'A Taste for the Beautiful' - Pied Butcherbird song with Hollis Taylor

Pied butcherbirds are often singled out as one of the most accomplished songbirds in Australia, but this has been largely anecdotal, with scant formal research conducted on them. Violinist/composer Hollis Taylor set out to change this, recording them for months each spring (and a number of autumns as well) since 2005.

Her presentation features audio, video, and photos from her fieldwork. She will explore how the solo and group songs of pied butcherbirds link to the human capacity of music, as documented in her book Is Birdsong Music? Outback Encounters with an Australian Songbird.

Hollis will also review her current research questions and methods (including gear!), as well as play excerpts from her pied butcherbird-based (re)compositions for human musicians.