Sweet beams! We hope to see you at the historic Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden for our limited series of intimate monthly concerts focused on collective breath, meditation, and unity. This is music as medicine, collective ritual, and an invocation for the worlds to come.
We’re sharing this month with our dear Bryan Baker, a flautist and sax whisperer based in Long Beach, who you’ve heard throughout the lands whether it’s at Tea at Shiloh, Jiji’s Jazz Lounge, or possibly sitting in with friends like Low Leaf. In addition to playing music, Bryan is a flute maker and land steward who often works with his partner to bring Generous Herbs to the people.
We’ve given this micro-series the name ‘The Paradise Garden of Endless Melodies’ as a play on two references. First, as a nod to the late IASOS and his Vibrational Environments series which included an album called The Paradise Bird of Endless Melodies comprised of synth and birdsong. Second, as a love letter to the history of Paradise Gardens, and their adjacent role in both Japanese and Persian culture as sites for utopic world building.
Bring a blanket and gather in the garden with us for an evening of spacious sounds and the rekindling of something very special. We’ll have tea available for you upon arrival, a selection of Bryan’s handmade flutes for you to peruse & offer the reminder that there are no animals allowed at the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden aside from our critter friends who nest, rest, and digest throughout the koi ponds and tree canopies.
We may still be setting up and tinkering with sounds at 5p, so pls feel free to lay and wander/wonder and enjoy the garden. Bryan will begin around 5:30p and share sounds for about an hour.
🎋
Born and raised in Long Beach, Bryan Baker is a multi-instrumentalist, bamboo flute maker, and composer who approaches music as a bridge to connect more deeply with oneself, others, and the natural world. Known for his soulful flute playing and expressive saxophone work, he creates immersive soundscapes that allow listeners to slow down and be fully present.
Whether performing in an intimate tea space, concert venue, or outdoor setting, Bryan brings authenticity and emotional depth to every performance, offering an experience that feels both grounding and expansive.
The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was created by landscape designer & craftsman Kinzuchi Fujii between 1935 – 1940 for Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns. It is the only intact example of a major Japanese-style garden created before World War II for a residence in Southern California.
The teahouse which we gather alongside is named Niko-an, meaning Abode at Two Ponds. The original teahouse was built in Japan to Kinzuchi Fujii’s exacting specifications, then disassembled and shipped to Los Angeles for reassembly in the garden. The twelve tatami mats covering the floor signified a teahouse of great importance.
Kinzuchi Fujii’s son possessed his father’s original plans and many photographs taken during the garden’s first construction. These were an invaluable resource during the garden’s recent restoration.
Though the original teahouse burned down in 1981, it has been rebuilt. Dr. Takeo Uesugi, an accomplished landscape architect and designer, worked closely with the current owners, Jim and Connie Haddad, to restore the teahouse, faithfully adhering to Kinzuchi’s original drawings, photographs and architectural plans.
We’re very grateful to Jim, Connie, Virginia, and Heidi for welcoming Living Earth to the breathtaking Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden.