Nature in the spotlight: the intersection of art & science

The lights go down. A trumpet croons. The rest of the band joins in. As the music swells, so does the story of encroaching tides and coastal communities trying to remain rooted as the water rises.

This is Etienne Charles’ original jazz composition “Earth Tones,” which along with National Geographic Live: Discovering the Galapagos put nature in the spotlight on the Holland Center stage. Art and science are so often viewed as opposites, but they can intersect in powerful ways to help us make sense of our world and our place within it.

What is “Earth Tones” by Etienne Charles and Creole Soul?

“Earth Tones” is an immersive jazz experience that blends original music with visual storytelling to document the experiences of communities already feeling the impact of climate change. Trinidad-born Etienne Charles is an acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and a firm believer that music and performance are tools for provoking thought and dialogue.

His multimedia performance on March 19 will use sound, field recordings, film, and imagery to create a musical journey through threatened landscapes while highlighting nature-based solutions and the resilience of people living on the front lines of environmental change.

“Earth Tones” reminds us that conservation isn’t just a scientific issue; it’s a cultural one. It’s about identity, heritage, and the stories we pass on to future generations about the value of our natural environment and our responsibility for preserving it.

What is National Geographic Live?

Imagine a TED-style talk with people who spend their lives exploring the planet. That’s National Geographic Live — where adventurers, photographers, filmmakers, and scientists travel from the field to the stage to inspire curiosity about the world we live in. It’s part research, part storytelling, and 100% engaging.

At Discovering the Galapagos on Sunday, March 15, marine ecologist Alex Hearn shared breathtaking visuals and firsthand accounts about his research on whale shark migrations around the Galapagos Islands — the site of Darwin’s breakthrough on evolution 175 years ago.

National Geographic Live events share the human side of research — where passionate people are working to illuminate and protect the wonders of our world.

Why bring these shows to Omaha?

It’s easy to think of conservation work as something happening far away on the shores of the Galapagos or the Caribbean Sea. But the same challenges facing those ecosystems resonate all the way to the Platte and Missouri Rivers — where habitat loss, invasive species, and changing water levels affect our local community’s health, economy, and agricultural systems.

Andy Cassano, O-pa Vice President of Programming & Education, shared his perspective on why he wanted to book these shows:

“Both art and science explore our world, our struggles, our ideas, and our stories about what it means to be human in a very complex and unpredictable universe. When you put them together through the performing arts, people can connect with new perspectives and learn about important issues in a space that is disarming and nonconfrontational. Real conversations can happen when people share the experience of live performance.”