Songs for Unusual Creatures

Songs for Unusual Creatures: The Easter Bilby?

March 20, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

In this week’s episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures, host Michael Hearst introduces us to the bilby, a small marsupial that is a popular alternative to the Easter bunny in Australia.

Songs for Unusual Creatures: Chinese Giant Salamander

March 7, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

The Chinese Giant Salamander is the world’s largest amphibian and is, well, really big. In this episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures, host Michael Hearst teaches us a bit more about this very unusual creature and plays some very unusual instruments in unusual places.

Songs for Unusual Creatures: Tardigrades!

February 20, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

Today’s episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures features what is probably the most unusual creature of all: the tardigrade.

Songs for Unusual Creatures: Sea Pig

February 6, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

What’s a sea pig? Watch this episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures to find out. The Kronos Quartet performs a song inspired by this deep sea creature.

Songs for Unusual Creatures: The Incredible True Story of the Blobfish

January 27, 2014Ken Denmead

The Blobfish was recently declared WORLD’S UGLIEST ANIMAL! But is that really fair? And even if the Blobfish is less attractive that some of its fishy cohorts, does that make it any less lovable?

Songs for Unusual Creatures: Magnapinna Squid

January 9, 2014Jonathan H. Liu

Today’s Songs for Unusual Creatures: the magnapinna squid.

Songs for Unusual Creatures: The Glass Frog

December 20, 2013Jonathan H. Liu

This week’s episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures is about the glass frog, a tiny frog whose skin is so translucent that you can see its internal organs.

Songs for Unusual Creatures Giant Anteater

Songs for Unusual Creatures: The Giant Anteater

December 6, 2013Jonathan H. Liu1

This week’s episode of Songs for Unusual Creatures features the giant anteater. So what’s so unusual about the anteater? Aside from its two-foot-long tongue, of course. Watch the video to find out!

Songs for Unusual Creatures Episode 2: Elephant Shrew

November 15, 2013Jonathan H. Liu

The second episode of Michael Hearst’s Songs for Unusual Creatures was released this week, and this time it focuses on the elephant shrew—a tiny animal which, as it turns out, is not actually related to the shrew. Find out what it is related to in this video!

Songs for Unusual Creatures: Now on PBS Digital Studios

November 6, 2013Jonathan H. Liu

Michael Hearst’s Songs for Unusual Creatures is now a series on PBS Digital Studios. The first episode, about the Jesus Christ Lizard, was just posted on Thursday last week. There are 10 episodes in all and they’ll be posted every other week.

Music and Science Combine for the Win With Songs for Unusual Creatures

January 19, 2013Ken Denmead

Michael Hearst is a modern composer (and obviously a bit of a geek) who has worked on a plethora of interesting projects over the years, including compositions to the words of Neil Gaiman, and a re-envisioning of The Planets. His …

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