Task #8 Selections from the Golden Record
This task was quite difficult as I do not feel knowledgeable enough in regards to different cultures, languages, and musical genres to decide which are most important to select to represent life on earth. Below are my selections and reasonings for each selection which ranges from simply enjoying the sound of the music and the emotions it created to strategically trying to create a diverse range of sounds, emotions, and musical styles in this curated list.
Bach- Brandburg Concerto
I enjoyed listening to this song and found it to be quite joyful and uplifting that I wanted to include it on the record. I do not know much about Bach, or classical music in general, so for this song I truly relied on how the instruments made me feel and I thought this evoked such a nice feeling that this song should be enjoyed by others as well.
Cenguine
I wanted to include this track to highlight the importance of including other cultures and how rhythm and instruments are used differently across the world to create very different sounds. I enjoyed this song, but I recognize that how I feel listening to is probably quite different from someone in Africa as I do not understand the meaning behind the song. This demonstrates how people of different cultures and languages can enjoy the same music regardless of interpreting the meaning in different ways.
Alima’s song
This song is an Indigenous song from the rainforests of the Congo. I thought it was important to include this song as I know how important Indigenous history and culture is to us in Canada and imagine the same respect may be held for Indigenous people in the Congo. This song also represents a different type of music from any of the other songs I have included on the list.
El Cascabel
I really enjoy Mariachi music and find it so welcoming and fun that I have also included this track on my list for the record. I listen to a lot of Spanish music and have come to really appreciate the accordion and felt this instrument should be highlighted on the track as well.
Johnny B Goode
Although not all genres of music could be included on this record, I felt I couldn’t curate this list without including a rock song. I recently visited Cleveland and went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was interesting to see how rock music has evolved and how previous artists have inspired generations of musicians as well as pushed for political and social movements over time.
Melancholy Blues
Similar to wanting to include a rock song, I also felt the need to include a blues song. I know very little about this genre of music, but there is not doubt there is powerful emotion behind blues song, and the emotions it can evoke in the listener. In the interview on Twenty Thousand Hertz a great point was made how lonely people in space must be and how relatable this song and the feelings it represents would be to them. The range of instruments used in this song was also a deciding factor as I wanted those in space to hear a variety of instruments that we play on earth.
Beethoven Symphony No.5
I chose to include this song as I feel a range of emotions throughout this performance due to the variance in low and high frequencies (McDonald, n.d.). Also, to this day, this song is featured in many films and commercials which demonstrates what a powerful song it is being featured after all this time.
Fairie Round
I chose to include this song for its upbeat sound with the flute. As I near the end of my selections, I am beginning to realize how despite what is going on in the world, music has the power to promote happiness and unite people. I’m not sure if others had this impression, but this song makes me feel hopeful.
Yeibichai dance
I listened to this song before listening to the interview on Twenty Thousand Hertz, and I originally thought this song was so peaceful and enjoyable, and I thought I wanted to select this song to leave those on earth with a nice final song. However, upon learning more about this song and realizing it is about a girl who feels to young to get married, my reasoning for including this song has changed. I think it is very interesting how my interpretation was so far from the true meaning of the song, that I think it would be beneficial to include on the album to see how others interpret it.
Flowing Streams
I loved the sound of this song and the connection it had with nature. I think flowing water is a peaceful noise for many and brings a sense of relaxation. This is something we all probably take for granted on earth and the beautiful image of flowing water is a sound I wanted to share on this album.
References,
McDonald, L. (n.d.). Voyager Golden Record [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord