CLASSICAL VIOLINIST: `WHALES SING WITH SOUL'

CLASSICAL VIOLINIST: `WHALES SING WITH SOUL'

HILLSBORO, N.H. (Wireless Flash) -- If you want to hear some singers who can wail, forget Celine Dion and listen to a humpback whale. That's according to classical violinist Steve Schuch, author of a new book about whale music, "A Symphony Of Whales" (Harcourt Brace). Schuch says that while the wails of whales may not be music to the ears of most humans, many "whale songs" have memorable hooks, riffs and melodies that are repeated for as long as 25 minutes. He claims some of the wailing whales can sound as bluesy as B.B. King, however, some of the bass notes are so low they can't be picked up by conventional sound equipment. Although Schuch says each species of whale has its own unique sound, he admits the superstars of whale pop music are usually humpback whales, which he says have the catchiest songs of any whale species.