Capturing the music of nature | Hometown, Alaska

By Dave Waldron

Published November 4, 2025 at 1:10 PM AKST

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A man stands in front of a glacier wearing climbing gear with recording equipment. — Matthew Burtner is a musician, composer and eco-acoustician who straddles the worlds of music and science.

We’ve all heard sounds in nature that capture our ears, whether it’s a bird call, a gentle stream or a thunderstorm. But what about other sounds? What noise does a glacier make? Or the tundra? And are they musical like those bird calls, chaotic, or just plain strange? Matthew Burtner is a composer, sound artist and eco-acoustician. He discusses his work, a recent Canadian exhibition and his newest album "Profiled from Atmospheres."

HOST: Dave Waldron

GUEST: Matthew Burtner, musician, composer, eco-acoustician

LINKS:
Matthew Burtner website
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Music

Hometown, Alaska

Dave Waldron

Dave Waldron began his radio career in 2000 as a volunteer DJ at UAA’s radio station KRUA 88.1, where he hosted a weekend music show. In 2004 he was hired as the station’s music director, and held the position until his graduation in 2007. He was hired by Alaska Public Media in 2008 and since then has worked as an audio engineer, editor, and producer. He currently runs his own small business AK Audio Pro, and is a host of Alaska Public Media’s Hometown, Alaska.

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