Join me in getting to know the fascinating world of Leif Karlstrom, a musician and scientist who combines data sonification in his outstanding collaborative exploration, The Volcano Listening Project. Leif is an Earth scientist at the University of Oregon who studies fluid motions in and on volcanoes and glaciers, landscape evolution, and geodynamics. He’s also a fantastic violinist and mandolin player, composer and improvisor.

The Volcano Listening Project features many great musicians including Billy Contreras, Todd Sickafoose and Laurel Premo. You’ll also hear music from Leif’s fantastic duo Small Town Therapy with Adam Roszkiewicz, from their album Dreams and Circumstances.

Learn how sonification can transform data into a powerful tool for scientific discovery and education and hear about Leif’s adventurous life as both a musician and scientist.

My website takes you to: linked episodes, newsletter sign-up, merch store, Ko-fi page, YouTube and Transcipt!

The Volcano Listening Project album

Small Town Therapy

(00:00) Intro

(02:07) Leif’s family influences, musical background, with clip track 2 Lava dome failure at Soufrière Hills, Montserrat, 2003

(07:37) The Volcano Listening Project upcoming tour, creative collaboration, with clip track 12 Large earthquakes during caldera collapse, Kilauea, 2018

(13:25) Billy Contreras with clip track 4 Mount Saint Helens drumbeat seismicity and eruption, 2004, album art Rachel Sager

(17:09) sonification of the data with clip track1 A walk through fresh tephra

(24:32) memorable experiences in the field with volcanoes

(29:06) instrument collection, 5 string fiddle design

(32:21) Adam Roszkiewicz, with clip Small Town Therapy track 7 from Dreams and Circumstances “33”

(36:45) other episodes linked in the show notes and ways to support this podcast

(37:35) sonification of the data as a scientific tool with clip track 7 Seismic cycles of caldera collapse, Kilauea, 2018

(42:47) Leif’s touring experiences, keeping music in his life, parenting

(50:28) more volcano science with clip track 3 650 years of global explosive eruptions, Stash Wyslouch

(53:50) Adhyaropa records sonification tracks add-on, Laurel Premo with clip track 10 Lightning and the ash plume of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha-apai, 2022

(57:28) collaborating, Alaska, Todd Sickafoose, Idit Shner, Johnny Rogers, upcoming tour