1. What does a spiderweb sound like? Researchers have found a way to "sonify" the fractal-like patterns found in webs, and, as one YouTube commenter wrote, "I can actually imagine this being used as the background music in a spider's lair."
2. West African "talking drums," or dùndún, have been found to replicate speech with a remarkable level of detail, according to new research. Musicologist Cecilia Durojaye said, "The talking drum is unique in that it has a foot in both language and music camps, and because its existence reminds us of the thin boundary between speech and music." Here's a demonstration:
3. This dog went viral for his operatic howl, and inspired a ton of duets by fellow TikTok musicians. Here's the original:
This is Nikolas. He’s an opera singer. Wanted to give everyone a little sample of what he’s been working on. 14/10 pic.twitter.com/aJ1PmmbhRL
— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) August 9, 2021
And here's where to watch the duets.
4. Visit the Italian forest where luthiers and other instrument makers find their prized "resonance wood" — which is currently under threat from climate change and a destructive bark beetle.
5. Spanish violinist Manuel Guillén has discovered a previously-unpublished violin piece by Pablo de Sarasate — his only work for solo violin, in fact! Here Guillén is performing it:
6. Violinist Big Lux recently visited Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium — to serenade the beluga whales! They were mesmerized:
