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[Josh Greenman <josh.greenman AT gmail.com>]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6124100/Monkeys-are-Metallica-fans.html

Monkeys 'are Metallica fans'

Monkeys are found to be fans of heavy metal music, in particular
Metallica, after a study showed it calmed them down.

A group of cottontop tamarins were played a variety of music,
including Bach, Led Zeppelin and Miles Davis, but they only reacted
when heavy metal rock songs by Metallica were played.

Psychology Professor Charles Snowdon teamed up with musician David
Teie, who plays cello for the National Symphony Orchestra. They found
that 30-second clips composed by Mr Teie on the basis of actual monkey
calls provoked the strongest reaction.

Of all the human bands played to the tamarins, Metallica calmed them down.

Mr Teie of the University of Maryland composed using specific features
he noticed in the monkey's calls, attempting to convey two opposite
emotions – danger and safety.

The monkeys responded accordingly being either anxious or relaxed.

The pair also found monkeys use tone, pitch and other auditory clues
to express emotions.

Prof Snowdon, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the Royal
Society Journal Biology Letters: "My talking does not necessarily tell
you about my emotional state.

"When I add extra elements, change the tone of voice, the rhythm,
pitch or speed, that is where the emotional content is contained.

"Monkeys interpret rising and falling tones differently than humans.
Oddly, their only response to several samples of human music was a
calming response to the heavy-metal band Metallica."

Prof Snowdon added that human babies are also able to interpret tone and 
pitch.

"We use legato – long tones – with babies to calm them. We use
staccato to order them to stop," he said.

"Approval has a rising tone, and soothing has a decreasing tone. We
add musical features to speech so it will influence the affective
state of a baby. If you bark out 'PLAY WITH IT' a baby will freeze.

"The voice, the intonation pattern, the musicality can matter more
than the words."