Leif Karlstrom's Volcano Listening Project: A Unique Fusion of Science and Music
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
09/20/25
•62m
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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
(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
Previous Episode
Martha Redbone is acclaimed for her powerful performances as a singer, as well as her prize-winning song-writing, composition and arranging. For over 30 years she’s been in a successful collaboration with her partner Aaron Whitby and we talked about some of their new theatrical projects including Black Mountain Women, The Sex Variants of 1941, and Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks. Throughout this episode you’ll be hearing clips from Martha’s powerful album The Garden of Love which sets the poetry of William Blake to the diverse music of Appalachia, written with Aaron and John McEuen of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Many people think of the music, culture and history of Appalachia in terms of the blend of white settlers in the area, but Martha’s family heritage from Harlan County Kentucky includes African American, British, Chickamauga-Cherokee and Mississippi Choctaw. She shared her experiences growing up with her grandparents as part of a coal-mining family, as well as the dramatic changes she has witnessed in Brooklyn over several decades.
In this wide-ranging episode, you’ll also hear Martha’s great advice for self-care, maintaining boundaries and working collaboratively. We started this conversation with Martha’s collaborations with clarinettist Tasha Warren and cellist Dave Eggar and if you missed my interview with Tasha last year it’s linked to this one below.
You can also watch this on my YouTube and I’ve also linked the transcript on my website
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Other episodes you'll love:
Tasha Warren Shakura S’Aida, Chuck Copenace, Jah’Mila, and Vahn Black
photo: Christine Jean Chambers
(00:00) Intro
(02:56) Tasha Warren, Dave Eggar clip Black Mountain Calling
(09:06) Black Mountain Women, clip of A Poison Tree
(13:12) history Black people in Appalachia
(16:06) mixed Black Indigineous family history
(25:00) Carnegie project, The Garden of Love with clip of The Garden of Love
(32:30) John McEuen, David Amram clip of Sleep, Sleep, Beauty Bright
(37:47) telling broader story
(42:47) learning Indigenous culture, Brooklyn
(48:02) other episodes,
(48:53) musical influences (music clip On Another Sorrow)
(54:01) Brooklyn
(58:15) bell hooks
(01:02:59) The Sex Variants of 1941, Stephen Trask, Steve Cosson, LGBTQ+ history
(01:07:53) Aaron Whitby
Next Episode
Clay Zeller-Townson of Ruckus Early Music
September 27, 2025
•78m
I have become a big fan of Ruckus, a dynamic Early Music ensemble, and I so enjoyed this uplifting conversation with Clay Zeller-Townson, their Artistic Director and bassoonist. ou’ll be hearing clips from The Edinburgh Rollick with music from the Niel Gow collection, featuring the violinist Keir GoGwilt, and because this music is very much at the crossroads of Scottish traditional music and Baroque music, it delights audiences who are more into folk as well as baroque. You'll be inspired to hear Clay’s ideas around crafting something truly personal and unique and connecting with audiences, as well the importance of access to music education at all levels. We also got into Ruckus’ Fly the Coop project with flutist Emi Ferguson with a wonderfully fresh take on the music of J.S. Bach, and a lot of what Clay shared was how the musicians connect deeply with their audiences with contemporary relevance in many different ways.
You’ll find the track names of the music included in the time stamps. The complete show notes on my website will take you the video and transcript for this episode.
Other episodes you'll love: bassoonist Christopher Millard, Lutenist Elizabeth Pallett, recorder player Sarah Jeffery , fiddler Alexis Chartrand, organist Gail Archer and cellist Juliana Soltis.
(00:00) Intro
(02:04) Ruckus early music continuo band, creating unique style and sound
(09:10) violinist Keir GoGwilt The Edingburgh Rollick (clip from The Jenny Nettles Set), Neil Gow
(15:16) how Baroque bassoon is different from modern
(18:10) Ruckus’ collaborative creative process
(23:23) Mrs. Ferguson’s Strathspey, about the Beatles’ quote
(26:28) Playing for dancers
(31:54) playing for opera with no conductor
(37:02) Fiona Gillespie with clip of The Broome of Coudenknowes
(40:15) Clay’s childhood and discovery of the bassoon
(42:19) other episodes you’ll love
(43:11) Clay’s music education and forming Ruckus
(46:38) flutist Emi Ferguson, album Fly the Coop with J.S. Bach Siciliana
(54:53) The Edinburgh Rollick album art, The Gigg Set with clip
(01:01:10) Clay’s life as an educator
(01:08:02) Early Music scene
(01:14:07) Roscoe Mitchell project
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