The authors of the new book Animal Music: Sound and song in the Natural World (Strange Attractor Press) recently got in touch with us. The book sounds really interesting. We’re going to have a chat with them, but in the meantime this is what their press release says:
“Can animals talk? What meaning does their song convey? Will we ever be able to understand them? The idea of complex animal sentience has been gaining strength within the scientific community. A growing number of researchers and academics are exploring the idea that animals enjoy music on a similar level to human beings. Animal Music: sound and song in the natural world is…the first anthology on the subject, tackling the debate of animal sentience from a musical perspective.
The authors spoke to leading scientists, researchers and musicians in the field to uncover hidden meanings and new perspectives. From the biggest library for animal sounds in the world, to the mysterious sound world of shrimps and the secret language of the prairie dog, Animal Music is an important contribution to the debate, lending weight to the argument that animals possess emotional profundity and the ability to enjoy music.
Animal Music: sound and song in the natural world will come with a CD curated by the world’s leading label for field recordings, Gruenrekorder, with contributions that extend beyond the content of the book, featuring a range of animal sounds and song captured by the likes of Francisco López, Jez Riley French and an exclusive piece by field recording legend Walter Tilgner.”
Animal Music: Sound and song in the Natural World (Strange Attractor Press) is out now.
