The Grass Sessions

A feather of air on a cushion of grass.

Luscious atmospheres of sound that pirouette through space. Lights that sweep through the air and music that whirls at your feet as if carried on wings.

I came across a video on ted.com — an ecologist called Allan Savory talked about the ancient carbon cycles — he said that the world’s vast marginal lands are turning to desert, a major contributor to climate change.

These marginal areas cover about one third of Earth’s land surface: the Eurasian Steppe, a belt of grassland extending from Central Europe all the way to Manchuria in China; the African Savannas, which take up half of that continent; and the Great Plains of North America — the broad expanse of prairie grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains all the way from Canada to Mexico — before desertification, once home to massive herds of bison.

Grass is one of the species these places all have in common and Mr Savory was explaining how large groups of herbivores used to roam these plains. These herds were a key element in sequestering carbon into the soil and at a fast clip. If this natural process were to be restored, these herds could reverse the trend of this semi–arid land turning into desert.

In an amazing cycle of nature, the manure of large herds when trampled into the earth together with the tall carbon rich grass, feeds soil microorganisms which spring into action fertilising the soil when the seasonal rains come. This microbiology promotes robust prairie grasses to grow again, and through their photosynthesis (breathing in CO2 from the air) the grasses bring down carbon en masse all season long.

Mr Savory explained that this activated biology holds the carbon in the earth where it rightly belongs and where we want it — not in the sky — an active annual carbon sequestration providing a practical solution to runaway climate change.

The cycle then completes and continues the following season when the large herds come through again to feed on the tall savanna grasses and squash all that manure and carbon into the earth once again.

As a musician I was inspired by Allan Savory’s talk. Grass is a beautiful plant that grows in abundance all over the world. It has a poetic quality, the way the wind, playing with each blade, can look like an invisible hand stroking a mono chord and the sound that it makes…. Savory's talk touches on a path forward, where well-managed livestock in large numbers, can make a positive contribution to the problem of climate change, by changing marginal land into carbon sequestering soil that can help in readdressing a lost carbon balance between earth and atmosphere.

Elsewhere Allan talks about resilience and being firm with one's principles even in the face of adversity.

For me making music is about absorbing what is in my surroundings and giving a musical face to what I discover. What would grass sound like if it could sing? If the wind, blowing amongst its blades were to find a tone… and then another one… forming a chord…. Would the sound reach our ears if we were there to listen? Would it harmonise with the cello like the birds sometimes do when luscious musical sound is pouring out into the airwaves?

There is a lot that Allan Savory has to offer — he is a busy man and that his method of regeneration would inspire someone to sing his praises with instrumental music, would probably surprise him. But his vision is worth celebrating. With its practical tools of holistic management, it offers hope to a world obsessed with technological solutions. Some products produced by Savory’s regenerative agriculture are creating a new way to signal alignment with his movement: you can buy shoes made of leather produced by regenerative agriculture. The same for meat and for clothing produced from regenerative fibres.
A new regenerative certification has been created.

Music can be described as a dispersion of air particles set on a path to find listeners' ears. I record my tunes with richly orchestrated guitars, cello, piano and spacious sound textures to create a smooth and uplifting landscape. A feather of air on a cushion of grass.

I hope you find time to explore Allan Savory’s vision and that this music can accompany you on your journey.

Sambodhi Prem

30th of January, 2021
Mount Franklin, Victoria
Australia

Listen to 'The Grass Sessions'

Tracks

Poly Grass Forever (in C major)
Grass Cover ( in F major)
Spring Grass comes by Itself (in F# major)
Grass Leaf (in A minor)
Grasslands (in B minor)
Grass Beads (in G minor)
Misty Grass Portal (in B minor)
Calm Grass (in G minor)
Revisiting the House (in C major)

All tracks

Piano, electric guitar and sound modules — Sambodhi Prem
Drums and percussion on ‘Revisiting the House’ — David Jones
Mastering — Bernie Grundman