Cats That Play Musical Instruments
Miles Davis was one cool cat. Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller ...the list goes on ...they are all musicians who have earned the “cool cat” accolade.
But why “cat”? Where’d that come from? Well, the term “cat” was said to be coined by Jazz musician Louis Armstrong, with its roots steeped in 1940’s Dixieland/New Orleans musician speak.
But going back even further, the term “cat” may have come from actual cats who could play musical instruments. The first recorded history of an actual cat musician goes back as far as ancient Greece with 'Frolic the Great', house cat to the legendary Alexander the Great. Frolic was chosen specifically for his extraordinary ability to play the kithara, a string like instrument in the lyre family more commonly known today as the guitar, which is the modern day word derived from kithara.
Whether the ability and talent for this remarkable phenomenon was somehow inherent to the feline species or a learned accomplishment, is still a mystery. There are no indications that other members of the species (cheetahs, pumas, jaguars, leopards, lions, lynx and tigers) possess this capability. It only shows up in domestic cats.
What do they know that we don’t?
Some dogs have been known to whistle, but that ability has evolved into more of a human trait. Now, whistling is a commonly used signal by a human for a dog to come. Human lips have evolved over the ages into a better vehicle for whistling than the lips of a dog which now, as an undeveloped musical instrument, are used mainly to slobber which is a useless and sometimes annoying and unsanitary trait in many breeds.
And of course, birds “sing” musically, which is more of a whistle or “tweet”, similar to the tweeting of the current and infamous President of the United States Donald J. Trump. But that is a separate issue relegated to a very specific species breed to be discussed at another time. However “singing” may become an even more popular term as Special Counsel Robert Muller squeezes presidential cohorts like Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen for answers and the truth.
As far as other species in the animal kingdom being musically inclined to the advanced level of actually playing a wind, string or percussion instrument, there have been a few, but the cats, the felines, far outnumber the rest in all categories including dexterity, rhythm, and perseverance. There is also an element of ego involved, an aloofness not present in other species. However, the aloof nature of a cat should not be mistaken as a social statement of preference of isolation. Cats like to “jam”. Scientists attribute this natural tendency to “jam” as the basis of a cat's innate ability or desire to socialize which results in an advanced need to communicate, and this is done, intrinsically, through music.
Other cats who have become famous in elite musical circles but virtually unknown to the general public include Ralph “Boom Boom” Mulligan. Boom Boom was a Tabby percussionist, a drummer, and was said to have marched in the first St. Patrick’s Day in New York City in 1762. Ralph is credited with the invention of the double paradiddle and the double drag tap, both essential drum rudiments.
Ollie “Cheeks” Samborini was a Main Coon Cat who played trumpet with an uncanny resemblance to the style of Dizzy Gillespie. This virtuoso feline was an improviser back in the mid 1860’s with a unique style of the pouched cheeks and bent horn. Ollie, indeed a musical phenomenon, was owned by a West Virginia farmer and went missing during the Civil War, never to be heard from again.
Perhaps the most famous of the “unknown” feline musicians is Wally “Walleye” Wayne. Wally was blind, but he played piano like no other “cat” could. His dexterity on the keyboard and sense of rhythm baffles music aficionados to this day. Wally was a British Shorthair who mysteriously disappeared during the 1940 London Blitz.
So, keep your eyes, and ears, open for talent. You may have the next feline Frederic Chopin sitting on your lap right now.
As stated previously, however, not all cats are musically inclined. It’s a special talent that seems to be most prevalent in domesticated house cats. Maybe even yours. This may have something to do with acoustics. It probably has more to do with the ability and the time required to practice.
Either way, it’s still April, and April Fools’ Day is still in play.
“Play it again, Sam” .....
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762
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