The Raccoon, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate

Composers talk to Verity Sharp about how their creativity has been shaped by an animal species, how it has formed their approach to making music, and what they’ve discovered about the natural world in the process.

Each episode explores how an animal has served as a muse or guide to expand their musical palette with diverse sets of thinking, ranging from personal healing to musical virtuosity and local ecological concerns. These musicians often incorporate field recordings or natural sounds into their work, treating nature as a collaborator.

For Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, the raccoon is a portal into the woodlands of the Southeastern US, capturing generations of ancestral knowledge and storytelling. In this episode, Jerod explores the deep-rooted relationship between the Chickasaw Nation and nature, and how the raccoon might encourage us to listen with fresh ears to the everyday creatures around us.

Produced by Tess Davidson
Production support from Rebecca Lennon
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3

Featuring extracts from Shawi’ (raccoon) from Woodland Songs by the Dover Quartet