Tag Archives: Cats

Unique records in RILM Abstracts

Since its launch in October 2009, Bibliolore has become a vibrant platform with over 1,870 posts exploring global music studies. The blog features a diverse range of topics, from Western music to global traditional and popular sounds, often inspired by significant dates, contemporary issues, and the celebration of both renowned and lesser-known musical figures. Interestingly, the blog has also showcased a number of unique outliers over the years highlighting the diversity of topics covered in RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, including animals, insects, and even food. Below are a four examples.

Music for cats (14 November 2012)—Features the compositions of David Teie, who creates music specifically tailored to engage domestic cats. His unique style draws inspiration from feline vocalizations and environmental sounds that capture a cat’s interest, incorporating genres such as kitty ditties, feline airs, and cat ballads.


https://bibliolore.org/2022/08/08/music-for-cats-ii/

Bug music (9 June 2014)–Explores David Rothenburg’s book, which analyzes how the sounds made by insects—such as cicadas and other humming, clicking, or thrumming creatures—may have influenced human rhythm and dance. The post highlights the intriguing connection between these natural sounds and the development of musical rhythm and synchronization in human culture.

https://bibliolore.org/2014/06/09/bug-music/

The Elvis sandwich (19 October 2015)–Celebrates Elvis Presley‘s fondness for the pan-fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, a dish that became almost as iconic as his music. This post chronicles the sandwich’s history in “Southern po’ folks cuisine”, highlighting its cultural significance and connection to Elvis’s legacy.

https://bibliolore.org/2015/10/19/the-elvis-sandwich/

Corn chip music (4 August 2014)–Examines the innovative creation of a musical passage by George Eapen of Frisco, Texas that mirrors the tasting experience of corn chips’ flavor notes. This unique composition is designed to be played while tasting the snack, allowing for a combined sensory experience that enhances both the enjoyment of the music and the food.

https://bibliolore.org/2014/08/04/corn-chip-music/

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Filed under Animals, Food, From the archives

Music for cats

David Teie has composed music for cats, and he has published, along with two colleagues, a report on a scientific study demonstrating this music’s efficacy.

The report presents two examples of Teie’s cat music in counter-balanced order with two examples of human music, and evaluates the behavior and response latencies of cats to each piece.

The cats showed a significant preference for, and interest in, species-appropriate music compared with human music (Median (IQR) 1.5 (0.5-2.0) acts for cat music, 0.25 (0.0-0.5) acts for human music (P<0.002) and responded with significantly shorter latencies (Median (IQR) 110.0 (54-138.75) s for cat music, 171.75 (151-180) s for human music (P<0.001). Younger and older cats were more responsive to cat music than middle-aged acts (cubic trend, r2 = 0.477, P<0.001).

This according to “Cats prefer species-appropriate music” by Teie, Charles T. Snowdon, and Megan Savage (Applied animal behavior science 20 February 2015; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature 2015-1206).

Today is International Cat Day! Below, Teie sketches the background of his music for cats, followed by brief samples.

BONUS: One of our favorite scientific studies of cat behavior is here.

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Filed under Animals, Curiosities, Science

Ry Cooder and Buddy the Cat

In an interview, Ry Cooder recalled the inspiration for his album My name is Buddy.

“Once I was hipped to Buddy the Cat, I knew that’s my guy. He was a mascot of a record store, living up in Vancouver. They found him living in a suitcase in the alley. I said ‘Okay, I’m there. I can go with that and I know what to say.’”

Buddy is the album’s protagonist—a laid-off, disenfranchised cat who is joined by Lefty the Mouse and Reverend Tom Toad as they travel down the Lost Highways, Cardboard Avenues, and Sundown Towns of a bleak, destitute U.S.

“It’s a tip of the hat to the disappearing of the American working man,” Cooder said, “to the neighborhoods, the way of life, the life that people made for themselves, how they worked, what they achieved…No one’s gonna argue with a cat.”

This according to “Three (or four) chords and the truth: The saga of Ry Cooder and a cat named Buddy” by John Kruth (Sing out! LI/3 [autumn 2007] pp. 52–59).

Today is Cooder’s 70th birthday! Above, performing in 2009; below, Three chords and the truth, the album’s centerpiece.

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Filed under Animals, Performers