Elephant music

Subject: Elephant music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 12:34 PM

Fascinating thing on NPR this morning about a CD that some Thai elephants have made, called Temple Music. Apparently there are a whole bunch of uneployed elephants since logging was outlawed, and somebody has been building them percussion and wind instruments. The elephants love to play music, they've learned the various drums and the harmonica of all things, and they will wander around in the forest playing their harmonicas even when they aren't in a group doing the musical thing. Apparently they otherwise don't spontaneously "jam" but if a human points to the instruments, they will start playing, and if told to stop, will keep right on playing. They played several cuts from the album, sounded about as musical as anything on the asian scales sound... it was really pretty! Anyone else hear it? Anyone have any thoughts on it? One thing I was wondering is that since elephants communicate with subsonics (to our ears), wonder what they are perceiving from these bells and stuff... probably nothing to do with what we hear! Anyway, it's musical, so have a thread... and we have a lot of those neuro and other psychological science folks, wonder what their take is...

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: MMario
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 12:56 PM

from dec 23

differnet article

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: campfire
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 01:02 PM

Fascinating. I'll have to pass this along to the elephant keepers at the zoo. We recently lost one of our elephants, and the one that is left is going through an incredible grief period.

Both elephants used to "do art" but they used sidewalk chalk instead of paint. "Lucy", the remaining elephant, was not the most prolific artist, but it seems to give her something to do to take her mind off her loss. Maybe some musical instuments will be equally beneficial.

campfire

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 01:06 PM

Good idea, campfire. Also maybe get her the CD, why not, elephants may be saying something with their music we can't understand... and thanks for those other articles, Mmario! Guess I'm a little late with this news... Although the piece I heard had them really jamming, it's kind of silly (I think) to teach them human songs, I'm more interested in what they compose than in what they can memorize... although I guess, at least, they'll never forget it!

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: campfire
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 01:08 PM

Mrrzy, did it say where to get it? If it did, I missed it.

campfire

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 01:17 PM

It said On Sale Now, so I'd try your local weird music store, and if that fails, try the NPR website, they'll tell you who did the column and you can ask the reporter directly. But if I manage to dig it up I'll post it here. Anyone else?

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: wildlone
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 02:32 PM

I think I would prefer Musical Elephants at Midnight than some of the noises that come from the cars that drive around here at that time of night.
BTW I heard it said that the reason that the Irish wear their caps backwards is so that the little people do not know which way they are facing.
so why does the youth of today wear baseball caps backwards when driving cars?
dave

Subject: RE: Elephant music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Feb 01 - 12:24 PM

So the cops won't know which way to chase them? Or just so that they can have the sun in their eyes anyway?