Oh, wow!

Daniel Levitin of McGill, one of the world's premier cognitive music
researchers just asked out permission to use a clip of Telemna playing
her four note piano on his website

http://www.brainonmusic.com/

I guess that means we have to tell the FML, despite that ancient carpet
being an embarrassment. LOL!

We do *not* know when it will appear on the website, but I have to be
away soon to help two 93 year old relatives, one my dad who is not well
and one my step-mom, and Steve, who will remain home, does not have
time to check the FML. Rather than forget it might be better to mention
early and ask you to realize that we don't have any idea when it will
appear, so please be patient.

Forgive the carpet in the short clip: it is the old carpet that we
could not afford to replace due to needing the money for ferret and
human family health needs. I've mentioned it before. This year we are
actually going to be able to replace flooring. On top of that carpet
being rated for 6 years but lasting us 22 years we had a ferret with
lymphoma of the spinal cord and incontinence of urine and feces who did
a number on it every day and night during the extra quality months we
were able to get her happy and comfy with steroids and a gentle opiate.
We figured she was much more important than the carpet and I know
you'll agree! We wore out two carpet steamers on the carpet! In
addition, there had been a game of "drag the food dish" just before
so food is scattered around. Even though most things on the floor are
where ferrets decided they should be, the big scale is there because
the ferrets like to force the base to jiggle on it's balances and then
they "ride" it, so we moved it to that room so that they could play
with it whenever they want.

We've had many ferrets who like music but Telemna is the first composer
we've had among the ferrets. Steve has spent months getting Telemna to
agree to forget he is there and play with him present. Then he spent
weeks getting her used to the camera. This is the first recording we
have managed to get, but she DOES play longer pieces and better pieces
so we hope to record more. Wish us luck in having her soon allow a
longer recording of her music.

In addition, she loves feeling music through her hands and nose so will
try notes and place a hand or her nose tip on the bars on top of the
piano. Telemna also likes feeling speakers when music is played and has
caught claws in the metal mesh of some little speakers we have for my
ipod.

A third music quirk of hers is that she loves Liza Minelli show toons.
We learned that when I was playing a Broadway tunes DVD in a
neighboring room and Telemna began playing riffs and changing her tempo
along with the music. I am hoping that preference lasts because I would
love to record her doing that, too.

Yesterday we learned that three of our ferrets enjoy listening to
"Holla Back, Girl", BTW.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5629]