Seriously...

A Sense of Music


Listen Later

Music can make us feel happy and sad. It can compel us to move in time with it, or sing along to a melody. It taps into some integral sense of musicality that binds us together. But music is regimented, organised. That same 'sense' that lets us lean into Beethoven makes a bad note or a missed beat instantly recognisable. But does that same thing happen in the minds of animals? Can a monkey feel moved by Mozart? Will a bird bop to a beat?

Do animals share our 'Sense of Music'?

Charles Darwin himself thought that the basic building blocks of an appreciation for music were shared across the animal kingdom. But over decades of scientific investigation, evidence for this has been vanishingly rare.

Fresh from his revelation that animals' experience of time can be vastly different to our own, in the award-winning programme 'A Sense of Time', presenter Geoff Marsh delves once more into the minds of different species. This time he explores three key aspects of musicality: rhythm, melody and emotional sensitivity.

Geoff finds rhythm is lacking in our closest relatives, the chimpanzees. But it's abundantly clear in a dancing Cockatoo, and internet sensation, named Snowball. He speaks with scientists who have revealed that birds enjoy their own music, but may be listening for something completely different to melody. And Geoff listens to music composed for tamarin monkeys, that apparently they find remarkably relaxing, but which sets us on edge.

In 'A Sense of Music', discover what happens when music meets the animal mind.

Produced by Rory Galloway

Presented by Geoff Marsh

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Seriously...By BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

257 ratings


More shows like Seriously...

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,800 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,512 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,800 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,880 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,866 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,070 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,118 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,977 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

492 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,096 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

488 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

601 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

108 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

46 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

301 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

840 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

64 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

52 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,209 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,041 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

74 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

129 Listeners

When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

When It Hits the Fan

51 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

50 Listeners