About Sound of Earth
Our story
Sound of Earth began with a melody written at Yosemite National Park, and grew into an international organization that joins music, education & technology to serve the nexus of Peacebuilding & Climate Action.
- Founded
- 2017The melody that became our name
- First festival
- April 2022Two nights at the Troubadour
- Largest stage to date
- 1,000+Dancing at our July 4th, 2023 stage
- Board seated
- 2024Now a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit
2017ā2021
A melody, then a band
In 2017, at Yosemite National Park, Christian sang a line under his breath: āThe Sound of the Earth, as it turns.ā It stayed with him for years, arriving with new lyrics while driving or working, and became the song āGenesis Piece.ā
In July 2018 he met Ethan Chilton through Petrichor, a mixed-media show at the Vortex Dome in Los Angeles. Ethan recorded the trumpet solo on āGenesis Pieceā in 2019. In November 2021 the two sat down to write a second part, and that writing session became the final project for Ethanās graduate program at USC, along with a band: Novel Utopia.
2021ā2022
From a showcase to a festival
Rather than stage a single showcase, the pair planned a festival, and chose the name Sound of Earth for it.
A week before Earth Day 2022 they held a house show, with Spritely and Kiavi performing and a sustainable-drink bar curated by Max Zade. Sound of Earth Fest followed on April 21 and 22 at the Troubadour: Genevieve Artadi, Thumpasaurus, Novel Utopia and eight other acts, supported by the Troubadour, ChiQC and Thrive Market. That December the organization booked The Goldfish in Highland Park, the neighborhood that became its home.
2023
Finding an audience in Los Angeles
A year of partnerships and residencies. Earth Oracle at the Oracle Tavern in March. Tabling at the Independent National Convention in Austin, where we met Love Unity Initiative and violinist DPAK. Curating the Wellness Stage at the Earth Day Beach Festival with Eco Joe and Love Unity Initiative, where Novel Utopia and Fairy Muze played as our first resident artists.
On July 4th, Novel Utopia performed in the Santa Monica parade in the morning, then co-curated Love Unity Initiativeās beach festival stage into the night. The house show era began that month with the Producerās Open Mic, and continued in October with the Spooky Szn Soiree.
We had more than a thousand people dancing at our stage, and you could see folks dancing hundreds of feet away during the evening sets. Truly a peak for us.
2024
Becoming an organization
EcoSundays launched in January as our first daytime series, and ran again in March. In April we returned to the Earth Day Beach Festival with Love Unity Initiative, curating the full program.
Over the summer we wrote our mission, vision and 501(c)(3) application, widened our partnerships, and re-launched during the first LA Climate Week. On September 21, the International Day of Peace, we presented Sound & Poetry, a Climate Week reflection. In the last quarter of the year we seated our Board of Directors, filed for 501(c)(3) status, and welcomed Jessica Santos and Laurel Tincher to the team.
2025ātoday
Partnerships with institutions
EcoSundays became a monthly community gathering in 2025. Its January launch became a fire benefit and a space for healing and connection after air quality cancelled the original plan.
The rest of the year paired culture with technical work: SUPERNOVA, a regenerative rave opening LA Climate Week; āGreener Projects, Stronger Profits for the Futureā with PMI-LA at USC Viterbi; a climate data science Datathon at Cal State LA led by our interns with our Head of Sustainability and AI; and Beyond the Blaze, a generative AI and fire solutions innovation challenge with PMI-LA, USC GCSP, AEE and Viterbi. We closed the spring with Creative Community LA at the beach.
Today our work runs along three lines: gatherings that stay accessible, education and research we publish openly, and partnerships that carry both further.
Milestones
2017
The line āThe Sound of the Earth, as it turnsā is written at Yosemite
It becomes the song āGenesis Piece.ā
Jul 2018
Christian and Ethan meet through the Petrichor show at the Vortex Dome, LA
2019
Ethan records the trumpet solo on āGenesis Pieceā
Nov 2021
A writing session becomes a USC graduate final project, and the band Novel Utopia
Late 2021
The name Sound of Earth is chosen, and a festival is planned
Apr 2022
A house show a week before Earth Day
Spritely, Kiavi and more, with a sustainable-drink bar curated by Max Zade.
Apr 21ā22, 2022
Sound of Earth Fest at the Troubadour
Genevieve Artadi, Thumpasaurus, Novel Utopia and eight more acts, with support from the Troubadour, ChiQC and Thrive Market.
Dec 7, 2022
First Highland Park show, at The Goldfish
Dolphin Hyperspace, Abby Litman, and Novel Utopia with guitarist Teis Semey.
Mar 3, 2023
Earth Oracle at the Oracle Tavern
REL, Digital Mami and more, including Fairy Muzeās first live appearance.
Apr 2023
Tabling at the Independent National Convention, Austin
Where we met Love Unity Initiative and violinist DPAK.
Earth Day 2023
Curating the Wellness Stage at the Earth Day Beach Festival
With Eco Joe and Love Unity Initiative. Novel Utopia and Fairy Muze play as our first resident artists.
Jul 4, 2023
The Santa Monica parade, then a beach festival stage into the night
Fi Sullivan, Ayako, Friends Of and more. Over a thousand people dancing: our largest stage so far.
Jul 28, 2023
The house show era begins with the Producerās Open Mic
Oct 21, 2023
Spooky Szn Soiree
Jynjo, Stratos, Grace Corsi, a seven-piece Novel Utopia, and more.
Jan 28, 2024
EcoSundays launches as our first daytime series
Lila Forde, Aaron Reihs, Chaotic Good, Fairy Muze and more.
Mar 10, 2024
EcoSundays returns
With the Makhosi Foundation joining the program.
Earth Day 2024
Earth Day Beach Festival with Love Unity Initiative, fully curated by Sound of Earth
Summer 2024
Mission, vision and 501(c)(3) application prepared; re-launch at the first LA Climate Week
Sep 21, 2024
Sound & Poetry, an LA Climate Week reflection
Presented on the International Day of Peace, with Kateryna Kravchenko, Gavin Harris and Hey Climate.
OctāDec 2024
Board of Directors seated, 501(c)(3) filed, and the team grows
Jan 26, 2025
EcoSundays becomes monthly, opening as a fire benefit and healing space
Apr 5, 2025
SUPERNOVA, a regenerative rave opening LA Climate Week
Apr 8, 2025
āGreener Projects, Stronger Profits for the Futureā with PMI-LA at USC Viterbi
Apr 23, 2025
Climate data science Datathon at Cal State LA
Apr 25, 2025
Beyond the Blaze: a generative AI and fire solutions challenge
With PMI-LA, USC GCSP, AEE and USC Viterbi, closing LA Climate Week 2025.
May 31, 2025
Spray Day and music hang with Creative Community LA
How weāre organized
- Status
- A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 33-2196808. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
- Legal address
- PO Box #39489
3370 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039 - Governance
- A Board of Directors was seated in late 2024. Our programs are run by a small core leadership volunteer staff with home bases in Portland/LA, Hawaiāi, and Italy, and at any given time we are lucky to work with 10ā30 interns & volunteers from around the USA, from such universities as Harvard, CMU, USC, and more.
Come as you are
Artist, researcher, builder, or just curious: there is a place for you in this work.