Can Animals Save Classical Music?

Scandinavian Cello School performing for an enthralled audience.

A lot of fun responses to my last blog on singing (or howling) dogs! People sent stories and pics of cats, dogs, and even deer that love to listen to them play. Every year we read classical music is dying. Have we just been overlooking our most receptive audience?

Cows, for instance. An article in the NY Times last April— When the Cellos Play, the Cows Come Home— described an unusual concert in a barn in Denmark where a cello ensemble had an unusual, but highly discerning audience. Cellist Johannes Gray noted, “It’s actually nice playing for cows,” said Gray. “We saw it in rehearsal — they really do come over to you. And they have preferences. Did you see how they all left at one point? They’re not really Dvorak fans.”

Then there is Ampan, the 80 year old blind elephant in Thailand who listens with rapt attention, gently flapping his ears to classical music. This will touch your heart.

Finally, might we eventually hear an animal orchestra performing Beethoven and Mahler? This dog, for instance, already can improvise a very convincing aria: