The concept of The Golden Record feels so uniquely human; we want to share the story of our planet and convey our existence through music (NASA). The Golden Record is a time capsule that was added to the voyager, a rocket that is indefinitely shooting through space in the hopes of coming into contact with extraterrestrial life (NASA). The NASA team selected a record that is plated in gold as their vessel for storing the music because most of the current digital methods of storing information would not last thousands, if not, millions of years. The data and information stored on our digital devices face many obstacles to preservation, such as the physical integrity of our products, as well as ensuring our programming infrastructure can continue to support old files (Smith, 1999).
The NASA team was sure to include a broad selection that covers a range of cultures, musical frequencies, languages, and narratives. The two pioneers behind The Golden Record, Tim Ferris, and Linda Salzman Sagan, aimed to select pieces that could be interpreted from several facets (Twenty Thousand Hertz, 2019).
Among the 27-seven pieces of music chosen on the record, I selected 10 that I found captured the diversity and creativity of human life.
1. “Melancholy Blues,” performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. 3:05
I selected this song because I am a fan of Louise Armstrong, and I like that they added music that had a variety of instruments. Armstrong was well known for being a soulful trumpet player, and this song in particular really demonstrates an emphasis on the trumpet because there are no vocals. Further, this song captures African-American subculture, which birthed blues and jazz music during the 1920s.
2. “Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry. 2:38
This song is a quintessential rock song that represents American identity with its upbeat fast-paced rhythm and romanticization of the American dream. The Rolling Stone (2011) claimed “‘Johnny B. Goode’ was the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom”. The song is autobiographical and accounts for Berry’s rise to success, by playing in the big cities until he became famous.
3. Bulgaria, “Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin,” sung by Valya Balkanska. 4:59
I liked this song purely for the auditory experience it provides. Despite not knowing the language or the meaning behind the words, I felt entranced by the vocals that have long soulful notes. Balkanska’s voice is complimented by bagpipes, harmonizing together to create a very unique sound.
4. Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
“El Cascabel” is a Spanish song that has many Mexican music elements, including the Spanish picking guitar. The fast-paced song has the kind of rhythm that makes listeners want to get up and dance. Further, this song would generally be performed by a mariachi band and a performer singing the vocals. I think this piece adds another unique cultural element to the song selection.
5. Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
This Japanese song is about cranes nesting; cranes were considered spiritual birds in Japan and this piece is an homage to the appreciation of these animals (The International Shakuhachi Society). The song is played using a traditional Japanese instrument called a Shakuhachi, which is a wind instrument that resembles a flute. The Shakuhachi is made of Bamboo and is a representation of ancient practices and spirituality (The International Shakuhachi Society).
6. China, ch’in, “Flowing Streams,” performed by Kuan P’ing-hu. 7:37
This song is played using a guqin, which is a “seven-string Chinese musical instrument” (Wikipedia). The player, Kuan P’ing-hu, is picking a few strings and strumming others, causing a contrast between higher and lower notes. The song is exclusively a recording of the instrument being played, and nothing else.
7. Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes. 0:57
“Night Chant” is a recording from the Navajo Nation. This song was used during healing ceremonies and “in endeavors to ameliorate strained relations between Man and the Universe, thereby restoring order, balance, harmony, and health (Hillerman). The song has a spiritual purpose for the Navajo community and is one of the few songs in the record that clearly has several singers.
8. New Guinea, men’s house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan. 1:20
This song came from a small village in Oroha, Malaita where only a few hundred people speak the Oroha language. This type of music is generally “reserved for traditional special occasions, like feats” (ABC Pacific, 2018). The vocals, which can only be understood by less than a thousand people on Earth, will now be shared with Space – which in an interesting concept to appreciate.
9. Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
This song is particularly interesting because it is played with panpipes and flutes. These instruments are among some of the earliest recorded instruments in human history (World History Encyclopedia). Therefore, this song really captures the evolution and development of human life, culture, and identity.
10. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. 4:40
Tim Ferris opened the record with this song from Bach because he wanted to “represent some music with a strong mathematical foundation because we might be communicating with creatures who don’t have hearing or who don’t have hearing in the range” (Twenty Thousand Hertz, 2019). I think it’s so creative to think of music beyond the phenomenological experience, but rather through other methods of analysis. This demonstrates that they were deeply considering how the music could be interpreted and the limitations that might impact the aliens’ ability to perceive and understand music.
References
Cartwright, M. (2011, June 17). Pan Flute. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Panpipes/
Murray-Atfield, Y. (2018, December 27). Pacific: How songs from villages in PNG and Solomon Islands are now floating in Outer Space. ABC Pacific. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/how-songs-from-the-pacific-ended-up-in-outer-space/10671290
NASA. (n.d.). Voyager – what’s on the Golden Record. NASA. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/
Nelson, R. (2023). Tsuru no Sugomori (Dokyoku). The International Shakuhachi Society. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://www.komuso.com/pieces/pieces.pl?piece=2218
Rolling Stone Magazine. (2011, April 7). 500 greatest songs of all time. Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20170312024059/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/chuck-berry-johnny-b-goode-20110516
Smith, A. (1999). Why digitize? Microform & Imaging Review, 28(4). https://doi.org/10.1515/mfir.1999.28.4.110
University of New Mexico. (n.d.). Night way. Night Way | The Tony Hillerman Portal. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://ehillerman.unm.edu/node/1705#sthash.a1h5XsO0.57CagfKa.dpbs
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, March 10). Guqin. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guqin