Video Premiere: Lisa Reagan’s musical tribute to Wendell Berry

# What this release is

# Who created it

The recorded song "The Wild Geese" was produced and mixed by Jamshied Sharifi and mastered by Andy Vandette. The tribute video was directed by Gil Gilbert and edited by Jordan Mizrahi.

Reagan described her approach to setting Berry's words to music: "It was like creating a painting that 'looked' how the poem felt. I wanted to set a mood, creating a tonal palette for the words."

# Musicians and arrangement

Reagan assembled a diverse acoustic ensemble for the recording of "Wild Geese," combining Western and non-Western timbres along with traditional folk textures. The listed performers are:

• Lisa Reagan — vocals
• Marc Copely — acoustic and electric guitars
• Benjamin Wittman — drums and percussion
• Peter Godart — piano
• Kirsten Agresta — harp
• Séamus Egan — whistle
• Christopher Layer — Uilleann pipes and Highland pipes
• Paul Woodiel — hurdy-gurdy
• Inna Dudukina — duduk
• Peter Eldridge — male choir vocals

The arrangement aims to create a tonal palette that supports and echoes the imagery of Berry's poetry rather than to replicate a spoken reading.

# Thematic focus

Wendell Berry's writing centers on the natural world, community, and the responsibilities of stewardship. The two videos present Reagan's response to those themes through music and image, using direct language and evocative musical textures to echo Berry's emphasis on connection to place and care for the land.

# How to access

The premiere is hosted on Americana Highways' site, with Reagan's own website and a dedicated What We Need Is Here microsite listed for further information. The article also points readers to Reagan's Spotify page for the recordings.

# Why it matters for listeners

# Related coverage

The article links to other Americana Highways premieres and playlists, placing Reagan's release in the site's ongoing coverage of new song and video releases in the Americana and folk sphere.

# Practical next steps

• Watch the premiere on Americana Highways to view both videos together.
• Visit lisareagan.com and the What We Need Is Here microsite for background on the album and additional media.
• Stream the songs on Lisa Reagan's Spotify page to hear the full arrangements.