Interspecies Music

Elephants World, a self-supporting sanctuary in Thailand for special needs and rescued elephants, provides an unexpected studio for making interspecies music.

Until 1989, elephants in Thailand worked for humans in the logging industry. When logging was banned due to deforestation and floods, these animals needed protection. Today, the elephants play in a new way—making music with their human caretakers.

Pause and enjoy this unusual trio. (1 min):

In human interactions, we sometimes feel like we’re talking to a different species. Of course, we’re the one making music while the other person is blaring dissonant, unintelligible sounds.

Yet, if it’s possible for human-elephant connection through music, surely we humans can learn to play better together. What’s a good way to go about this?

Notice what the Elephants World pianist does. He brings his instrument into their habitat. He’s not expecting them to walk into his practice room.

He also lets them be elephants. He’s not trying to convince them to be otherwise, or to make other than elephant trunk sounds.

We don’t have to be of the same genus—or even have the same perspectives—to harmonize. This is what interspecies music can teach us!

The next time you find yourself feeling like an upright piano in a field of trumpeting elephants—stop, and just listen. Look for a way to bring your song and theirs to a higher level of composition.

It won’t work every time, but if you can recognize that you’re playing different instruments, you can step into their world a bit.

Maybe you’ll discover how seemingly dissonant sounds can coexist.

That is living as music.

*********************

If you’d like some support bringing more harmony to your life and work, check this out.