Philosopher and musician David Rothenberg is the author of Why Birds Sing (Basic Books, 2005), also published in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, China, Korea, and Germany. His feature-length documentary Why Birds Sing was shown on BBC4 in June, 2007. Rothenberg is also the author of Sudden Music: Improvisation, Art, Nature (Georgia, 2002), Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes (Codhill Press, 2001), Hand’s End: Technology and the Limits of Nature (California, 1993), and Always the Mountains (Georgia, 2003).

He was the editor of the MIT Press journal Terra Nova: Nature and Culture, and edited the various Terra Nova books based on the journal, including The Book of Music and Nature (Wesleyan, 2001) and Writing the World: On Globalization (MIT, 2005). His articles have appeared in Parabola, Orion, The Nation, Wired, Dwell, Kyoto Journal, The Globe and Mail, Sierra and the New York Times

Rothenberg is also a composer and jazz clarinetist, and he has six CDs out under his own name. His second record, On the Cliffs of the Heart, with percussionist Glen Velez and banjo player Graeme Boone, was named it one of the top ten releases of 1995 by Jazziz magazine. In 2000 Before the War was released, a collaboration with natural sound artist Douglas Quin. The Guardian in Britain praised it as “genuine 21st century music.” Rothenberg is professor of philosophy and music at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

His latest book and CD Thousand Mile Song, about making music with whales came out in May 2008.