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What happens when a philosopher and musician listens to the world — and then plays back?

David Rothenberg is a clarinetist, composer, and philosopher at the New Jersey Institute of Technology whose groundbreaking work explores the deep connections between music, sound, and the natural world. He’s performed live with birds, whales, and insects, written classic books like Why Birds Sing and Thousand Mile Song, and appeared in the film The Loneliest Whale.

In this fascinating conversation with Scott Harris, David shares stories of:
🌊 Playing clarinet alongside humpback whales and laughing thrushes
🎶 The strange beauty of whale songs — and why some scientists call it “evolution’s music”
🐋 The 1960s discovery that changed how the world sees whales
🧠 Animal consciousness, emotion, and the mystery of beauty in evolution
💡 How AI, art, and philosophy all intersect in the music of the natural world

It’s an episode that moves between art and science — reminding us that to listen deeply is to rediscover wonder itself.

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