This is the audio file for my very first blog post! I describe what I mean by "wilding", the circumstances in my life that brought me to write this blog, and a little bit about what more you can expect from this project.

What Is Wilding

In this episode I make strange admissions about my recurring Neko Case dreams as I introduce my series in music. In this series I hope to expand on the evolutionary theories of music, the changes on folk music through time, the cost and labor of music production, and how we should all sing a lot more.

Part 1: The Argument For Music

As a sequel to my last post (Part 1), I describe how listening to Neko Case's interview has lead me down a path of analyzing my own folk history roots. I am a first generation Portuguese-American, and this is the first time I really begin to explore not only how my cultural music heritage has influenced my music preferences,  but also trying to understand how folk music has changed through time. Please listen to Part 1 of this series for context.

Part 1.5: The Argument For Music

Part one of my mini-series, "The War on Christmas", this part is entitled, "The Sun is the Reason for the Season". In this episode I talk about the "War on Christmas", the historical origins of Christmas, the different cultural winter celebrations in past and present times, and how I think we all just need to calm down and enjoy the spirit of the season.

The War on Christmas, a Miniseries P. 1

Part two of my series, "The War on Christmas", where I talk about anything but the war on Christmas. In this episode I revisit the folklore legend of the Holly King and the Oak King. I read a version of the story that I wrote using the science of forest ecology and the solstices. I then expand on the science of the solstices, and forest ecology in relation to European deciduous forests where oak trees and holly trees live.  I also start to talk about how folktales like these can be used as effective means of science and conservation communication.

Part 2: The War on Christmas

I am the creator behind the Wilding Art project. Please visit my website to support me by making donations or purchasing items from my shop! www.wildingart.com