The Sonic Majesty of Sarah Belle Reid’s Semblance of Fern

A Behind-the-Scenes Journey

In the lush ambiance of the Lincoln Park Conservatory’s Fern Room, Sarah Belle Reid unveils her latest sound installation, “Semblance of Fern.” Commissioned by the Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago, this piece immerses listeners in a quadraphonic sonic landscape that intertwines with the myriad varieties of ferns surrounding them. The Fern Room, a glass-encased sanctuary, teems with botanical diversity, from delicate moss-like ferns to towering tree-like specimens. Here, Reid embarks on a unique sonic exploration, crafting sound not merely to fill space but to converse with it. The installation, part of the Florasonic series, promises an ongoing dialogue with nature—playing back continuously for two months, housing within its resonances the stories told by the ferns themselves.

"I've done a lot of multi-channel and spatial audio work in the past."

© Screenshot/Quote: Sarahbellereid (YouTube)

Fractals and Sound: A Dance of Algorithms

Inspired by the Barnsley Fern fractal algorithm, Reid’s installation utilizes the algorithm as a core element in sound generation. This fractal, described by mathematician Michael Barnsley in 1988, generates a fern pattern through recursive processes, mirroring the ferns in both Reid’s childhood forests and the conservatory’s lush environment. Visualized using p5.js, the algorithm’s beauty unfolds with mathematical precision—a wild, ordered chaos akin to nature itself. The juxtaposition of algorithmic clarity against the organic randomness of real ferns offers a compelling sonic canvas. This algorithm doesn’t just paint with pixels; it nurtures soundscapes—turning numbers into notes, crafting a world where the precision of code dances with the freedom of nature’s improvisations.

Crafting a New Musical Language

"The algorithm might actually be useful as a signal generator."

© Screenshot/Quote: Sarahbellereid (YouTube)

This project represents a collaboration between Reid and instrument designer Ryan Gaston, who collectively harnessed the Barnsley fern algorithm to produce control voltages for sound synthesis. Gaston, intrigued by the potential of the algorithm, found its recursive qualities suitable for time-based musical translations. By mapping algorithm-generated coordinates to signal values, they explored its potential as a control source, opting to manipulate sound rather than generate it directly. Through this partnership, they built a Eurorack module designed to transpose the fractal fern’s mathematical elegance into gestural sound possibilities, embodying the alchemy of numbers into music. The duo sought not merely to hear the algorithm but to feel its influence—to let its form dictate the ebbs and flows of sonic tides.

The Fern Room: A Sonic Canvas

For Reid, the Fern Room at the Lincoln Park Conservatory is more than a location—it’s a muse. Immersing herself in its lush surroundings, she sought to translate its verdant majesty into music. Her childhood memories of forests filled with ferns provided a personal touchstone, linking past with present. Each fern, with its intricate pattern and delicate form, became a note in her lush green symphony. The cascading leaves whispered stories, inviting Reid to reinterpret their essence through sound. As she grappled with the unpredictability of chaotic systems and improvisation, the ferns acted as both audience and collaborator. Engaging with the environment’s natural ambient sounds, she aimed to create a seamless synthesis where electronic sound and organic tranquility coexist. To compose music that complements the space, not overshadows it, was Reid’s artistic directive—turning the room into a living, breathing orchestra that sings the silent song of its inhabitants.

"It's so beautiful. We are just doing some initial sound check tests."

© Screenshot/Quote: Sarahbellereid (YouTube)

Weaving Personal and Environmental Threads

Reid’s sound installation is a textured tapestry woven with environmental data collected from her childhood home and the Fern Room itself. By integrating humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure into the algorithmic processes, Reid injected the piece with a layer of physical authenticity. Using Adafruit’s BME 280 sensor board, she captured data that melds the corporeal with the conceptual, bringing a tangible sense of place into her abstract compositions. This data, normalized and streamed into the system, shapes the sonic output, allowing listeners to experience a harmonic fusion of real-world and imagined environments. Through this melding of the tangible and the abstract, Reid effectively bridges past and present, nature and technology, crafting sonic stories that weave personal memories into the very fabric of her music.

A Living, Breathing Performance

With the installation’s premiere, visitors witness a harmonious blend of ambient natural sounds and meticulously crafted electronic tones. Reid’s work invites the audience to engage in an auditory experience where subtle buzzes, whispers, and sonic textures coalesce with the natural acoustics of the Fern Room. The performance, which involves both composed and improvised elements, embodies unpredictability; each moment is crafted not only by human hands but also by the algorithms themselves. In this lush auditory environment, sound becomes a living entity, drifting gracefully through the air like ethereal wisps of fern spores. Attendees are not mere spectators but participants in a dialogue between art and nature, gently drawn into this narrative of sound—a symphonic tapestry that evolves with each whisper of the leaves.