Winnie, linked above, was in community four with me for task nine when the data from this task eight exercise was analyzed.
We both focused on diversity, Winnie on cultural diversity and myself on a sampling from each inhabited continent. Winnie and I chose five songs in common that did not share a particular genre, culture or theme (however three were instrumental) exemplifying this diversity. We both questioned the current selection on the record particularly regarding the western bias (myself particularly about the amount of classical music). I remarked that music is highly cultural and personal and Winnie indicated that she based some of her selections on her personal preferences influenced by her background. Winnie and I have different cultural backgrounds but this didn’t lead to radically different choices in this assignment given our focus on diversity. If we both simply chose based on personal preferences, we may have seen more differences in music chosen, which would have been amplified further with a wider selection of songs. I also tried to reflect different time periods in my selections, which is likely reflected in Winnie’s choices as well but not directly stated (for example we both chose 2 European classical songs and Melancholy Blues from the 1920’s).
Winnie mentions that the aliens may only be able to hear or feel certain types of sounds and also reflected that in her music choice (attempting to afford accessibility to potential aliens). This is a good point that I missed, though I felt like the aliens may not appreciate the music due to cultural differences. Because I tried to get a diverse mix of songs, sung and instrumental, I also ensured a variety of sounds and rhythms in the end.