Meet the artists behind the UN’s second annual nature sounds mixtape

It’s Earth Day — and Mother Nature is back with a new mixtape.

Last year, the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live launched Sounds Right, an initiative where artists release songs with nature sounds that generate streaming royalties which are put towards nature conservation efforts.

And today, the second volume is out.

“It’s a really beautiful initiative,” said artist Raveena, who describes her music as a blend of R&B, pop, jazz, experimental and Indian music.

Her song, “Morning Prayer,” includes rain sounds from a morning she was meditating with a friend, under a gentle beat and layered vocals.

Over the past year, the project generated more than $200,000 for conservation efforts between streaming royalties and donations from individuals and institutions, according to UN Live.

George the Poet, a spoken word artist in London, was inspired by nature that exists in places where people might not expect it.

“We grew up in public housing,” he said. “And that’s often imagined to be grey and hard and not have much green. But in our experience, there was just green all around us. There were fields, there were trees. We were always climbing the trees. We were always going on some adventure.”

He’s still finding the line between creating art as an escape for others and being an activist.

“Part of me wants to create escapist music. But I’m always concerned about what happens when the music stops,” George said.

His song, “The Natural World,'” features spoken word over soft string plucks and bird sounds.

Danish artist Magnus Münster got involved with Sounds Right as an outlet for his own anxiety about climate change.

“I think that being part of ‘Sounds Right’ in and of itself is not helpful enough, no, but I believe in the potential of the project as a part of a bigger personal journey of being as climate positive as I can, whilst trying to motivate others to find their way of doing the same,” Münster said.

His song, “I Don’t Wanna Be Strong,” features birds under his vocals and piano.

All of the songs and sounds can be found on the “NATURE” artist profile on major music streaming platforms.

This story was edited for radio by Barry Gordemer.