Saturday question #2: Animals & Music
Written on February 14, 2009 in Saturday Questions & with 11 responses
Tags: animals, cats, music, saturday question
So, last week, we discussed music videos that exist only in our mind for now, moved by the guy who was brave and skilled enough to make his own video for Central. That discussion is still open and it will be for a couple months more, so feel free to have a look if you haven't done so before.
This week, we had a quite interesting discussion on the board started by Mary (repeatmonday); based on a couple of stories involving, well, John and cats and then there were many other cats and many other stories, including the anecdote from recording The Heart Is A Drum Machine and the last video clip on this page.
And it is widely known, as in the case of this beautiful feline the videos of which are quite a sensation, some cats have actual talent for playing music!
[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw]
You can see more of Nora the cat here and here.
Eric Satie also composed whole pieces for his cats. You can read some interesting things about him here (thanks amourfou for the tip!).
So...this week's question: Do animals, cats in particular, feel music? Do you think your animals have specific reactions to certain types of music? Care to share a story, video or a photo?
11 Reactions to Saturday question #2: Animals & Music
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Heh, this will sound weird, but a few months ago while at the community college I had about an hour of free time before my next class. I drove to the far end of the school parking lot where there are no cars or people, but a few trees. I rolled down the car windows and began playing some fairly loud music, and eventually, Control by John came on. The weird part is, between every lull in the song, the birds in the trees would begin to caw. The first few times I thought it was a coincidence, but they would be silent during the heavy moments, and then without fail begin cawing during the lulls.
So, it was a strange and fun moment. I was the only one around, and I never tried re-creating it, but at that moment it seemed like they were responding to the music. It lasted a good while as well, not just once or twice during the song. Whether they were truly responding, I don't know, but it was nice none the less.
Oh, I see the question was cats in particular, but I thought I'd share anyway. I don't have any cat-music stories
Birds are amazing, I used to have one of my own, but he died two months ago. Of course this is a story worth hearing.
that's really cool, homuzu, i had a similar experience with a squirrel. i noticed it squawking (or whatever sound squirrels make) at me when i was playing my guitar outside one day, and i started just playing short quick strums -- and it began echoing me. i sped up and slowed down, and it stayed perfectly in rhythm the whole time, just staring at me and "singing"! i don't know if it was a defensive response or what, but at any rate the squirrel was definitely aware of me and the instrument.
Nice story about control. My cat just runs to the farthest corner of my house when I play loud music. But when I play something slower, and at a quieter volume, say... Curtains, then he comes and sits on my lap which he usually doesn't do while I'm on the computer. Cats do love high voices! I think he likes the pitch, not the music. I think animals are more into the sound, just being a sound, then in the musical aspect.
my cat likes lou reed, elliott smith and the first 2 frusci albums (and satie)
no need to say he has good taste...
once i had to bring a sonic youth album (goodbye 20 century) back to the recordstore because my cat went mental on this music. i told the guy at the recordstore that i had to bring the cd back because my cat was about to attack the speakers...
Well, I don't have a cat but I have an amazing mutt named Muzzy. Muzzy is very picky in her music choices. She often exits the room or buries her head under something if she doesn't want to hear it. She prefers Harry Nilsson, early Bowie (The only Bowie I listen to), and anything anyone will sing to her. She loves to be sung to, particularly if you sing her something with her name involved in it.
She also LOVES when John Frusciante sings in his falsetto. I've shown friends her reaction to it. The second his voice goes very high an enormous panting smile comes on her face. It's really very sweet.
I grew up with lovebirds, one of them liked James Brown and the other liked the Beatles.
The one who liked James Brown used to bob his head up and down when the music played. The one who liked the Beatles used to climb onto her swing in her cage when I played "We Can Work it Out".
I completely believe animals respond and pay attention to music. Sorry, no cat stories though.
Love birds are so beautiful. But I could never guess a couple of them would like two different things. I always thought they'd be completely synchronised and guess I was wrong!
My budgerigar loved John's music and he had a thing for classic, especially Chopin. But on the other side, he had problems with RHCP, he'd start pushing things and squaking like mad at Can't Stop and Hump De Bump...and if I can remember well, he had an even worse reaction to Christina Aguilera's song The Voice Within when he was still a chick.
My Dad plays blues piano and back when he lived with us and would play my dog Dakota would sit under the piano and howl and sing along to his playing. I witnessed this as a kid and it totally blew me away to hear my dog howling for the first time, and to music no less. Then i started to play the saxophone and every once in awhile depending on the song he would sing along when I would play. He also is a really big fan of Van Morrison when the volume is up loud.
I can't explain why he sings to certain music than others. But it does seem the volume has something to do with it. He really likes good soul singers also. Again it has to be loud to reach his music loving soul.
I have a lovebird, whose name is Pepper. He really loves Ataxia. Everytime I put on that music he just sits there, staring in the distance. He also had a funny reaction to the Light part in Dark/Light, I think because of the drum machine. Today he started squawking at some melodic metal, so I guess he's not really into that...
He responds most to my own guitar playing. He just sits there and listens and at quiet moments he gives me sign of appreciation, I think... He's a wonderful little bird and I love him!! =D
when i was little i remember going to my friends house
and his dad pullled out his saxaphone and told us to listen to the dogs,,sure enough the dogs started howling when he played..it was willdd