Why Birds Sing: A Journey Into the Mystery of Bird Song

Rothenberg writes with an easy intimacy, but if one takes him at his word, the intimacy that means most to him comes not by means of words but of music, and less by means of music as such than by an improvisatory exchange between, usually, himself on his clarinet, and someone else on whatever instrument the other person is using.Given this driving urge, it seems inevitable that Rothenberg should want to cross the barrier between those most musical of creatures, the birds, and those with the most productive curiosity, the humans. His own curiosity leads him first to the birds and then to the human experts in birdsong. He gives vivid descriptions of these researchers' extraordinary devotion to their work. I especially enjoyed his description of the ability of the composer Olivier Messiaen to hear, transcribe, and whistle the complex songs of a bird he had never heard before.Although, like a few of the researchers - Donald Kroodsma, for example - Rothenberg believes in the innate pleasure birds take in their song, he checks his intuitive sense of their muisicality by carefully summarizing what is scientifically known about their abilities and ways of life. Yet even though he takes to heart the criticism that the romantics "listened to birds and heard only themselves," he recalls that science, too, is fallible, and he plays on the ornithologists' conclusion that not only is each species of birds unique, but so is every individual bird. "Why Birds Sing" ends in the climactic scene in which Rothenberg and a friend go to Australia to hear, see the dance of, and try to enter into a musical dialogue with the lyrebird named George, the only member, he says, of his elusive, musically gifted species who can stomach the sight and sound of human beings. The bird lights to sing just a few meters from Rothenberg's tape recorder. He hears that the lyrebird's song is composed but alien, in a human sens crazy, music. After he hears a full cycle of the lyrebird's music, he joins in, dancing, not to copy the bird's song, but to play music, in and around the song, that is worthy of the bird's acceptance. The bird seems to respond to the clarinet, dances, and disappears. Rothenberg develops this last, climactic chapter, which he calls "Becoming a Bird," with thoughtful eloquence. He feels he has given his gift and made his human offering to an animal of another singing species. But his gift is also to all of us who read him.

This book is not only for birders -- I would not even say it is mainly for birders. This book is first and foremost a book that would be appreciated by musicians. The author, as a musician, is driven by a passion for music and the need to make music, and his underlying question is, if we human musicians can have such a drive to make music and to take pleasure in the beauty of the music that we make, why should we think that other music-making species do not have the same need and drive to make music for the pleasure and beauty of it? Certainly birdsong has established practical reasons, attracting mates and defending territory, but birdsong is much more elaborate and beautiful than it needs to be for that purpose, and there are other reasons that those traditional explanations are not adequate to explain why birds make music. Anyone who has had a pet bird can recognize that birds simply love music. I recommend this book as a gift to any musician who will resonate with the sense that birds, like human musicians, make music "because they can, and because they must."

I was looking for an intact copy of this book that included the accompanying cd described on the cover. Not only was the price right, but the book was in excellent condition with the cd included. A wow! experience for someone who likes buying used books!

Great book, references scientific research as well as aesthetic qualities of many song birds and non-song birds bringing the two realms of reasoning to somewhat of a compromise. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know why birds sing.

I purchased this as a gift after hearing a companion on insects on NPR. The receiver said that he liked it - it was unusual.

Almost like a new book. Nice price.

I bought what I assumed was a new book as a gift. There was supposed to be a cd enclosed in the back cover envelope and to my dismay, when the gift was opened, there was none. This, of course is no reflection on the other contents of the book.

Great book. It was a pleasure to read. The breadth of sources the author consults and clearly understands and appreciates is amazing. He mentions, "Over the last five years I have read far too much." Thank you. :)

quick servoice

Excellent

Excellent

I bought this book after reading Rothenberg's book on bug music. If I had read this one first I would have given it five stars, but I am only giving it four because there is some repetitiveness between the two books.Rothenberg's main thesis in both books is that bugs and birds actually create music. he demonstrates this in a number of ways. First in a general sense we perceive bug and bird song AS song. Second he shows mow much human music has been influenced by birds and bugs, and third, and this is what I found most interesting, when he takes his sax or clarinet into nature, and plays along with birds, and bugs, they alter their songs to respond to his playing, actually proving that birds and bugs do make real music.He talks about how bird songs are a combination of innate and learned sounds and how these learned sounds can be altered to fit new situations.Fascinating stuff. recommended to all nature lovers and music lovers. And the accompanying CD is also great.

Saggio affascinante sul significato biologico ed etologico del canto degli uccelli, innato o appreso. Molto interessante sia per studiosi che per appassionati.