A multimedia project from a year of world travel

In her senior year of undergrad at Grinnell College, Emma received the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship - a year of fully-funded purposeful independent exploration around the world. Her project, titled “Listening at Dawn: Music That Heals the Planet” brought her to 11 countries across nearly every continent, exploring the healing power of music within the climate crisis and guided by the question “how does music help connect people to the Earth, their communities, and cultures.” Learning from musicians, Indigenous communities, environmental advocates, volunteering with creative arts organizations and charities, shadowing music teachers, and attending numerous conferences, festivals, and gatherings, Emma’s year was shaped by the many profound, healing, hopeful, and joyous experiences cultivated through music everywhere she went. 

Emma intends for this platform to be a web where the musicians, activists, organizations, events, communities, and projects that she learned about during her journey can be woven together in the same virtual space. She hopes that this database can be a place to learn about all of these and potentially lead to future connections between them!

This year wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance, support, and generosity of so many people before and during her Watson year, and Emma is infinitely grateful to all of them, in particular her family, teachers and mentors, Watson contacts and host families, and the Watson Foundation <3