Harmony in Data: Matthew Suttor Connects Sound, Science, and Imagination at Yale

In this episode of Yale College Voices, Darice Corey sits down with Dr. Matthew Suttor, whose path from a lively childhood in New Zealand to more than two decades at Yale has been anything but ordinary. Matthew shares how a bustling household of ten, a stubborn commitment to piano lessons, and a deep love of Bach set him on a course toward music, teaching, and experimentation. That early mix of curiosity, resilience, and imagination eventually carried him into electronic music studios, theater sound design, and a career that blends artistic craft with scientific inquiry.Darice and Matthew dig into his current work at Yale’s Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, where he is building tools that turn environmental data into sound. The stories behind these projects are unforgettable, from tracking chimney swifts above New Haven rooftops to teaching elementary and high school students how to “listen” to forest conditions in real time. Matthew describes how these collaborations with scientists, musicians, and community partners help people connect emotionally with complex information, making it easier to understand the changing world around us.Their conversation also paints a vivid picture of CCAM as a home for bold ideas, where students can test out unfamiliar tools, try unexpected combinations, and find support for projects that might not fit anywhere else. Matthew reflects on the joy he finds in teaching, his ongoing exploration of nature and sound, and the simple pleasure of early-morning ocean swims. The episode invites listeners to rethink what sound can reveal and to notice the quiet stories hidden in the world around us.Podcast Host: Darice Corey | Senior Director of Web and IT Planning | Yale College Dean’s Office Staff Engagement Committee Co-Chair | Pierson College Fellow Podcast Guest: Dr. Matthew Suttor | Program Manager at Yale’s Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) and Senior Lecturer in Theater, Dance, and Performance StudiesVideo/Podcast Producer: Ryan McEvoy | Yale Broadcast StudiojUTjJYUlRFhWwjOYvlBK