The Regenerative Record Label Giving Royalties Back to Nature
Who is ONNA?
ONNA, founded by musicians Sophie Delila Baudry and Coco Reilly, is a pioneering independent label dedicated to creating music that connects art, nature, and purpose. Baudry and Reilly believe that nature is not just a source of inspiration, but an active collaborator.
"The idea of collaborating with recording artists and releasing regenerative records took shape, offering a unique opportunity to support conservation through the powerful medium of music."
Last week, NPR discussed ONNA's most recent project, The Secret Symphony of Plants, a unique partnership between composers and plants (yes, plants) at Art Park in Lewiston, NY. The project celebrates the profound influence of sound and vibration throughout the universe. Composer, Brent Chancellor said, "We attached electrodes to plants, documented their electrical data, and gave that to composers to make new pieces."
In other words, all living plants naturally emit bioelectrical signals, generating frequencies that fluctuate according to their natural processes, such as photosynthesis. These biorhythms work as invisible symphonies playing beneath the surface of every ecosystem. ONNA gathered each plant's unique micro-signals using devices built to serve as translators. "It works like an EKG for plants," explained Reilly.
With built-in filters, the signals are then converted to MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data, the same digital language used by keyboards, synthesizers, and music software. While the plant may not be producing sound, the changing stream of electrical patterns provides composers with a rhythm that inspires their work. Listeners at Art Park witnessed the immersion of a plant's living rhythm expressed through musical interpretation.
Naturally, the technical innovation captured attention, but it's the regenerative model that makes ONNA truly revolutionary. Through projects like The Secret Symphony of Plants, the label directs a portion of the royalties toward the conservation and ecological regeneration of the land, supporting the very ecosystems that served as both inspiration and backdrop. In this case, the royalties flow right back into Art Park's preservation program.
ONNA's passion for working with artists who share their vision is redefining what music can do. As the biorhythms of plants become the muse for music, the same plants that contribute to the performance are credited and compensated. Every album, every stream, and every event produced by ONNA becomes an act of restoration.
"By attributing royalties to nature, we ensure that every use of the sounds supports the conservation and regeneration of their origins."
While the multisensory approach transforms passive listening into active participation, ONNA's framework extends far beyond the studio and the stage. Baudry and Reilly believe that when people and nature come together to share a powerful experience, a collective sense of awareness and advocacy takes root.
ONNA's mission is to create meaningful entry points for broader conversations about humanity's relationship with nature by building a platform where art and ecology support each other in an endless, regenerative cycle. Their work invites us into a more intimate way of listening, one where creativity becomes reciprocity and every rhythm can be healing, becoming an opportunity to imagine a future shaped by collaboration, not extraction.
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