PRAx Presents: Big Fish Fest III, Featuring Special Guests the Little Bird Lab and Fikira
Back for a third year after PRAx-record attendance, the world’s only live-music-accompanied educational shark dissection gets bigger — and smaller! This year, OSU’s Big Fish Lab partners with the Little Bird Lab to stage a comparative anatomical study of sharks and birds.
Adaptation and evolution are as much a part of music performance and music history as they are of natural history. We wrap the dissection in the rich sounds of the Afro-Fusion group Fikira. Led by Fiaindratovo (Mimy) Manavihare, a drummer and composer from the south of Madagascar, Fikira blends piano, bass, drums, percussion, trumpet, xylophone, mbira and vocals in the Malagasy language.
70% of the shark species in the oceans are endangered or threatened, and the purpose of Big Fish Fest is to create an environment where biology, conservation and human creativity meet to mutually reinforce our care for the planet and for one another.
Plan to walk, bike, scoot or skate to PRAx for Big Fish Fest III? Enjoy a fun afternoon in the September sun and $2 off drinks, on us!
About Big Fish Lab
The Big Fish Lab centers on marine apex predator conservation, especially sharks. They have built a team of international collaborators and a unique community, bringing complementary expertise in climate science, ecology, behavior, and physiology that are critical to advancing the mission to conserve sharks and the ecosystems they inhabit.
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About Little Bird Lab
Animals and humans must adapt to changing environments if we are to persist on earth. The Jamie Cornelius Lab investigates different behavioral and physiological strategies that birds use to cope with unpredictable change in their environments. They hope to learn why some animals survive better than others when the going gets tough.
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About Fikira
The diverse instrumentation of Afro-Fusion band Fikira showcases a mix of piano, bass, drums, percussion, trumpet, xylophone, mbira (thumb piano), and vocals in the Malagasy language of Madagascar.
Exceptional performers, Mimy Manavihare and the musicians of Fikira are as dedicated to nurturing the next wave of musicians and composers, urging them to embrace innovation in their musical endeavors. For Fikira, a mixture of genres and styles enrich the creative journey.
PRAx gratefully acknowledges the support of Judy Mellenthin Gaulke ’65 & Michael R. Gaulke ’68 for this program.
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