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Watch This Violinist Mesmerize Beluga Whales at Mystic Aquarium

Brightly-lit Beluga swims through dark water, appearing to look directly at the viewer
Mendar Bouchali
/
Unsplash
Beluga whale

Yep, even whales love music. Also in this roundup: talking drums, dog duets, and a previously-undiscovered piece for solo violin.

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:

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 Spanish violinist Manuel Guillén has discovered a previously-unpublished violin piece by Pablo de Sarasate — his only work for solo violin, in fact!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:

Kendall Todd is the Content Manager for GBH Music.