Bernie Krause's legendary soundscapes uncover nature’s rich sonic tapestry -- along with some unexpected results.
Why you should listen
With a stellar electronic music resumé including work with The Byrds, Stevie Wonder and many others, Bernie Krause is assured a place in the pop culture canon. But Krause continues to make history by capturing the fading voices of nature: studying sonic interplay between species as they attract mates, hunt prey, and sound out their roles in the ecosystem.
Krause’s recordings are not merely travelogues or relaxation tools -- they are critical barometers of global environmental health. His documents of vanishing aural habitats are a chilling reminder of shrinking biodiversity. As he tells the Guardian: "The fragile weave of natural sound is being torn apart by our seemingly boundless need to conquer the environment rather than to find a way to abide in consonance with it."
What others say
[Krause] is high on hippo grunts and insect drones, having spent decades recording and archiving wild soundscapes.
Bernie Krause’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from Bernie Krause
Science
Listen to the haunting impact that humans have had on the natural world
November 10, 2017
Ecologist and musician Bernie Krause has made it his life’s work to record the planet’s vanishing soundscapes. Here’s why we need to tune into the environment.
Continue readingNews
TED News in Brief: Bill Nye joins the cast of “Dancing with the Stars,” Isaac Mizrahi moves on from fashion
September 5, 2013
Bill Nye the Science Guy (watch his TED-Ed lesson) will be joining the cast of “Dancing with the Stars.” New York Magazine says of Nye’s inclusion in the lineup — alongside Snooki, Valerie Harper and Jack Osbourne — that he is “the big get.” How long do we think it will be before he and […]
Continue readingScience
Bernie Krause shares the happiest sounds he’s heard in nature
July 15, 2013
When recording music, it can take days or weeks to get the perfect performances for an album. But when it comes to recording the symphony of nature, the process can take even longer. According to Bernie Krause, a legend in the field of natural soundscapes, it can take 1,000 hours of recording to get just […]
Continue reading