Jarrod Ghatt
Exploring the connections between music, wildlife, ecology, and animal health.
A Story in Five Chapters
Dinosaurs
It began, as it does for many naturalists, with dinosaurs. Long before field notebooks and flutes, there was the deep fascination with prehistoric life — the names memorized, the timelines traced, the ancient ecosystems imagined.
The Creek
Childhood moved from books to boots — wading through streams, observing reptiles, collecting amphibians, and learning how ecosystems breathe. The creek became a first laboratory.
Birds
The interest in animals narrowed and deepened into ornithology — patient observation, species identification, field notes. Birdsong became as familiar as melody.
Music
Then came the flute — and with it, a parallel life of classical training, jazz studies, chamber performance, and improvisation across multiple instruments. Music and science, it turns out, ask the same questions differently.
The Future
Now: pre-veterinary studies, with eyes on avian medicine, exotic animals, wildlife rehabilitation, and the still-emerging field of music therapy for animals. Every chapter has been preparation for this one.
Listening to Nature
Birdsong is music. Rhythm exists in migration patterns, tidal cycles, and animal behavior. The boundary between science and art has always been imaginary.
Animal Communication
Rhythm in Nature
Sound Ecology
Music & Animal Behavior
The Musical Life
Flute
Primary instrument · Classical & Jazz
Piano
Classical studies · Harmony
Bass Guitar
Electric · Jazz & Contemporary
Upright Bass
Orchestral · Jazz ensemble
📍 Most recently performing in Forlì, Italy with youth orchestra — photo documentation on the Photos page.
Past Highlights
Recital videos and recordings coming soon.
Classical
Formal training in the Western classical tradition, with focus on flute repertoire and chamber music.
Jazz
Study of jazz improvisation, theory, and ensemble playing across flute and bass instruments.
Improvisation
The intersection of structure and spontaneity — music as a living, responsive act, not unlike fieldwork in nature.
Field Notes & Observations
Encountered two painted turtles during creek survey. The eastern painted turtle displays vivid red and yellow markings along the neck and limbs — a reliable field identification marker. Shell scutes show characteristic olive-to-dark-brown coloration with faint yellow seams. Both individuals were alert and responsive upon handling; returned to water promptly after observation.
The Wood Thrush remains one of the most musically complex songbirds of the eastern deciduous forest. Unlike most birds, it can sing two notes simultaneously using its bifurcated syrinx — a biological instrument with no parallel in human music. Observed foraging behavior at forest edge, 7:20am.
Ongoing documentation of aquarium and terrarium builds — attempting to replicate conditions of native habitats. Current focus: semi-aquatic environments for Eastern species. Observations on thermoregulation, feeding behavior, and animal-environment interaction.
Field Photography
Documentation from years of fieldwork — reptiles, amphibians, birds, and the habitats they call home.
Bird photography
coming soon
Amphibians
coming soon
The Vet Journey
The documentation of a path toward veterinary medicine — fieldwork, internships, volunteer experience, and the research questions that drive it all.
🏥 Veterinary Experience
Internship and clinical observation experience to be documented here as the pre-vet journey progresses.
🤝 Volunteer Work
Animal care and wildlife rehabilitation volunteer experience — ongoing documentation.
🔬 Research Interests
- Avian medicine
- Exotic animal care
- Animal behavior
- Wildlife rehabilitation
- Music therapy for animals
📚 Academic Path
Pre-veterinary studies, with particular interest in the intersection of ecology, animal behavior, and clinical medicine.
Dream Projects
Where curiosity points next.
Zoo Medicine
Clinical care for exotic and non-domestic species in zoological settings.
Avian Medicine
Specialized veterinary practice focused on bird species, from raptors to passerines.
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Rescue, treatment, and release of injured or orphaned wild animals.
Music Therapy for Animals
Investigating how structured sound environments affect animal stress, behavior, and wellbeing.
Animal Behavior Research
Ethological study of wild and captive animals — why they do what they do.
Conservation
Contributing to the protection of ecosystems and the species that depend on them.
