David Teie is a musician (cellist) living in Washington, DC, USA. He is working on a project called "Music for Cats" that produces songs for cats and produces CDs containing those songs.
It is said that cats started living with people about 9,500 years ago (there are various theories). Today, the living environment of cats such as tableware, toilets, and toys has undergone major evolution, and cats can now lead a more comfortable life. But what about music? Isn't the cat still listening to music for humans that isn't comfortable for cats?
Teie's goal is to create music that cats feel comfortable with. According to Teie, cats get a sense of sound by listening to the chirping of birds and the sound of sucking milk. While incorporating these sounds, Teie composes using sounds in the frequency range that cats use in communication. There is a part of the song where you play the harp very fast, for example, but it seems that the speed is the same as the speed at which the cat rumbling in the throat.
According to a recently published treatise in Applied Animal Behavior Science, when cats were asked to listen to Teie's song composed in this way, 77% of the cats surveyed responded positively. That's it.
You can listen to some of the music for cats in the following video. If you have a cat, why not give it a try?
ネコのための音楽、作曲します
By the way, the author is not a cat but a human being, but the rumbling sound in the song echoed comfortably in my ears.
ネコのための音楽、作曲します
Teie is currently looking for investors on the crowdfunding site kickstarter to create a CD containing about 40 minutes of music for cats. With a $ 25 investment, you can get a complete CD. The shipping time is scheduled for February 2016. You can also get the right to download music files with a $ 15 investment.
By the way, unlike Japan and Germany, CD sales and music file download services are becoming obsolete in the United States. Why did Teie come up with the idea of making a CD under these circumstances?
According to Teie, many musicians in the United States have given up on making money from selling songs, and they are making money from selling tickets by performing live in various places. But when it comes to cats, it's difficult to make money live. Even if the cats are brought to the live venue by their owners, I can't imagine what would happen if hundreds of cats met together. But with a CD, the owner can listen to it in the room with the cat. For this reason, Teie explained that he chose the CD, which is now said to be the oldest way to sell songs.