PRECINCT NEWS
Composing with Birdsong
JULY 2014
Published in Precinct News, this article explored the work of musician and zoomusicologist Dr Hollis Taylor, who has spent eight years studying the vocalizations of the Australian Pied Butcherbird. Dr Taylor records and analyzes the birds’ complex songs, then re-composes them for her musical performances, blending violin with original field recordings of birds, insects, mammals, and humans. The piece highlights her exploration of the aesthetic and functional aspects of birdsong, the uniqueness of each bird’s phrases, and her view of these birds as musical contemporaries, blurring the line between human and animal expression.