….. and they’re not in receipt of lessons paid for by the public purse! Why? To optimise motor control in the face of ageing and injury, according to an article on Science Daily.

What was interesting from the point of view of music cognition is the idea that the birds, like most of us, require audio confirmation of their output. By modern computer trickery, the birds were led to believe that tiny details of their song had changed and they modulated their output accordingly. Most ensemble players, and especially singers will be aware of this phenomenon - a whole choir is more likely to go flat than only a certain percentage. However, when interference ceased, the birds returned to the original version learned in, and honed since their youth.

Interestingly, removed from the primary purpose of the song (wooing potential mates) the birds were a little more adventurous and experimental in their singing. However, they usually returned to a verbatim reading in the presence of potential mates. I wonder if Jamie Cullum is aware that the spirit of jazz may be losing him dates?

Categories: Early Years, Music, Science