You’ve probably heard of science in the pub but how about birds and blues, a monthly piano session with local musician and CSIRO scientist of 18 years, Dr Leo Joseph.

To clarify, this is not science show, but rather a casual, free gig at Smith’s Alternative performed by a man who simply loves birds and music.

If you wander in during a lunchtime, Leo takes you on an American blues journey through his well-worn piano songbook and at the end, holds out a jar to collect donations for the rare golden-shouldered parrot.

Over the course of two hours, his appreciative audience unwittingly gets a lesson in blues history and ornithology.

“Your average attendee at one of my blues piano gigs probably is not a member of Birdlife Australia or not someone who gets newsletters about the golden-shouldered parrot,” Leo says. “People get into it, it seems. I hope, or I wonder, if people go home and look up these birds.”

Leo’s love of music came first, birds a close second. He jokes that he became interested in birds at age 12 and he “regrets the lost years”.

His motivation to play free gigs at Smiths came from his desire to play solo (Leo usually plays with his band, Key Grip).  

“I get a taste of what it’s like to play solo, without the safety net of the band,” he says. “I do make mistakes and forget things but I have a friendly audience. Then I decided to do a bit more for the birds and I thought, I don’t want to take money for this, so I suggested that people donate.”

Since 2020-21, Leo’s raised a few hundred dollars for the critically-endangered night parrot and, more recently, he’s taking donations for the Artemis Nature Fund (which protects the golden-shouldered parrot) and so far has raised $1000.

“Artemis Nature Fund gets more random donations from Canberra than from anywhere else,” Leo says. “You can put that down to the well-educated concerns of the populus of Canberra or you can put it down to Leo’s humble little blues piano gig, spreading the word.”

Leo’s passion for ornithology never stops. He says most scientists are “always looking at birds or plants or insects, not just Monday to Friday, nine to five”.

“My brain is always tuned to bird calls. It’s not about my work, it’s about the birds, it’s about the music.”

Leo Joseph plays at Smiths Alternative on the third Saturday of every month from 12.30pm.

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