Task 8- Golden Record Curation

My task is to curate 10 of the 27 musical selections from the Golden Record. I need to decide ‘what to keep’ or rather ‘what could we afford to lose’. These selections collectively aim to convey the depth and diversity of human culture and music, providing a comprehensive snapshot of life on Earth for potential extraterrestrial listeners.

The criteria for the selections I made were: 

• • It should be diverse in sound, instruments, tempo, etc.  
  • It should be diverse in the region of the world that it originated 
  • I needed to invoke my interest or emotion 

 My selections.

1. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement (upbeat, classical orchestral masterpiece) 
2. Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. 
3. Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. (didgeridoo) 
4. Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México.  (strings, upbeat, Spanish singing) 
5. Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. (slow, sad, whistle) 
6. “Melancholy Blues,” performed by Louis Armstrong (trumpet, upbeat) 
7. Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen. (higher pitched, a cappella) 
8. “Dark Was the Night,” written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson. (Blues music, emotional depth, African-American) 
9. India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. (vocals, strings, percussion) 
10. Zaire, Pygmy girls’ initiation song, recorded by Colin Turnbull.