The most well-recognized piece of music in the western world may be Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The opening notes are as instantly recognized as Coca-Cola. But consider the diminutive white-breasted wood wren. Though unknown to most of the human race, its song is delightfully familiar. How comes it that Beethoven and the wood wren are singing the same song? Since the deaf composer presumably did not instruct the shy bird, perhaps the bird influenced him? Or maybe the similarity is proof that birds do in fact sing? Perhaps, but it's necessary sometimes to step back a bit, not presume that we undertand what music is, indeed to let go of the word "music" altogether. From this vantage point, the most obvious fact is that we and wood wren share the same world.

Kieran Suckling/NRDC Action Fund