Composer and cellist David Teie has launched a new album of his own compositions designed for a rather unusual audience: cats. Music for Cats is the result of research Teie has undertaken to found out what sounds certain species enjoy.
His theory states that cats develop an intuitive biological response to sounds they hear in their early development – sounds like birds’ chirping and their mother’s purr. He has worked on species-specific music for the past decade, and funded the album through a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The album’s five tracks contain feline-centric sounds that match the hearing range of cats. A study by the University of Wisconsin found that ‘cats showed a significant preference for and interest in’ the Music for Cats tracks. Song titles include Lolo’s Air, Katey Moss Catwalk and Simon Says.
Teie has been principal cellist at San Francisco Symphony since 1999. He played lead cello on Metallica’s album S&M, and was music director of Eclipse Chamber Orchestra from 2014-16.
Music for Cats also helps raise money for charity, with a portion of the proceeds going to support the Paw Project.
