Delightful music to ellie ears

KNYSNA NEWS - The ellies that call the Knysna Elephant Park (KEP) home were recently treated to something special when traditional Irish flautist Eimear McGeown spent some time at the park.

Armed with six different instruments, McGeown serenaded the elephants over a period of three weeks in November.

Over and above the incredible hearing ability of their large ears, elephants are also believed to pick up resonation through the ground via bone conduction to the bones of the inner ear.

They are thus able to pick up vibrations that far outclass our own sense of hearing. At KEP, the African Elephant Research Unit (AERU) has been conducting research on how elephants perceive and react to audio enrichment of different genres of music.

An Irish love for elephants

McGeown has a great love for elephants and is a consistent volunteer with AERU and is thrilled to have had the chance to play for her favourite animals. "I have always been very passionate about both elephants and playing flute since childhood, and am delighted to be able to combine the two," she said.

During her November visit, McGeown brought six instruments - the traditional Irish flute made from African Blackwood and five other Irish whistles made of a mixture of metal and woods.

These different instruments have different frequencies and tones and she therefore experimented with them to see if the elephants react more to the lower or higher frequencies.

Eimear McGeown always had interest from the elephants while out in the fields playing the flute.

First elephant encounters

In the first experience, the elephants were introduced to the flutes from the comfort of their camps. "Four of the elephants showed initial visible curiosity and one of the elephants called Thandi came to stand close for a while and absorbed the experience," said KEP volunteer coordinator Jarrett Joubert.

"This inspired me to compose a tune which is now titled Thandi's Waltz," said McGeown. "I hadn't composed anything for a couple of years because Covid-19 restrictions meant I couldn't tour, so I had lost a lot of my inspiration. It felt so great to have my creativity reactivated naturally and by my favourite animal!"

Thereafter for most evenings of her stay, McGeown could be found playing for the elephants at their night camps.

AERU spent some sessions documenting some of these special musical encounters, but unfortunately three weeks did not offer sufficient time to make any substantial scientific findings.

Eimear McGeown attracted interest from multiple ellies as she roamed amongst them playing the flute.

Other elephant experiences

Playing flute for the herd while out in the field provided the opportunity for the interested elephants to interact with what they were hearing. Thato was very curious and twice decided she wanted to get close and investigate the instrument. McGeown reflects on her experience.

"I can honestly say this was one of the happiest moments of my life. I couldn't believe how curious and comfortable she was to interact with me, I felt like I was on cloud nine!"

McGeown expressed her gratitude to KEP, and intends to return for more too. "My plan is to return to do further research with proper equipment to monitor the elephants to see if music can be therapeutic," she said.

Joubert said they are delighted with Eimear's enthusiasm and commitment in playing her flutes as a form of live musical enrichment for the herd.

"Although it is not possible to deduce any scientific results from such a short period, it clearly provided a stimulating new experience of which the more curious elephants took full advantage to investigate. We look forward to continuing this journey and learning more about the impacts music may have on elephants."

Eimear McGeown roamed amongst the elephants while playing the flute.