Elisabeth Lusche
Elisabeth Lusche is a trumpeter with the Nevis Ensemble, Scotland's Street Orchestra. As part of the 2021 Nevis Ensemble Green Challenge, Elisabeth pledged to walk 500 Miles (the Nevis anthem is I'm Gonna Be by The Proclaimers) and raise money for Sierra Club! We checked in with her to hear how it's going -- she's on mile 289 at time of publication!
What inspired you to raise money for the Sierra Club?
Coronavirus lockdown regulations have been really tough, both for my career and for my general wellbeing. The irony of the pandemic is that, although this is an experience that is shared by the entire world, the measures we must take in order to slow the spread of the virus leave many of us feeling more isolated than ever. As a professional musician, I’m very fortunate that my job allows me to connect with people from all over the world, but with concerts banned and my work at a standstill I’ve also lost a lot of my feeling of belonging. The outdoors have become a safe haven for me during these times, and connecting with the environment has allowed me to renew my sense of community in a broader perspective.
What is your connection to environmental work? What are some of your favorite outdoor activities and places?
I was fortunate to have grown up in a family who not just valued, but actively cared for, the outdoors. My grandfather was a forester, and in many ways I think I learned my general ethics from being in the wilderness and learning to interact with nature respectfully. I still have a collection of “Junior Ranger” badges that I earned as a kid on family vacations to different National Parks, which are as much of a testament to my parents’ patience and encouragement as they are to my childhood curiosity.
When people say “Go to your happy place,” I can close my eyes and immediately be laying on one particular slab of granite next to a creek with a view of Cathedral Peak in Yosemite. (There are even pictures of me in the same spot from when I was around six years old through to my 20s!) And although I think I’ll always feel happiest lacing up my hiking boots, there are few things better than biking in the dunes of the Netherlands!
Above: A young Elisabeth with her father at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.
Describe your fundraiser and what inspired you to come up with the idea.
The Nevis Ensemble is a “street orchestra,” but we don’t always play on the streets. We often end up on beaches, hiking trails, and public parks, too. We do our very best to be green on tour (we famously bring a compost bucket everywhere we go), but we’re also aware that as an organization, we have the responsibility to do more to take care of and educate ourselves about our natural environment. This year for our Green Campaign, every member of the Nevis team is individually taking up a project for 100 days. I’ve committed to walk 500 miles (because our orchestra’s unofficial anthem is “I’m Gonna Be” by the Proclaimers) to raise funds for both the Sierra Club and the John Muir Trust, which manages many of the Scottish lands through which we’ve toured. In the Nevis spirit, I’ll also be taking my trumpet for a mini-concert every 100 miles.
What are some of the environmental/equity issues that you are most excited to be supporting through your fundraising?
The Nevis Ensemble’s motto is “For everyone, everywhere,” which is something I think is important to consider in environmentalism as well. There tends to be a misconception that classical music is only for a certain type of person -- namely a wealthy white Westerner -- and sometimes this notion creeps into outdoor recreation and sustainability, too. And both of those ideas aren’t unfounded! Classical music concerts can be prohibitively expensive -- and so can travelling to a national park or buying high tech backpacking gear. What we strive to do with the Nevis Ensemble is show that an institution of Western classical music doesn’t have to be exclusionary or elitist. We want people to feel that this music belongs to them because culture is made by people, not institutions. I really admire the work that the Sierra Club does in terms of climate justice (providing tools to local activists, protecting water sources, and working in communities, to name a few) because it helps protect vulnerable places and people alike and make our world’s greatest resource available to everyone.
What most excites you about your fundraiser and what do you anticipate being your biggest challenge?
I’m excited for the opportunity to become more familiar with the nature areas in and around my city. Although it would certainly be nice to live somewhere I could take a different trail every day for 100 days, I’m really looking forward to being creative with my routes and gaining a deeper knowledge and appreciation for all of The Hague’s parks -- from the smallest bosje to the biggest natuurreservaat!
The biggest challenge will certainly be the weather. It’s notoriously rainy and cold in the Netherlands this time of year, especially along the coast. I’m hoping that I can turn this negative into a positive, however, and use it as an opportunity to really experience the seasons changing instead of being a passive observer.
To keep up with Elisabeth's progress and support her fundraising, visit her Team Sierra page.
Left: Elisabeth on the John Muir Trail just north of Donohue Pass.