ETEC 540 – Task 8: Golden Record Curation

I had never heard of the Golden Record until this assignment and am completely fascinated by it. The assignment of creating this Golden Record must have been a daunting task for Carl Sagan since as it was mentioned in the Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast, a record could have been made every year and still miss out on a lot of amazing musical tracks. I appreciate Timothy Ferris’ take on looking at the Golden Record itself as a form of art and not just as a device to cram as many songs on as possible.

To further cut down the selections of the Golden Record down to only 10 tracks, I had a few pieces of criteria. The first and most important criteria that I followed was that the music was pleasant to listen to and evoked the feelings of joy and happiness. I specifically wanted to focus on these feeling solely based on the sounds of the music and not vocals relating to language as the feelings should transcend language if it were to ever find other intelligent beings. A piece having or not having a vocal component did not influence my decision unless it contain information relevant to Earth. Finally, I chose not to select music that sounded frightening as the goal of the Voyager Golden Record was to send a peaceful message in the hopes of either sharing what we accomplished on Earth or extended an olive branch to whoever may find it if we still exist. Although I appreciate Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, I feel like the expressions of suspense and fear could be interpreted which ruled it out.

Ten Selections

1. Track 1: Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. 4:40
   As this track has a strong mathematical foundation as mentioned by Ferris, I selected this choice for the reasonings he gave in the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. The composition is beautiful and I feel like it showcases the feeling of happiness. If the record made its way to a form of higher intelligence, I think that they would appreciate this piece.
2. Track 2: Java, court gamelan, “Kinds of Flowers,” recorded by Robert Brown. 4:43
   Also as mentioned in the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast, I selected this song as it contained information of the types of flowers found throughout Earth. Although the chances of those who found the record being able to understand it are low, I believe that selecting this track is worth that chance.
3. Track 6: Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
   Again, I felt that this fast-paced track represented fun and excitement which is something that I would want to convey through the song choices.
4. Track 7: “Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry. 2:38
   Although the blues above was relaxing, I would hope to share that we like to have a bit of fun on Earth with this track. Without the lyrics, I feel like the fast-paced beat of the track would explain that. 
5. Track 9: Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
   I included this track as it feels very peaceful and relaxing.
6. Track 12: Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo,” collected by Radio Moscow. 2:18
   I really enjoyed listening to this track as the vocal were soothing which is my reasoning for putting it on the list.
7. Track 13: Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
   I thought the panpipes and drum was an excellent representation of culture as it is a different feel compared to the rest of the tracks. The idea of different culture is an important piece of  life on Earth which is why I selected this track.
8. Track 14: “Melancholy Blues,” performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. 3:05
   Listening to the blues is a relaxing experience so I would hope to convey the idea of Earth being filled with relaxation and easy-going life to those who found the record.
9. Track 17: Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No.1. Glenn Gould, piano. 4:48
   Having a dedicated piano track was important to me as it is a beautiful instrument. I felt like this track told a story through music which would hopefully express the idea of storytelling to those who found the record.
10. Track 21: Holborne, Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, “The Fairie Round,” performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. 1:17
    I chose this track as I feel it represents children through hopes and dreams. It is uplifting and fits well with “Hello from the children of Planet Earth” recording by Nick Sagan.

Reference

Taylor, D. (Host). (2016-present). Voyager Golden Record [Audio podcast episode]. Twenty Thousand Hertz. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord?rq=golden%20record