Series: ShortcutsPrevious
Next
Index Birdsong: the cure for all ills?Recordings of the dawn chorus are being used to calm children in hospital
(40)Tweet this (92)
Stephen Moss guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 24 August 2010 20.00 BST Article history
The greenfinch is noted for its twittering and wheezing song. Photograph: Alamy
Keats and Shelley certainly knew the power of birdsong, as in their respective odes to a nightingale and skylark. Now medical science has woken up to the therapeutic powers of the dawn chorus. An art project at Liverpool's Alder Hey hospital, using recordings made by children, is being used to calm young patients as they receive injections and other treatments.
The project is the brainchild of Chris Watson. Calling Chris a sound recordist is a bit like saying George Best could kick a ball about, or Michelangelo was handy with a paintbrush. This former stalwart of 80s prog-rock combo Cabaret Voltaire is famous for putting microphones where our ears cannot go: inside a glacier, under the waves, and inside a zebra carcass being eaten by vultures. Click here to read the rest of the story
No comments:
Post a Comment