preamble

In the early 2000s when mix tapes were a ‘physical’ thing, my friends would have labeled me the group’s curator.  Why? Well I was the one who amalgamated tracks and created some of the best mixtapes/cd’s. You needed a 12 track mixtape for your vehicle? I had it for you. No matter genre, I found it exciting to mix all styles for those early days when you could drive around town on $5 dollars of gas.

Reasoning 

I was excited to chose my ‘top ten’ from the list. At first,  I simply listened to the list and choose songs based on my personal preference. But as we know, preference is not just personal -our preference is really subjective and more a reflection of our culture, society, and a ton of other factors. I was happy to hear Dr. Smith Rumsey (2017) state: “we are creatures of the world that we grow up in” (15:06). She is undeniably accurate, so how do I actively include another perspective into my choices?

I pretended the music was actually going to land in the ears of an alien. Yes, if an alien came stumbling across these ‘murmurs’ in the universe I wanted them to hear what I think the earth is saying, not just what ‘I’ necessarily enjoyed listening too.  But in the back of my mind I kept thinking of what Dr. Smith Rumsey was saying about ‘what we lose’. I didn’t want to rob my Alien friend of the tracks, maybe the lost tracks would be useful to them in “their environment” (Rumsey, 2017, 13:52). Therefore, my list is a little bit for me and a little bit for my potential Alien visitor. Similarly, I made more of a conscious effort to include the voices that exist in marginalized groups. As Miguel Ángel Oxlaj Kumez states in the article, The Many Languages Missing from the Internet, I didn’t want to discredit and displaces voices and have my Alien friend not take these voices as imperative to our global culture. (Trancozo, 2020).

So I did my best to float between these two realms. Please enjoy.
Curated List – For My Alien Friend And I

1.Tchakrulo – Radio Moscow, GEORGIA  The harmony and uniscence of this track models a sort of singular voice and identity from an abundance of vocal ranges. I chose this because I feel it reflects the diversity here on earth and how we somehow manage to (in some respect, and not always) compliment one-another.

2.Morning Star & Devil Bird – Aborigine songs , AUSTRALIA                                                                  I lived in Australia and have a deep affinity for the didgeridoo. Having met an artist who plays the instrument and having heard him play- I felt it an immediate choice. The instrument reminds me of what a dream sounds like and the track is layered with an Aboriginal voice. I felt like nature and Aboriginal peoples are personified. I want our Alien friend to know we dream

3.El Cascabel – Lorenzo Barcelata El Mariachi México, MEXICO

The mariachi is such a unique medley of instruments that all seem to work in such a symbiotic relationship. I also enjoy how each singer their own ‘moment’ in the song, almost like a chapter in a book. Even without understanding language, I would hope this song would communicate to my Alien friend the intrinsic relationship between story and song.

4.Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry, AMERICA

The electric guitar plays the most prominent role in this song by Chuck Berry, the Black artist from America. The sound is unlike the other tracks and the electric guitar is like a foil character to the other instruments included. It also reflects the relationship between technology and instrument.

5.Melancholy Blues – Louis Armstrong, AMERICA

No lyrics in this song, but the saxophone tells the story. I enjoy the feeling associated with this song- it elicits a calm, chill response- like most jazz music. Again, here the story is up for interpretation. I like how the instrument is mailable to one’s own preference. Again, maybe there are many stories that can be told in this song,

6. 5th Symphony   (First Movement)

A classic, classic. The entire symphony fills every part of your mind when you listen to this. It also lends sound to so many emotions which is so eloquently paired with each part of the symphony. High drama with immediate response. I chose this song because it covers almost all humans emotions from happiness to rage. Also, the sophistication of each instrument is clear, a moment to ‘show-off’.

7.Night Chant– Navajo NAVAJO, AMERICA

Like the podcast episode, Voyager Golden Record states, “most of the song are friendly and joyful” (Taylor, 2019, 23:40) and this Night Chant encapsulates this emotion. I thought it was interesting to think our Alien friend might only hear certain frequencies. Knowing this, I don’t think it matters what frequency you take out of night chant, it all sounds uplifting.

8.The Fairie Round -David Monrow Early Music Consort of London, ENGLAND

This is a bit of an ethereal song, the sounds of the imagination. I associate the title with magic and dance. This song reflects play and peace. I chose this song because the range of  sound would make anyone feel welcome.

9.Jaat Kahan Ho – Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar, INDIA

This song reminds me of prayer. Looking into this further, the artist is woman from Goa and the song is noted as being an example of India classical music. This song doesn’t sound orchestrated and the most like someone telling their story. I think it is important to include a female voice in the mix.

10.Dark Was the Night, Cold was the Ground – Blind Willie Johnson, AMERICA

I believe this is the one song reflects the sadness associated with isolation. I  chose this song to let our Alien friend know, humans need one another. Without a sense of belonging, there is also sadness. I also enjoy the ‘twang’ of the guitar.

Concluding Point 

Although I struggled a bit with this, I do hope my mixtape offers more than just my perspective.  Looking back at my choices, it’s clear iI wanted to send a message of welcoming but also a reflection of our range.

Although “what we want peoples to know about us in the future is a matter of speculation” (Smith Rumsey, 2017, 36:34), I hope this reflects more than my mind.

 

References

Smith Rumsey, A. (2017, July 11). Digital Memory: What Can We Afford to Lose [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrahqg9ZMc&t=2277s

Taylor, D. (Host). (2019).Voyager Golden Record. In Twenty Thousand Hertz. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord

Trancozo Treviño, M. (2020, April 14). The many languages missing from the internet.  https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200414-the-many-lanuages-still-missing-from-the-internet

Voyager’s Golden Record. (2018, May 21). Voyager’s Golden Record [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw4qMmNjXz4