Join us for "Newt Pool" this Sunday in the West Oakland Sound Series. Wobby and I present music that celebrates the astonishing aquatic voices of plants, invertebrates, and newts from Marin Headlands! Also on the bill is the Departure Duo: Nina Guo and Edward Kass. www.sfsound.info#april-12-2026
Posts by Cheryl E. Leonard
Some of the instruments I’ll be playing tonight as part of Thomas Carnacki in our set at the MilkBar milkbar.org
very grateful to The Quietus for publishing this essay- on everyday fascism and the promise and problem of “beauty” as an inadequate but therapeutic response to the ugliness of the present - plus there are some thoughts on disco and Patricia Highsmith- this felt like a risk but I’m glad it’s out
So moved by the people of Minnesota who—drawing on LA, Portland, Chicago, DC etc—are writing a shining new chapter in the history of nonviolent resistance.
The rest of us need to be taking notes—and helping them!
www.standwithminnesota.com
My country is in hell.
#uspol
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Thank you for your super-thoughtful questions and the opportunity to share more about my Arctic experiences and the process of creating these works!
New interview with Cheryl E. Leonard on "near the bear" and building compositions from the High Arctic. We talked about walrus sounds channeled through dried kelp, listening at 79° North, and honoring the most rapidly-warming region on Earth. She's one of the best in the biz.
I'm starting a new project today called Morning Sounds - a free digital series collecting unedited recordings of people's waking routines. The seed for this came from a conversation with my friend Colleen, and it's been growing in my head ever since.
Bonus: we’ll be done in time for you to enjoy sunset at your favorite Point Reyes beach!
Start the new year out with a sea of wondrous sounds! LISTENING WITH POINT REYES, this Saturday Jan 10th, 2-4pm: www.eventbrite.com/.../listenin....
Join sound recordists Ernst Karel and Cheryl E. Leonard and explore a variety of habitats in Point Reyes National Seashore through audio recordings.
Start the new year out with a sea of wondrous sounds! LISTENING WITH POINT REYES, January 10, 2026, 2-4pm. Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/listening-...
Join Ernst Karel and Cheryl E. Leonard for a listening session in which we explore Point Reyes National Seashore through audio recordings.
In a series of recent moves, the Trump administration and Congress have waged an all-out assault on the Arctic, aiming to maximize drilling across the entire region.
Here’s a roadmap of what Congress and the Trump administration are planning, and what you can do to stop it.
Excited that my new Arctic album, "near the bear" is featured in Bandcamp's Best Field Recordings this month. Thank you Matthew Blackwell.
"...a deep interrogation of our place in the world, put into high relief against the brilliant whites and blues of the High Arctic."
A big thank you to Tobias Fischer for the opportunity to respond to such thoughtful questions on listening, sound, and music! 15questions.net/interview/ch...
Agreed!
Thanks Ernst!
"near the bear," is out today! From walrus encounters at 79° N to watching the ocean freeze at -35° C, the album celebrates the High Arctic. Sounds played on natural and human-made objects intertwine with field recordings and site-specific improvisations in five works about Svalbard & Greenland.
Releases September 26th in CD and digital formats.
Part of forms of minutiae's ice sounds series in celebration of the international year of glaciers’ preservation (unesco & wmo, 2025)
My new Arctic album is now available for preorder:
f-o-m.bandcamp.com/album/near-t...! Five compositions inspired by the unique wildlife, environments, and human histories of Svalbard and Greenland. Available from forms of minutiae as a limited-edition CD+booklet or digital download+PDF booklet.
Things I played at the UB radio salon on Sunday
Wish I could be there
Come on over to the Sunnyvale Public Library this Saturday afternoon for sounds, stories, and instruments from my eco-musical adventures. It’s free! sunnyvale.libcal.com/event/147215...
Setup for my performances this Sunday at Headlands Center for the Arts as part of their Summer Open House. I’ll be in the Gym doing a sound installation and two live sets!
Instruments for my set earlier today at the San Francisco Main Library. Thanks to all who came out to listen!
My table at the end of last night’s Sonic Cartography improv gig in Berkeley. Good fun!
Pleased to announce that Euphotic’s latest album (which I played on and mixed) is out today on Confront Recordings: confrontrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/clastic
Recording locations from last weekend’s Nature Sounds Society Workshop: Sierra Valley, Carmen Valley, and Yuba Pass. Early, chilly, good times!