From The Less We Planned: A Film About Diego Gaeta, by Andrew Gura
Lace up your hiking shoes & we’ll see you atop David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive!
Once a month we gather with the heroic environmental stewards of TreePeople to love on live music and hot tea on a ridge trail of the Santa Monica Mountains. Once we’ve held time together to share in meaningful art, warm tea, a sunset, and some conversation, TreePeople’s eco educators split us into three different hiking groups for peoples of all ages and abilities.
Soundtracking the sunset this evening are sweethearts Diego Gaeta & V Ontiveros. One of the most gifted pianists in town (& local piano tuner!), Diego has worked with Carlos Niño, André 3000, Shabaka, Lionmilk, Billy Woods, Moor Mother, and a stunning list of luminaries. Along with V, who truly carries the voice of an angel, Diego & V craft an affirming and heartwarming soundscape of music to heal the heart and spirit within.
Bring a blanket, pour some tea, and bliss in.
Check-in starts at 6:30pm, music shortly after 7pm, and we split into our hiking groups promptly at 8pm. Parking is limited so we ask that you please rsvp with us in advance.
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Diego Gaeta is a keyboardist and producer born and raised in Los Angeles whose work blends and connects a sonic futurist approach that is informed by world folk music traditions of sacred improvisation. He recently released his debut album as a leader, titled "Fearlessly Accessing the Divine Spirit of Freedom From Here On Out" on Preference Records. Other releases include: "In Float" (with Lionmilk) on Leaving Records and "Una Luz Naranja" (with Carlos Niño) on Anandamide. He also recently appeared on two tracks from the Andre 3000 release "New Blue Sun" and has collaborated with Shabaka, Moor Mother, and many beloved musicians.
Along with V Ontoveros, an educator and vocalist, Diego & V share a solar powered homestead called Farm of the Angels on Elephant Hill where they grow veggies, make music, and host community gatherings.
Born in 1973 from the hopes and dreams of a teenager, TreePeople is now one of the largest environmental organizations headquartered in Southern California.
They have inspired, engaged, and supported more than 3 million people to take action for our environment by planting and caring for more than 3 million trees in our local forests, mountains, parks, and our neighborhoods. Through on-the-ground research and educational programs, TreePeople shares knowledge with policymakers, students, educators, and communities around the world.
After fires burn, TreePeople reforests. When schools are covered in concrete, TreePeople creates green schoolyards. When communities experience food insecurity, TreePeople distributes fruit trees. When California is drought-stricken, TreePeople designs solutions to capture rainwater. As the world faces increasing threats from a more hostile climate, TreePeople helps create actionable solutions.