Red Knot Sonorama (2007–2022)
Premiered at the Coastal Futures Festival: UVA + Eastern Shore Community College (December 2023)
Commissioned by the Coastal Futures Conservatory
Notes:
Red Knot Sonorama (2007–2022) is a composition that transforms fifteen years of ecological monitoring into a sonified soundscape depicting the migratory stop of the Red Knots on the Virgina coast. Commissioned by the Coastal Futures Conservatory and first performed at the Coastal Futures Festival in 2023, the work draws on data collected by Virginia Polytechnic Institute scientist Sarah Karpanty and her team, who have both worked to document the birds and protect their habitat. The piece was composed using a Pure Data patch designed to render datasets into soundscape compositions, combining both recorded and synthesized sound. At its core is the metaphor of the diorama: a miniature yet immersive reconstruction of an environment, realized as a meta-soundscape that entwines scientific data, recorded audio, and the imprint of conservation efforts. Data streams—including bird counts, human activity, and temperature data—are interwoven into a sonic narrative that reflects both the fragility of the Red Knot’s stopover and those dedicated to their protection.