Quinn Christopherson
Quinn is an Athabaskan and Inupiaq songwriter who was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. Quinn addresses his childhood and navigating Alaska’s social landscape through his music. In 2019, he won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest with his entry "Erase Me," a song exploring his experience coming out as a transgender man and was recognized by NPR for his submission in the 2018 contest with his song "Mary Alee".
3 words to describe Nature?
Safe. Humble. True
3 things Nature taught you?
To listen
Not to sweat the small things
Patience
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Anywhere near a lake, mountains, or hot springs
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Free
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Hot
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Gratitude
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Quiet
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Heard
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Going camping every summer weekend with my dad
Jay Faires
Jay Faires is an entrepreneur and founder of The Wellness Agency, the first agency dedicated to companies and founders in the $4.2 trillion wellness industry. TWA combines his personal passion for wellness with a proven ability to spot talent, both in entrepreneurs and creatives, at early stages in their career. Jay is recognized as a leading force in the burgeoning wellness industry and advises, drives growth, and connects the dots for the world's leading talent, founders and CEOs, and wellness brands as they together change the future of wellbeing.
Prior to his focus on health and wellness, Jay had a successful career in music as the founder of Mammoth Records, Head of A&R at Atlantic Records, and President of Music at Lionsgate. Jay grew up in Tennessee, holds an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and currently spends most of his time between Los Angeles and Asia.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe inspiring. Powerful. Beautiful. Oh and I must add, unforgiving when she needs to be.
3 things Nature taught you?
The impermanence of things
We are a piece of a much larger whole
The deep interwoven nature of humanity to Mother Earth and subsequent consequences when we ignore this
Can I add one more? That we are here only briefly
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles
Powder Mountain, Utah
North Shore of Maui
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
I breathe deeper. It calms me to look at the broad horizon. And that I want to get back on the waves.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
How can I go deeper into it.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Have only been in the crater on top of Maui, looks like the moon. Love the silver plants that only exist up there.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Like I want to see a lot more of them. LOL
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
I rarely get to hear thunder anymore like I did growing up in the Midwest and south.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Try and sort what she is trying to tell me.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I want to say each. But ocean the most.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Camping with my dad in Brown County Indiana at probably around age 7. Pouring rain. We set up our tent and the floor got soaked, an inch of water. It didn’t matter. Earlier that evening before it was raining turning over a rock 10 feet away and seeing a rattle snake, didn’t matter we set up camp there. A lifetime later on my fathers death bed we shared that story naturally finishing each others sentences. We had each remembered it.
Kat Edmonson
Kat Edmonson is an American singer and songwriter who calls her music vintage pop. The Texas native began crafting her signature sound while performing in Austin’s local club circuit for years before releasing her debut Take To The Sky in 2009. She went on to tour worldwide with high profile acts including Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Gary Clark Jr., Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Nick Lowe and more.
In 2014 Edmonson released The Big Picture, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers, #1 on Contemporary Jazz Chart, and #2 on Total Jazz Chart. Her 2015 performance on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” garnered the program’s highest rated viewership since 2006. Her 2012 Way Down Low was described by The New York Times as “fresh as a spring bouquet,” and her performances at WNYC’s Soundcheck and Daytrotter were included in “Best Live Performances” and “Best Sessions of 2012,” respectively.
In 2018 she released Old Fashioned Gal, which Billboard calls “an intimate journey from doubt to resolve and implied triumph.” NPR Music raves the album is “a handsome showcase for her songwriting, which has grown ever more confident over the last decade,” while the Associated Press says the record “sounds like an alternate soundtrack to an Audrey Hepburn film.”
Edmonson’s new album Dreamers Do reached the #1 spot on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz chart, and the album debuted #1 at iTunes Jazz, #2 Most Added at Jazzweek and was named Deezer’s Album of the Week upon release.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inherent. Steadfast. Adaptable
3 things Nature taught you?
There is always a place to grow from.
As long as I am living, I can adapt to anything.
The most important thing, at any point, is to be present.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I live near Prospect Park in Brooklyn and I go there frequently each week. It is a grounding place for me.
I annually visit the mountains in the Northeast in the summertime and hike around the Taconics, the Catskliils, the Berkshires, the Adirondacks and more. It’s my favorite time of the year.
Also, I just visited the Redwoods when my band and I were on tour this month and they were incredible! I was stunned by how quiet it is in the forest. The stillness there is incredibly powerful.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Scaled-to-size. It’s a funny thing to articulate but walking around in the city, I feel very big and important- quite full of myself- and standing in front of an ocean, I am immediately reminded how small my conceptual self is in proportion to nature and I am humbled- gratefully, so.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Safe
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Powerful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Inspired
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Both excited and scared at the same time! Thrilled!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Uncertain
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Can I pick two? How about a forest on a mountain? ☺
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I didn’t have great opportunities to be in nature as I grew up in a metropolitan area and we really didn’t travel but I went to camp every summer in Central Texas. I slept in a cabin with no air conditioning for a month and was subject to plans being cancelled when a big thunderstorm blew through and I loved it. I cherished the giant Cypress trees that live by the Guadalupe river. I fancied them wise elders that protected the river and us as we played around it. I loved how low and vast the land lay there around the water beneath the towering guardians that sheltered everything. The grass was cool no matter how brutal the sun beat down on any given day.
Emily Haines
Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the rock band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she has performed under her own name and under the moniker Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton.
3 words to describe Nature?
Strong. Wise. Astonishing
3 things Nature taught you?
Shut up and listen
Apparent wildness is in fact orderly
Humans are often not all that impressive
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Redwoods of California
Jungles of Belize,
My own 15 acres of Canadian land
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small and vulnerable
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like the trees are talking to each other
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like drinking a glass of wine from Mount Etna
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
My time on earth is fleeting
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like getting cozy with my dog
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Grateful for shelter
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first song I ever wrote was about a tree.
TOKiMONSTA
Jennifer Lee "TOKiMONSTA" is one of the top producers and DJs in the world. In 2010, she was invited to attend the Red Bull Music Academy in London. Making her mark on the music scene, Jennifer became the first woman to sign with Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder label. Following the release of her first album Midnight Menu, Lee was rated the #1 Hottest Los Angeles Lady DJ by LA Weekly. In 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with an extremely rare and potentially fatal brain disease known as Moyamoya (Read story here). After undergoing two brain surgeries, Lee was left unable to speak, create, or even listen to music. Through perseverance and faith, Lee’s memory returned and shortly after taking a break, she was finally able to regain her music making abilities. After regaining much of her memory and music-making talent in March of 2016, Jennifer made her triumphant return with jaw-dropping performances at SXSW and Coachella. In 2019, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance / Electronic Album. Lee was featured on Vox-Netflix series Explained. Check her latest album, Lune Rouge.
The name Tokimonsta originates from the Korean word for rabbit (tokki), which she took from a Korean's children's song "San Toki”
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Freedom. Enigmatic
3 things Nature taught you?
Beauty
Patience
Mindfulness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Big Sur
Joshua Tree
All the beaches of SE Asia
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At peace
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Connected to all of nature
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Chaos
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joyful to end or begin another day
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Fear
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
A bit spooked
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I remember driving with my family to Palm Springs almost every weekend. I used to find the monotony of the landscape quite boring while sitting in the car, but grew to appreciate the landscape more.
Jacques Andre Dupont
Considered by many to be an authority in marketing, sponsorship and the development of large-scale cultural projects, JACQUES-ANDRE DUPONT is the President of L’Équipe Spectra and 3 of the biggest Festivals in Montreal - the International Jazz Festival, the FrancoFolies, & Montréal en Lumière.
Dupont supports the musical development of the next generation of Québécois artists thanks, among other endeavours, to the creation of the Blues Camp for teens during the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, and staging a series of concerts presenting high school, cegep and university students. In 2017, following the publication of a report by the Conseil des Montréalaises (Montréal Women’s Council), he launched the Hirondelles, an all-female safety team dedicated to maintaining the security and well-being of festival fans and vulnerable people. He is also responsible for many projects addressing the sustainable development of the group, including making the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal carbon neutral, an international first at the time.
He is also a passionate photographer whose work focuses on wildlife and nature. His images have been featured in several major medias like Canadian Geographic, National Geographic, Africa Geographic, Wildlife Photographic, Outdoor Photography, Paris Match, the London Telegraph, China News, La Pravda, etc. His pictures have been selected/or won several photo competitions internationally and have been been exhibited in several countries around the world. With is photography he only wants to achieve one simple goal: bring the beauty of nature into light.
3 words to describe Nature?
Grand. Fragile. Us
3 things Nature taught you?
The more I connect with it, the happier I am.
Even the ugliest animals are beautiful.
It is the best smelling thing ever.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My three favourite nature spots so far (because I want to see them all!) are
The Serengeti plains of Tanzania because it was love at first sight for me;
Yellowstone National Park, because this where I knew right away I would become a nature and wildlife photographer;
And my own backyard forest in Bolton West, Quebec, because I am the luckiest man in the world to have this in my own backyard every day.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful. Probably the infinity of it, with the suiting sound of the waves
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious! I want to explore it… Find an owl nest or a fox hole. And walk along a trustful moose (which happened to me this spring)
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Small and scared. Will my number come up today?
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A sunrise? Alive, energized, happy to be up early in the day, and looking forward to what’s next. A sunset? happy, relaxed and looking forward to a glass of wine to celebrate the day that just ended so well.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Hoping for a spectacle: the drums, the light show… It’s better than Cirque du Soleil!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Wanting to snuggle with my wife, as usually it is winter and -20 celsius outside, at our home that we named Domaine des Vents (Field of Winds), for it is really the windiest place.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I think I am an African plains person. That is why I love also so much the Serengeti AND Yellowstone (as it is called the Serengeti of America…).
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10, and then some! For the last 20 years I have been suffering from anxiety attacks on a regular basis… I guess that stress is my Achilles' heel… But since the last few years, nature photography has been the most amazing medicine for me…
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
It's the blue hour, just after the sunset. My dad took me fishing, north of Quebec city. And suddenly, for the first time ever, I hear the call of the loon. Wow! It sounds like a wolf. I am mesmerized by it. Since then, every time I hear a loon calling I go right back to that day, where I was so well, with my dad.
Jacob Marshall
JACOB MARSHALLis a multisensory artist and the Executive Director of Constellation; a new organization founded by the first international coalition of astronauts seeking to address global challenges from their perspective of having seen the Earth from the vantage point of space.
Jacob started the acclaimed rock band MAE (Multisensory Aesthetic Experience) and has sold over 500,000 records worldwide and performed over 1600 concerts on 4 continents.
He worked to help launch the Global Citizen Festivalwhich brought 60,000 music fans to New York's Central Park on September 29th, 2012. The festival leveraged $1.3 billion in new commitments to the world's poor and became the largest charity concert broadcast in history with a confirmed number of impressions surpassing 2 billion.
In 2013, 2014, and 2015 he served as a Producer of Global Citizen Festival and built a broad variety of strategic partnerships.
Jacob serves as a member of the advisory board for Future of Story Telling (FoST) where he launched and leads the social impact initiative "FoST for Good" in partnership with HP and Facebook. He also serves as an artist mentor at the New Museum's NEW INC.
He also recently conceived, produced and performed the world’s first large scale collective virtual reality concert experience from inside Jerusalem’s 3000 year-old Tower of David for the Forbes30 Under 30 Summit. Jacob was a featured artist at the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.
3 words to describe Nature?
LIVING. INTERDEPENDENT. WISDOM.
3 things Nature taught you?
PERSPECTIVE ON TIME - THAT ALL LIFE IS A SYMPHONY AND I AM A MELODY IN THAT LARGER MUSIC - TO LISTEN WITH MY WHOLE BODY
3 most treasured Nature spots?
PLACES WHERE THE OCEAN MEETS THE MOUNTAINS - HAWAII, BIG SUR, ICELAND
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
LIKE RELIGION IS TO GOD WHAT A GLASS OF OCEAN WATER IS TO THE OCEAN.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
LIKE THE TREES WANT TO TELL US THEIR SECRETS.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
LIKE THE TRUTH IS BOTH ANCIENT AND PRESENT.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
LIKE THE THING I USED TO CALL MYSELF IS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING INTO EVERYTHING
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
LIKE ITS TIME TO BE STILL.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
LIKE MY CERTAINTY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH CURIOSITY.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
OCEAN
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. WE ARE NATURE. OUR WELL-BEING IS ONE AND THE SAME. MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS BEGIN WHEN WE FORGET THAT SIMPLE TRUTH.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I’LL ALWAYS TREASURE THE FEELING OF BEING IN THE OCEAN DURING SEPTEMBER. THE BEACH WAS EMPTY, THE SKY WAS LUMINOUS, AND THE WATER WAS EVER SO SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN THE AIR. WE WOULD TRADE WAVES ALL DAY AND TRADE STORIES AROUND THE FIRE ALL NIGHT. WE BASKED IN THE FEELING OF PURE ALIVENESS.
Claudia Robaina
Claudia Robaina is the Dean of Artistic Administration at New England Conservatory of Music and former Program Manager at MIT Media Lab Director's Fellows. Throughout her career, CLAUDIA ROBAINA’s personal mission has been to nurture creative individuals to reach their full potential. Born in Venezuela, and trained as a violist, she has dedicated a decade to classical music management while at Columbia Artists Management and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. At both organizations, she managed and empowered the careers of hundreds of conductors, instrumentalists, and composers. Claudia’s reputation as a thoughtful leader, effective producer, and personable manager has led her to cultivate strong working relationships with Yo-Yo Ma, André Previn, Yefim Bronfman, Colin Currie, and John Williams, among other professional collaborators including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Silk Road Ensemble, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Aspen Ideas Festival.
3 words to describe Nature?
Grand. Life. Powerful
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility. Beauty. Resilience
3 most treasured Nature spots
Seating in front of the ocean, on top a mountain, or next to a waterfall.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Human, fluid, calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Surrounded, protected by wise giants
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Energized, amazed, powerless
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Inspired, grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Impermanent, small
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Curious
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Swimming in a school of fish while visiting the Los Roques archipelago off the coast of Venezuela. It was our chosen vacation spot during my entire childhood.
Flemming Bo Jensen
FLEMMING BO JENSEN is a Fujifilm ambassador, official Red Bull photographer and renowned music photographer. Music, especially electronic music, is a big part of what makes his heart beat. For him, being able to combine music and photography is a dream come true. Since November 2009 he has lived as a nomad. He was the former Head of IT in a Danish Government agency, but wanted to see new horizons and left Copenhagen and his job in 2009. He has been on the road for more than 7 years now, and is still wandering the world, although can usually be found in Copenhagen during the summer months, enjoying the music festivals. He is the author of the ebook GET IN THE LOOP – How To Make Great Music Images.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe-inspiring. Heals. Home.
3 things Nature taught you?
I was born and brought up on a dairy farm, so here goes: Respect and love for our planet, nature and animals. Where I truly belong. And a cow standing on your 8 year old foot will not move and not care how much it hurts.
- oh as I started traveling, I learned a 4: Nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Arches National Park, Utah, USA. Rottnest Island, Western Australia. My home country and landscapes of Himmerland, Denmark.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I was born on a farm, not near water so it used to make me feel great fear and a little bit drawn to it at the same time. Now that I learned how to swim and free-dive it still makes me feel fear - but now I want to go in it and explore!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful, in a fairy tale, carrying mosquito repellent, afraid we will someday have no more forests.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I will let you know when I see one!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I am not a morning person so sunrises are rare, unless they happen at 10am in the Scandinavian winter and I can have a coffee with it! Sunset makes me feel like bliss, like we are given a few minutes glimpse into a possible state of the world if we tried harder to protect nature, a few minutes where everything is alright.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Time to get the cows inside :)
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold. The wind is always cold in the Nordics.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Desert. I love wide open spaces.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. My body couldn't breathe without it. My soul couldn't live without it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to take our dogs for long walks down the fields, just to be out there alone (featuring cows), in a wide open space feeling that everything is possible.