David Rothenberg
David Rothenberg
Distinguished Professor, Humanities & Social Sciences
318 Cullimore Hall (CULM)
About Me
David Rothenberg wrote Why Birds Sing, Bug Music, Survival of the Beautiful and many other books, published in at least eleven languages. He investigates the musicality of animals and the role of nature in philosophy.
Education
Ph.D.; Boston University; ; 1991
B.A.; Harvard College; ; 1984
B.A.; Harvard College; ; 1984
Website
2025 Spring Courses
COM 381 - ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN PRACTICE
STS 403 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
STS 403 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
Teaching Interests
interspecies music, environmental philosophy, philosophy of technology, music technology, globalization, medical ethics
Past Courses
EPS 660: ETHICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
HSS 403: HUMANITIES SENIOR SEMINAR - LITERATURE
HSS 403: LIT SEM:
HSS 403: LIT SEM: ART AND EXPERIENCE
HSS 403: LIT SEM: LITERATURE OF MUSIC
HSS 403: LIT SEM: MUSIC,PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE
HSS 408: STS SEM:
HSS 491: HONORS SEM IN HUMANITIES
HUM 102: WRITING, SPEAKING, THINKING II
PHIL 351: BIOMEDICAL ETHICS-HONORS
STS 257: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY I
STS 257: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY I HONORS
STS 258: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY II
STS 308: GLOBALIZATION
STS 308: TECH & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
STS 325: ST:
STS 325: ST: THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS
STS 325: ST:SOUND DESIGN FOR VIDEO
STS 347: INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC
STS 347: MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY
STS 349: ADVANCED MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
STS 349: ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN PRACTICE
STS 490: PROJECT & SEMINAR I
STS 491: PROJECT & SEMINAR II
HSS 403: HUMANITIES SENIOR SEMINAR - LITERATURE
HSS 403: LIT SEM:
HSS 403: LIT SEM: ART AND EXPERIENCE
HSS 403: LIT SEM: LITERATURE OF MUSIC
HSS 403: LIT SEM: MUSIC,PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE
HSS 408: STS SEM:
HSS 491: HONORS SEM IN HUMANITIES
HUM 102: WRITING, SPEAKING, THINKING II
PHIL 351: BIOMEDICAL ETHICS-HONORS
STS 257: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY I
STS 257: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY I HONORS
STS 258: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY II
STS 308: GLOBALIZATION
STS 308: TECH & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
STS 325: ST:
STS 325: ST: THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS
STS 325: ST:SOUND DESIGN FOR VIDEO
STS 347: INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC
STS 347: MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY
STS 349: ADVANCED MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
STS 349: ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN PRACTICE
STS 490: PROJECT & SEMINAR I
STS 491: PROJECT & SEMINAR II
Research Interests
interspecies communication, music and technology, environmental philosophy, human computer musical interfaces
Chapter
David B. Rothenberg. 2023. “Undersound.” In Hanna Mattes (Eds.), Take Me to That LandscapeBerlin, Germany: Living Stone Publishing, 2023.
David B. Rothenberg. 2021. “Among the Nightingales.” In Etienne Turpin (Eds.), These Birds of Temptation pp. pp. 13-25. Berlin, Germany: K Verlag, 2021.
David B. Rothenberg. 2019. “Zoo, Sound, Silence.” In Marion Laval-Jeantet (Eds.), No Man's Land pp. pp. 127-137. Paris, France: Editions CQFD, 2019.
David B. Rothenberg. 2019. “The Body Speaks Whale.” In Edwin Torres (Eds.), The Body in Language pp. pp. 83-90. Denver, CO, USA: Counterpath Press, 2019.
David B. Rothenberg. 2017. “Improvisation and the Image: What Graphic Notation Is For.” pp. pp. 8-13. Woodstock, NY, US: Byrdcliffe Guild, 2017.
David B. Rothenberg. 2021. “Among the Nightingales.” In Etienne Turpin (Eds.), These Birds of Temptation pp. pp. 13-25. Berlin, Germany: K Verlag, 2021.
David B. Rothenberg. 2019. “Zoo, Sound, Silence.” In Marion Laval-Jeantet (Eds.), No Man's Land pp. pp. 127-137. Paris, France: Editions CQFD, 2019.
David B. Rothenberg. 2019. “The Body Speaks Whale.” In Edwin Torres (Eds.), The Body in Language pp. pp. 83-90. Denver, CO, USA: Counterpath Press, 2019.
David B. Rothenberg. 2017. “Improvisation and the Image: What Graphic Notation Is For.” pp. pp. 8-13. Woodstock, NY, US: Byrdcliffe Guild, 2017.
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Book Review
“Why the Mountains Are Black”
The Wire, August 2023.
“Alien Listening”
The Wire, February 2022.
“Rainforest V by David Tudor”
The Wire, June 2015.
“Not the Same as It Ever Was”
Globe and Mail, September 2012.
“Why We Need Music”
Globe and Mail, November 2010.
The Wire, August 2023.
“Alien Listening”
The Wire, February 2022.
“Rainforest V by David Tudor”
The Wire, June 2015.
“Not the Same as It Ever Was”
Globe and Mail, September 2012.
“Why We Need Music”
Globe and Mail, November 2010.
Journal Article
David B. Rothenberg. 2023. “Pond Sound Mystery.” Echo, no. 5.
David B. Rothenberg, Tina Roeske, David E Gammon. 2021. “Mockingbird Morphing Music: Structured Transitions in a Complex Bird Song.” Frontiers in Psycology, no. May 4, 2021.
David B. Rothenberg. 2018. “Spider Music.” Performing Arts Journal, MIT Press, no. 118, pp. pp. 31-36.
David B. Rothenberg. 2017. “The Point is to Change It.” Brill, pp. 1-17.
David B. Rothenberg, Eathan Janney, Hollis Taylor, Constance Scharff, Ofer Tchernichovski, Lucas Parra. 2016. “Temporal regularity increases with repertoire complexity in the Australian pied butcherbird's song.” Royal Society Open Science.
David B. Rothenberg, Tina Roeske, David E Gammon. 2021. “Mockingbird Morphing Music: Structured Transitions in a Complex Bird Song.” Frontiers in Psycology, no. May 4, 2021.
David B. Rothenberg. 2018. “Spider Music.” Performing Arts Journal, MIT Press, no. 118, pp. pp. 31-36.
David B. Rothenberg. 2017. “The Point is to Change It.” Brill, pp. 1-17.
David B. Rothenberg, Eathan Janney, Hollis Taylor, Constance Scharff, Ofer Tchernichovski, Lucas Parra. 2016. “Temporal regularity increases with repertoire complexity in the Australian pied butcherbird's song.” Royal Society Open Science.
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Magazine/Trade Publication
“Do Whales Have Culture?”
Nautilus, June 2023.
“Mockingbirds Are Better Musicians Than We Thought”
Scientific American, June 2021.
“Emerging from Darkness: Why I Make Music with Cicadas”
New York Times, May 2021.
“Whale Songs Decoded”
National Geographic, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2021.
“This Rescue Moose Was Also 2020”
New York Times, January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2021.
“My Big Night Out Playing With the Nightingales of Berlin”
Pacific Standard, December 2015.
“Survival of the Prettiest”
New Statesman, March 2012.
Nautilus, June 2023.
“Mockingbirds Are Better Musicians Than We Thought”
Scientific American, June 2021.
“Emerging from Darkness: Why I Make Music with Cicadas”
New York Times, May 2021.
“Whale Songs Decoded”
National Geographic, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2021.
“This Rescue Moose Was Also 2020”
New York Times, January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2021.
“My Big Night Out Playing With the Nightingales of Berlin”
Pacific Standard, December 2015.
“Survival of the Prettiest”
New Statesman, March 2012.
Book
David B. Rothenberg. 2023. “Whale Music.” Cambridge, MA, USA: Terra Nova Press / MIT Press, 2023. ISBN 9781949597257.
David B. Rothenberg. 2022. “Invisible Mountains.” Cold Spring, NY, USA: Terra Nova Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1949597318.
David B. Rothenberg, Stephen Nachmanovitch. 2021. “From This World, Another.” 104 pp. Cold Spring, NY, USA: Terra Nova Editions, 2021. ISBN 978-1-949597-24-0 .
David B. Rothenberg. 2020. “Stadt der Nachtigallen.” 255 pp. Berlin, Germany: Rowohlt, 2020. ISBN 978-3-498-00156-8 .
David B. Rothenberg. 2020. “The Possibility of Reddish Green.” 191 pp. Cambridge, MA, USA: Terra Nova / MIT Press, 2020. ISBN 9781949597073.
David B. Rothenberg. 2022. “Invisible Mountains.” Cold Spring, NY, USA: Terra Nova Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1949597318.
David B. Rothenberg, Stephen Nachmanovitch. 2021. “From This World, Another.” 104 pp. Cold Spring, NY, USA: Terra Nova Editions, 2021. ISBN 978-1-949597-24-0 .
David B. Rothenberg. 2020. “Stadt der Nachtigallen.” 255 pp. Berlin, Germany: Rowohlt, 2020. ISBN 978-3-498-00156-8 .
David B. Rothenberg. 2020. “The Possibility of Reddish Green.” 191 pp. Cambridge, MA, USA: Terra Nova / MIT Press, 2020. ISBN 9781949597073.
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Broadcast Media
“Breathe. Earth”
Terra Nova Music, July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2022.
“Faultlines”
Rattle, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2021.
“In the Wake of Memories”
Clermont Music, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2020.
“They Say Humans Exist”
Oslo Sessions Recordings, September 2020.
“Homages”
Terra Nova, December 2019.
“Nightingales in Berlin: The Film”
Playart Productions, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2019.
Terra Nova Music, July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2022.
“Faultlines”
Rattle, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2021.
“In the Wake of Memories”
Clermont Music, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2020.
“They Say Humans Exist”
Oslo Sessions Recordings, September 2020.
“Homages”
Terra Nova, December 2019.
“Nightingales in Berlin: The Film”
Playart Productions, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2019.
Other
“Tablatun”
April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2019.
“Nightingale Cities”
February 2019.
“Bird Saw Buchla”
Clang, August 2018.
“Red Mountain, Gold Mountain”
Terra Nova Music, July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2018.
“Grenseland”
Drolehåla Music, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2018.
April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2019.
“Nightingale Cities”
February 2019.
“Bird Saw Buchla”
Clang, August 2018.
“Red Mountain, Gold Mountain”
Terra Nova Music, July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2018.
“Grenseland”
Drolehåla Music, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2018.
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Newspaper
“How to Make Music with a Whale”
New York Times, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2014.
New York Times, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2014.
Translation or Transcription
“Is It Painful to Think published in Korean”
Korean Book Service, May 2010.
Korean Book Service, May 2010.