Land In Black Hands Sound Walk — Listening as Belonging

Join us for a guided sound walk at Land in Black Hands

This immersive, slow-paced walk invites participants into a deeper relationship with place through the practice of listening. Moving gently through the land, in meadows and forests, we will attune to the layered soundscape—wind through trees, birdsong, Frog song, distant waters, the subtle rhythms of the more-than-human world.

Listening is belonging. A form of relationship. An act of reciprocity.

Guided by sound artist and facilitator Matthew O’Neill, this experience draws from soundscape ecology, Indigenous-informed listening practices, and intuitive sonic awareness. Through simple prompts and moments of shared listening, participants will be invited to soften habitual modes of perception and enter a more relational field of awareness.

No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to listen.
What to expect:

● A slow, contemplative walk (approximately 60 minutes)
● Guided listening invitations and pauses for reflection
● Opportunities for individual and collective attunement
● Closing circle to gently integrate the experience

Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water. You may also wish to bring a small notebook or journal.
 

Facilitator Bio: Matthew O’Neill

Matthew O’Neill is a sound artist, composer, and facilitator whose work explores listening as a pathway to ecological belonging and relational awareness. His compositions and sound-based offerings blur the boundaries between music, ceremony, and environment, weaving together field recordings, acoustic instrumentation, and intuitive sonic practice.

Drawing from studies in music, soundscape ecology, Indigenous listening traditions. Matthew creates immersive experiences that invite participants into deeper connection with land, memory, and the more-than-human world.
He is the founder of Panther Mountain, an Indigenous-based music label and cultural restoration project rooted in the Catskills. Through performances, albums and guided listening practices, his work centers sound as a living, relational force—one that can reorient how we inhabit and care for the world. He holds a BA with a focus ‘Music and Ancient Wisdom Traditions’ and an MA in Indigenous Musical Ontologies, both from Prescott College. He has been a working musical artist for over 20 years.