Composer Jim Nollman's Decades of Music-Making With Orcas
Jim Nollman has spent 50 years creating music with animals. His new album collects highlights from sessions with orcas.
Jim Nollman spent hundreds of hours on the water making music with orcas, dolphins and beluga whales. (Image credit: Katy Nollman.)
Throughout his career as a composer, Jim Nollman has worked with unorthodox partners to create music. Instead of collaborating solely with human musicians, the artist has expanded his cast to include animal bandmates, and they’ve been making melodies together for more than 50 years.
Nollman’s new album, “Orcas’ Greatest Hits,” will be released Aug. 14 by the music label Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. As the title suggests, the album is a collection of songs centered around orca (Orcinus orca) vocalizations.