On Saturday, November 8, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir will lead a first-of-its-kind, participatory experience at the Spirit & Place Festival, bringing together music, spirituality, ecology, and community in a powerful celebration of the natural world.
Titled Voices of the Living Earth, this immersive program invites participants to engage directly with the sounds and spirit of nature—through their own voices. Hosted in collaboration with the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus, the Center for Global Soundscapes, and interfaith leaders representing various spiritual traditions, the event exemplifies how the arts and culture can serve as a bridge across sectors, communities, and belief systems.
“This event was born from a desire to reconnect people with their voice—not only in the musical sense, but in the deeper, human sense,” said Dr. Jennifer Cooper, Executive Director, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir (ISC). “Our voices are the soundscape of the earth. By tuning into nature, we remember that we’re not separate from it—we’re a part of it.”
Held at the Indianapolis Art Center, the program will begin with a performance from a combined ensemble of singers from ISC and the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus. Attendees will then embark on an interactive journey of sound-making, reflection, and improvisation, drawing inspiration from the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—and their resonance within the human body and voice.
In addition to musical components, the event will feature insights from Dr. Bryan Pijanowski, Director of Purdue University’s Center for Global Soundscapes, whose pioneering work in soundscape ecology underscores the ecological and philosophical significance of natural sound. Interfaith representatives—including Buddhist, Muslim, Indigenous, and other faith leaders—will also offer short reflections on the sacred relationship between nature, voice, and spiritual practice.
“This is more than a performance,” noted Quay Kester, long-standing Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Singer and Board Member and Event Maestro for Voices of Living Earth. “It’s a living, breathing collaboration—between science and song, between faith and form, between people of different backgrounds coming together to co-create something meaningful.”
This cross-sector initiative highlights its growing commitment to arts access, community engagement, and the democratization of creative expression. By removing barriers to participation and embracing the improvisational spirit of the natural world, Voices of the Living Earth makes space for everyone—regardless of background or musical experience—to contribute their voice.
Whether you are an artist, educator, environmentalist, faith leader, or simply someone who values the power of shared experience, this event offers a rare opportunity to be part of something both intimate and expansive.
Join us on Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Indianapolis Art Center for Voices of the Living Earth. Free and open to individuals aged 12 and above, this one-of-a-kind event invites you to explore the intersection of music, nature, and spirit through guided vocal expression and collaborative sound-making. Stay tuned to the ISC social media channels, tickets will go on sale in October!
