{"id":2112,"date":"2020-01-22T11:30:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T11:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/?p=2112"},"modified":"2021-10-31T17:01:56","modified_gmt":"2021-10-31T17:01:56","slug":"virtuosity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/virtuosity\/","title":{"rendered":"VIRTUOSITY"},"content":{"rendered":"
BY\u00a0KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
Maybe Bobby McFerrin was a house wren (Troglodytes aedon<\/em>) in a previous life.<\/h5>\n
This thought popped into my mind when, after listening to <\/span>On Being\u2019s Krista Tippett interview the singer<\/a><\/span>, I went out for a walk with my canine companion. We hadn\u2019t made it too far down the sunny sidewalk when we were suddenly drenched by a deluge of liquid notes. That vocal tsunami, pouring forth from an entirely disproportional feathered Dixie cup, stopped me in my tracks.<\/h5>\n
Like McFerrin, who is known for fluid, polyphonic singing and quick, oceanic octave jumps, the wren\u2019s song splashed like surf on pavement. I suppose that\u2019s why the synapses in my brain connected the two musicians.<\/h5>\n
\"\"There are definite differences between these gifted songbirds, though.<\/h5>\n
Wrens and other passerines vocalize using an organ called the syrinx<\/em>, positioned where the trachea splits into two bronchial tubes. Each side of the syrinx works independently, so songbirds can produce a sweeping range of notes in fractions of a second, or two different pitches at the same time, or simultaneous rising and falling notes, all without stopping for a breath. Humans, by contrast, vocalize by sending air from the lung into the windpipe, through folds (aka vocal cords) in the larynx,<\/em>\u00a0and out to the throat, nose, and mouth.<\/h5>\n
\"\"Admittedly, McFerrin often sounds as if he has a syrinx but, hard as it is to believe, he\u2019s making all of those notes with the same equipment that came as standard accessories for you and I. It\u2019s just that he\u2019s playing every instrument in the orchestra, and we\u2019re barely pecking out \u201cChopsticks\u201d on a kiddie piano. His ability to switch pitch is unarguably stunning. However, even this virtuoso can\u2019t match the speed of a wren running through the scales.<\/h5>\n
McFerrin has a rich and ever-expanding repertoire that includes pop,\u00a0a capella, <\/em>choral,\u00a0<\/em>classical, spirituals,\u00a0<\/em>and movie scores. Like any jazz artist worthy of the title, he is a master of improvisation, always learning, always expanding his technique, consistently creative and ready to try something new.\u00a0Wrens, on the other hand, may sound like they\u2019re jamming but they\u2019re actually shuffling 12-16 stock syllables\u2026 kind of like a classically trained musician who learned to play from sheet music according to the rules of the conservatory… but wants to sound cool enough to swing.<\/h5>\n
\"\"<\/h5>\n
You see, passerines begin their musical education when they are barely out of the egg, during a development phase known as the critical period<\/em>. Listening to the adult birds around them, the youngsters tune in to the songs and calls of their own species. Once young wrens have left the nest they practice, over and over and over, dialing in the sounds until the song matches the memory. With the exception of mimicking species (e.g., mockingbirds, catbirds, and thrashers), there will be no extemporization. That\u2019s because wrens choose a mate based on the ability to cover \u201ctheir song\u201d note for note. Some bird songs have geographic variations, sort of like regional accents, but\u00a0chicks want a boy who sounds like he\u2019s from the neighborhood<\/a><\/span>, and will pass over anyone who sounds too exotic or experimental.<\/h5>\n
I\u2019m much less discriminating, at least on that score. Bubbling, effervescent singing, whether it\u2019s an improv by McFerrin or a house wren standard, always helps me tune out my worries\u2026 and that makes me happy.<\/h5>\n
NOTE: Depending on your browser, you may be able to play both of the embedded videos below at the same time, allowing Bobby and the house wren to duet!<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n