Practicing Sands is a collection of pieces by Chinese-American composer, cellist, and vocalist Theresa Wong, which draws inspiration from the sounds of the natural world and sensations of Wong’s sonic genetic memory. With alternate tunings and extended techniques, Wong has forged a timbral merging of cello and voice into a totally unique synthesis. Combining improvisation and composition, these works stem from Wong’s ongoing question: “how can I rediscover the core of the cello as wood and string and hair, or even simply as a tree?” Self-recorded over three months, these recordings document Wong’s personal approach to microphone placement and technique as extensions of composition itself. Utilizing various microphone configurations to define the spectral and spatial quality of each piece, she invites the listener into an embodied experience of her music as haptic vibrational sculptures.