStore. A TalkingTrees T-shirt has been added to the collection.