An Unfolding in Wood

redwood tree growth dataset sonification

An Unfolding in Wood (2012) is a sonification of a growing California redwood tree (Sequoia sempervirens) over the course of 1,285 years. Sounds were created in SuperCollider based on a data set of annual ring thicknesses of a redwood tree growing in Northern California. Sounds representing the tree's upward growth, the downwards expansion of the root stucture, and the widening of the tree's trunk were created. Additional parameters such as panning and volume are controlled by the data set. The sounds of wind and rain are also synthesized and add to the sonic wash.

This piece is dedicated to my grandfather, Mark L. Kermit (1911–2007), who's house was built with redwood.