November 03, 2005
Bonobos compose music.
With Peter Gabriel, even. To complete the sex/money, drugs/alcohol, rock and roll trifecta (pentecta?) I offer you some evidence that various non-human primates like to compose and listen to music. And it makes them mellow.
More info here, but it seems to be bug-me-not resistant.
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sorry, no mp3 goodness.
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It would follow to think that early man would have made some sort of music as well. But the only problem with this study for that kind of research is that it's H. sapiens putting the ideas in their heads and not the apes/monkeys developing proto-musical theory. In other words, we're not witnessing non-culturally-modified culture. "Savage-Rumbaugh told the apes only that they should use one finger at a time and play the white keys." I.e. "my little monkey pal, please play in the key of C and don't play any chords or you might muck it up." In this case, the only "musicality" they are showing off is rhythm. Try hitting any odd combination of notes on a piano by only striking white keys one at a time and see if you aren't a great primate composer. "Taste" and randomness can be easily confused. [More on animals and rhythm] "In my mind, there is no question that they responded with great musicality and responded musically," said Gabriel, a co-founder of the rock group Genesis. "When I play the tape to other musicians, they are just amazed." I hate to dis Gabriel because his music is good, but that's just hillarious. Redundancy and abject awe. Of course they responded musically if they responded with "musicality" (seing how musicality more or less means the quality of being the quality of music--oooh, pomo!). As well, I think a kinder journalist would have omitted the entire quote following "musicality".
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Great post . . but the use of "pomo" means you must be escorted from the thread by security. I'm sorry, but you know the rules.
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Nooooo! I only know the rules about the rules...
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But do they still need capuchin managers to handle the money side of things?