In the late 1960s, two scientists did something no one had ever thought to do before – they dropped a waterproof microphone over the side of their boat and into the sea. What followed was as astonishing as it was beautiful, the discovery of humpback whale song. Philosopher, musician and author Rothenberg will talk about his latest book, which provides a major new exploration of animal music and discuss the mysteries of whales’ music. Unlike bird song, whales’ music is hardly studied and barley understood—90% of their behavior remains unobserved. For example, humpback whales, in any one ocean, sing the same unique song, but they change it, as a group, from week to week, month to month, and year to year.
Rothenberg is the author of Why Birds Sing, which has been published in six languages and turned into a TV documentary by the BBC; Sudden Music; Hand’s End; and Always the Mountains. His articles have appeared in Parabola, Orion, The Nation, Wired, Dwell, Kyoto Journal, and Sierra. Rothenberg is also a composer and jazz clarinetist who has released seven CDs, one of which, On the Cliffs of the Heart, was named one of the top ten releases of 1995 by Jazziz Magazine.
New York City, NY; NYC