Beekeepers Caroline and Jeff Crooks are small-scale beekeepers in Maryland who graciously allowed me to record their stories about beekeeping – as well as their bees. Their recorded voices are blended with ambient and computer-generated sound and blended with live cello. This sonic ‘portrait’ takes the listener into the world of a backyard apiary, and is part of a series of pieces commissioned by cellist Madeleine Shapiro dealing with the environment. The cellist’s part is both lyrical and percussive, allowing the performer to explore a variety of textures and colors available on the instrument.

This piece has been performed at such venues as The Tank (NYC, 2011), Electroacousic Music Festival, Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College (2013), SEAMUS Conference, Wesleyan University (2014), and the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (2018).

Contact the composer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to obtain the electronic fixed media portion of the piece.

Click here to view the score and listen to a recording by Michal Schmidt.