David Rothenberg is a writer, philosopher, ecologist, and musician, speaking out
for nature in all aspects of his diverse work. He investigates the musicality of
animals and the role of nature in philosophy, with a particular interest in
understanding other species by making music with them. His book 'Why Birds Sing:
A Journey into the Mystery of Bird Song,' was inspired by an impromptu duet in
March 2000 with a laughingthrush.His next book, 'Thousand Mile Song', reflects
similar curiosity about whale sounds considered as music, from which both
scientific and artistic insights emerge.
A reviewer in The London Telegraph said of the book, "while Rothenberg's
madcap mission to play jazz to the whales seems as crazy as Captain Ahab's
demented hunt for the great White Whale, it is sometimes such obsessions that
reveal inner truths..."
In the following excerpt, Rothenberg describes the nightingale colonies of
Berlin, and the unique experience of improvising with a feathered
collaborator.
