Louis VI
Tap into the sounds of nature with musician, zoologist and new Wildlife Trust ambassador.
Why are natural sounds so important to you?
Nature has always been my safe place. But it’s only in the last five years I’ve come to understand how sound connects us to nature. We are evolutionarily hardwired to nature’s sonic language. The sounds of birds, frogs and insects all trigger our parasympathetic pathway to make us feel relaxed. But modern life often drowns this out. Our ancestors survived by listening to nature. Sounds can tell you where to find food, water, safety – but also danger. Silence often meant a predator was around. By drowning out nature, we’re forcing ourselves to live in that ‘danger silence’ and the evolutionary stress that comes with it.
How has nature influenced your music?
Music likely predated human language, inspired by sounds from nature. So nature has influenced all music, not just mine. Nature is the original artist. That’s why I was honoured to be one of the first musicians to feature nature as an official artist in my music, alongside Brian Eno and his charity Earthpercent.
What excites you as a new Wildlife Trust ambassador?
I’m really excited about reframing what ‘nature’ is in the UK. Showing that Nature Ain’t a Luxury (the title of my film with The Wildlife Trusts) but a necessity. I hope it awakens a sleeping herd of young people, particularly from lower economic backgrounds and diasporas, to reconnect to nature. But on a bigger level, I hope we put nature at the heart of our national identity and culture. We can bring nature back, restore our wild places and make nature a source of immense national pride.
What message would you like to send as an ambassador?
Nature is for all of us, no matter where you live or what you look like. It’s your right because you are an animal that evolved as part of nature. We all need it to be healthy, not just the people that can afford to get into it. I hope young people see me, a mixed race guy, from a rough part of North London that’s had all the experiences that they have had and yet is a massive nature geek; and see themselves. It doesn’t have to be a massive step, but you need nature and it needs you. Start by listening – even if it’s listening online on headphones first, you can go to my website (natureaintaluxury.com) there’s loads there, or come to one of my exhibitions if the real thing is hard to hear in your area. But soon I promise you won’t be able to help seeking it out in the real world, and you’ll know it because, guess what, we’re all fluent in nature, it just takes listening a little again to reignite that fluency.
Louis VI's TED Talk
Hear more from Louis VI in his TED Talk Louis VI: The language you’re fluent in — but forgot how to hear.
Image credit: Orson Esquivel @ORSON____