Etienne Charles: Earth Tones

About Earth Tones

Earth Tones began as a multimedia jazz performance built around original works by composer and trumpeter Etienne Charles. Charles—recognized for his narrative-driven projects such as Carnival: The Sound of a People Vol. 1, San Jose Suite, Creole Soul, Gullah Roots, Folklore, and his recent commission San Juan Hill – A New York Story—premiered the piece in April 2024 in Houston, TX. Staff from the Appalachian State University Office of Arts Engagement attended the premiere and initiated conversations with Charles about expanding the single performance into a five‑month exhibition for our community.

The live performance of Earth Tones will take place at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on April 24, 2026, and the project will continue through an exhibition at the Turchin Center from May through October 2026. Stories gathered from around the world will be shared through photographs and video installations in the Petti/Peiser Gallery.

Artist Statement

The creation of Earth Tones as a multimedia project began in 2021, shaped by the stories I grew up hearing in Trinidad from my mother, a retired urban planner.  She spoke of meetings on global warming in the 1980s, which led me to ask, “how could I use music to tell stories, but from the perspective of people?”  Climate is often discussed in terms of economic impact; I wanted to understand its human impact.

I traveled to communities across the world, listening to people describe how environmental shifts unfold slowly over generations or arrive suddenly in a single catastrophic moment. I first visited Houma, LA, and Galveston, TX, followed by Rasdhoo in the Maldives–places at sea level where rising water is a continued concern. In Houma, saltwater pushes into the bayou and threatens freshwater resources. In Galveston, a 27‑mile barrier island, the land itself is a fragile buffer. In Rasdhoo, shrinking sandbanks reshape livelihoods and traditions. These were places I had never visited before, yet the stories shared with me—of loss, resilience, joy, and hope—felt deeply familiar.

I also sought out places where the climate narrative looks different. Suriname, a carbon‑negative country in South America whose dense forests absorb more greenhouse gases than the nation emits, offered a glimpse of what environmental stewardship can look like. Panama, a carbon‑neutral country, is another place I plan to visit to understand how communities build climate success into their identity.

As Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in September 2024, followed just weeks later by destructive floods in Valencia, Spain, I was struck by how two regions on opposite sides of the Atlantic—both considered relatively protected—were united by shared vulnerability. These events reminded me that there are countless stories still untold, countless voices still unheard, and countless images still unseen.

-Etienne Charles

About the Artist

Trinidad-born Etienne Charles is a performer, composer, and storyteller, who is continuously searching for untold stories and sounds with which to tell them.

A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, he researches his compositions by travelling to the regions on which he is focused, meeting with musicians and cultural leaders then observing and participating in rituals to be fully immersed into the cultures that he is studying.

As an educator and conductor he has done residencies at the Juilliard School, Stanford University, Columbia College Chicago, Oakland University, Kent State University, Walnut Hills High School, Cultural Academy for Excellence, and the US Military Academy. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami, Patricia L. Frost School of Music.

Earth Tones is presented in partnership with the Pathways to Resilience QEP, a five-year climate literacy initiative at App State.