Sign in

Cheryl E. Leonard

@cheryleleonard.bsky.social
246 followers 125 following 76 posts

composer, performer, instrument-builder, field recordist

PostsRepliesMedia
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Playing live on the air tonight 9-10pm Pacific at KZSU with Euphotic (Bryan Day, Tom Djll, and I) kzsu.stanford.edu
kzsu.stanford.edu
KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM
034
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
ub.pixie @ubpixie.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
UB Radio Salon 961 live experimental sounds w/ special guests: @cheryleleonard.bsky.social Cheryl Leonard & Cliff Neighbors on DFM Radio TV International (DFM.NU) Sunday JUNE 14th, 2026 • 5-7pm US PST LISTEN via DFM RTV INT stream stereo.dfm.nu more streams IRC chat + Discord www.dfm.nu
101
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
kottke.org @kottke.org · 08/06/2026
Nominations are open for this year’s Tiny Awards. “The Tiny Awards exist because we thought it was important to shine a spotlight on the sorts of personal web projects that tend to get overlooked.” [tinyawards.net]
tinyawards.net
Tiny Awards
This is the home of the Tiny Awards, which, since 2023, has celebrated the best of the small, poetic, creative, handmade web.
2122
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Last minute trip to the middle of nowhere in San Benito County (vaguely near New Idria) for some field recording and photography!
040
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
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
042
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Some of the instruments I’ll be playing tonight as part of Thomas Carnacki in our set at the MilkBar milkbar.org
040
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Drew Daniel @drewdaniel.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
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
814236
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
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
standwithminnesota.com
Stand With Minnesota
A directory of places to give to as Minnesota defends itself from ICE occupation
6356118
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Polly Springhorn (she/her) @dubiouscandy.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
My country is in hell. #uspol www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Make no mistake, this is an occupation’: ICE’s deadly presence casts long shadow over Minneapolis
Classrooms have emptied, shops have shut, and the mood is tense – but as the federal operation has ramped up, so has residents’ response
111
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Brad Rose @foxydigitalis.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
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.
foxydigitalis.zone
Cheryl E. Leonard and the Fragile, Wild Arctic
Cheryl E. Leonard builds sonic worlds from the far edges of our planet. For decades, her work has translated the Arctic and Antarctic into intricately layered compositions where technical mastery s…
1178
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Brad Rose @foxydigitalis.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
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.
morningsounds.bandcamp.com
Morning Sounds
Morning Sounds is a free digital series by Brad Rose collecting unedited recordings of waking routines. We're all remaking our routines and revising expectations. Mornings are where that shows up int...
24112
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
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.
3143
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
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.
0153
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Earthjustice @earthjustice.org · 17/11/2025
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.
earthjustice.org
The Step-by-Step Plan to Sell Off the Arctic, and What You Can Do About It
The Trump administration and Congress have waged an all-out assault on the Arctic. Here are three actions you can take to protect it.
04126
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
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."
daily.bandcamp.com
The Best Field Recordings on Bandcamp, October 2025
The best sounds captured outside the studio and released in the last month.
0172
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
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...
060
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
"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.
161
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
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.
182
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Things I played at the UB radio salon on Sunday
060
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
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...
sunnyvale.libcal.com
Listening with the Wild: Eco-Composer Cheryl Leonard
Join us for a sonic journey with composer Cheryl E. Leonard, who crafts immersive soundscapes using field recordings and musical instruments made from shells, bones, rocks,...
230
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
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!
020
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Instruments for my set earlier today at the San Francisco Main Library. Thanks to all who came out to listen!
060
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
My table at the end of last night’s Sonic Cartography improv gig in Berkeley. Good fun!
040
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
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
030
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Recording locations from last weekend’s Nature Sounds Society Workshop: Sierra Valley, Carmen Valley, and Yuba Pass. Early, chilly, good times!
090
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Robert Macfarlane @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
I spoke with the brilliant @jonathan-watts.bsky.social about the experience of writing "with" rivers; about freshwater and life and power—and about hope as a discipline. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Rob Macfarlane : ‘Sometimes I felt as if the river was writing me’
The writer and poet on reimagining rivers as living beings, the ecological crisis near and far and why copyright laws should protect nature
621955
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
baynature.org/2025/05/15/p...
baynature.org
Point Reyes, After the Cattle - Bay Nature
When ranchers leave the land, what version of nature takes over? The park and The Nature Conservancy have ambitious restoration plans.
020
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Recording at Rawhiti Cave (near Takata, New Zealand) two days ago: drippy!
2190
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
KQED Arts & Culture @kqedarts.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
BREAKING: Several Bay Area arts nonprofits received emails Friday afternoon that their grants from the National Endowment for the Arts have been canceled — including SCRAP, the San Francisco creative reuse center; the Oakland Theater Project; and The Lab.
kqed.org
NEA Grants Canceled to Bay Area Arts Nonprofits | KQED
The National Endowment for the Humanities suddenly canceled grants to nonprofits on Friday afternoon.
095
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Excited that music, natural-object instruments, and the graphic score from my composition "Littoral" are included in Marin MOCA's latest exhibition, "Future Flows." www.marinmoca.org/see-and-expe...
061
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Last night’s musical instruments for a Thomas Carnacki set at the Peacock Lounge
070
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Basho Society @bashosociety.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
in the latter days of a corrupt world cherry blossoms Issa
113746
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
To the world: We are fighting back. Our movement has been silenced by the media here—but we are not backing down. This is what our streets looked like across multiple cities. Tomorrow, there will be more of us! Raise a glass to freedom. —With love, Your American allies.
18678285419371
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Robert Macfarlane @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
“It seems that nature has devised quantum technology before us…” We’ve been puzzling at the mysteries of avian migration for millennia—the answers now emerging about how migrating birds navigate thousands of miles with pinpoint accuracy are…mind-blowing. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
theguardian.com
‘They have no one to follow’: how migrating birds use quantum mechanics to navigate
Evidence is mounting to explain how birds use the Earth’s magnetic field to help fly thousands of miles with unerring accuracy – a discovery that may help advance quantum technology
719035
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Rehearsing for my concert tomorrow night at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center. I’m performing a set of pieces about clinate change in the polar regions and California. events.stanford.edu/events/forms...
060
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Tidal flow, Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore
040
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Weaned elephant seal pups this morning out at Point Reyes National Seashore
020
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Nature @nature.com · 07/03/2025
The mood was defiant at many of the rallies, where chants of “Scientists will not be silenced”, “Facts over fear” and “What do we want? Peer review! When do we want it? Now!” were heard. go.nature.com/3F8T6FX
go.nature.com
‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts
Researchers at Stand Up for Science rallies voice defiance against the policies of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
13639211
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Gnarly root beauty - Strawberry Gap Trail, North Carolina
050
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Dan Yocum. Ugh. @yocum137.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
🧪😡😱😡😱
25520
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Beautiful view of Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierras this morning. Protect our public lands!!
080
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Watchdog Progressive @watchdogprg.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
More asinine cuts.... BBC news >> The cuts have hit the US Forest Service, which maintains thousands of miles of popular hiking trails, even harder. Around 10% of the Forest Service's staff - about 3,400 people, including Ms White and her team - have been fired. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Cuts to US national parks and forests spark outrage
Employees who maintained America's most wild places say they are concerned for public safety and for wildlife.
631503442
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Northern elephant seal weaned pups at Point Reyes National Seashore
050
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
I have written a short statement responding to mass firings today of #NOAA / National Weather Service (#NWS) staff (which were concentrated among recent hires as well as highly experienced staff who had recently been promoted). Please see below screenshot & below for full text.
Statement begins:
The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (NWS), is profoundly alarming. It appears that NOAA staff fired today include meteorologists, data and computer scientists responsible for maintaining and upgrading weather predictive models, and technicians responsible for maintaining the nation’s weather instrumentation network (among many others).

Housed within NOAA, the U.S. NWS is a truly world-class meteorological predictive service, perhaps singularly so. Its cost of operation is only ~$3-4/yr per taxpayer—equivalent to a single cup of coffee—and yields a truly remarkable return on investment (at least 10 to 1, and perhaps 100 to 1, depending on methods of estimation). NOAA and the NWS collectively offer tens to hundreds of billions of dollars each year in net economic benefit through a combination of averted losses and efficiencies gained....
6121751028
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Northern elephant seal weanlings this morning 😁
140
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Admiring oaks in Golden Gate Park
070
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
gripped.com/news/huge-u-...
gripped.com
Huge U.S. Flag Hung Upside Down in Yosemite - Gripped Magazine
The action was in protest to the recent firings of hundreds of National Park staff
090
Cheryl E. Leonard @cheryleleonard.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Rehearsing a set of deep time pieces inspired by glacier-carved marks and landforms in Norway. Hear them live tomorrow night (2/20) when I open up for Lia Kohl at the Lab in San Francisco! www.thelab.org/projects/202...
0103
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Ernst Karel @sesamecircuits.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Today’s episode of Local Locations on KWMR has a valentine’s day focus on elephant seal pupping season, featuring wonderful recordings by @cheryleleonard.bsky.social made over the past four weeks or so in Point Reyes National Seashore. Listen to the archived show here: kwmr.org/shows/local-...
kwmr.org
KWMR
292
Reposted by Cheryl E. Leonard
Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
U.S. Forest Service will fire roughly 3,400 federal employees.
48252331446