Hear music by harpist Mary Lattimore for the astronaut Scott Kelly; by Public Service Broadcasting for Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and by the duo Quindar for the Apollo 9 astronaut "Rusty" Schweickart. Listen to a piece by Mary Lattimore, dedicated to astronaut Scott Kelly (who spent a year on the international Space Station), for harp and electronics. Lattimore explains that she was inspired by the American astronaut’s unique perspective and singular solitude as he was orbiting, watching, and doing his social media updates on his orange zinnia (#spaceflower), aerial shots of great rivers and their curious zig-zags (#earthart), a moon rise, and an aurora borealis. Then, there’s music by the mostly electronic duo Quindar, Mikael Jorgensen (of Wilco) and art historian James Merle Thomas, who often make use of archival audio and film often in their work. Their name even comes from the beep tone that you hear every couple of seconds in audio communications between astronauts and Mission Control. Their work is for the Apollo 9 astronaut Russell “Rusty” Schweickart. Also, there’s music from the British duo Public Service Broadcasting. Their music revisits the time when the USA competed with the USSR trying to be the first to leave the Earth and get to the moon. Listen to “Valentina,” and “Gagarin,” for the Russian cosmonauts, where audio footage from both countries’ race for space is woven into music. Plus, music by Meredith Monk, her work, "Earth Seen From Above," a lullaby from Galway-raised troubadour Adrian Crowley, and more. - Caryn Havlik Program #4969, Music For Astronauts (First aired 1/22 /2025) ARTIST: Public Service BroadcastingWORK: Gagarin [1:11] RECORDING: The Race for SpaceSOURCE: Test Card RecordingsINFO: musicglue.com ARTIST: Magnus Öström & Dan BerglundWORK: From Gagarin's Point of View [4:31] RECORDING: e.s.t. 30SOURCE: ACT MusicINFO: https://magnusoestroem.bandcamp.com/album/e-s-t-30 ARTIST: Public Service Broadcasting, featuring Smoke FairiesWORK: Valentina [4:31] RECORDING: The Race for SpaceSOURCE: Test Card RecordingsINFO: musicglue.com ARTIST: Mary LattimoreWORK: For Scott Kelly, Returned to Earth [6:07]RECORDING: Returned To EarthSOURCE: Soap Library cassetteINFO: marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Quindar WORK: Twin Pole Sunshade for Rusty Schweickarty [5:41] RECORDING: Hip Mobility SOURCE: Butterscotch Records BSR016 INFO: butterscotchrecords.net ARTIST: WindSyncWORK: Marc Mellits: Apollo III. Buzz [2:30]RECORDING: All Worlds, All TimesSOURCE: Bright Shiny ThingsINFO: https://windsync.bandcamp.com/album/all-worlds-all-times ARTIST: Daniel WohlWORK: Orbit [2:30]RECORDING: EtatSOURCE: New Amsterdam RecordsINFO: https://danielwohl.bandcamp.com/album/tat ARTIST: Meredith MonkWORK: Earth Seen From Above [7:34]RECORDING: AtlasSOURCE: ECM Records #1491 / 1492INFO: ecmrecords.com ARTIST: Adrian CrowleyWORK: Lullaby to a Lost Astronaut [4:34]RECORDING: Dark Eyed MessengerSOURCE: Chemikal UndergroundINFO: shop.chemikal.co.uk
Hear music by harpist Mary Lattimore for the astronaut Scott Kelly; by Public Service Broadcasting for Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and by the duo Quindar for the Apollo 9 astronaut "Rusty" Schweickart.
Listen to a piece by Mary Lattimore, dedicated to astronaut Scott Kelly (who spent a year on the international Space Station), for harp and electronics. Lattimore explains that she was inspired by the American astronaut’s unique perspective and singular solitude as he was orbiting, watching, and doing his social media updates on his orange zinnia (#spaceflower), aerial shots of great rivers and their curious zig-zags (#earthart), a moon rise, and an aurora borealis. Then, there’s music by the mostly electronic duo Quindar, Mikael Jorgensen (of Wilco) and art historian James Merle Thomas, who often make use of archival audio and film often in their work. Their name even comes from the beep tone that you hear every couple of seconds in audio communications between astronauts and Mission Control. Their work is for the Apollo 9 astronaut Russell “Rusty” Schweickart.
Also, there’s music from the British duo Public Service Broadcasting. Their music revisits the time when the USA competed with the USSR trying to be the first to leave the Earth and get to the moon. Listen to “Valentina,” and “Gagarin,” for the Russian cosmonauts, where audio footage from both countries’ race for space is woven into music. Plus, music by Meredith Monk, her work, "Earth Seen From Above," a lullaby from Galway-raised troubadour Adrian Crowley, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4969, Music For Astronauts (First aired 1/22 /2025)
ARTIST: Public Service BroadcastingWORK: Gagarin [1:11] RECORDING: The Race for SpaceSOURCE: Test Card RecordingsINFO: musicglue.com
ARTIST: Magnus Öström & Dan BerglundWORK: From Gagarin's Point of View [4:31] RECORDING: e.s.t. 30SOURCE: ACT MusicINFO: https://magnusoestroem.bandcamp.com/album/e-s-t-30
ARTIST: Public Service Broadcasting, featuring Smoke FairiesWORK: Valentina [4:31] RECORDING: The Race for SpaceSOURCE: Test Card RecordingsINFO: musicglue.com
ARTIST: Mary LattimoreWORK: For Scott Kelly, Returned to Earth [6:07]RECORDING: Returned To EarthSOURCE: Soap Library cassetteINFO: marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Quindar WORK: Twin Pole Sunshade for Rusty Schweickarty [5:41] RECORDING: Hip Mobility SOURCE: Butterscotch Records BSR016 INFO: butterscotchrecords.net
ARTIST: WindSyncWORK: Marc Mellits: Apollo III. Buzz [2:30]RECORDING: All Worlds, All TimesSOURCE: Bright Shiny ThingsINFO: https://windsync.bandcamp.com/album/all-worlds-all-times
ARTIST: Daniel WohlWORK: Orbit [2:30]RECORDING: EtatSOURCE: New Amsterdam RecordsINFO: https://danielwohl.bandcamp.com/album/tat
ARTIST: Meredith MonkWORK: Earth Seen From Above [7:34]RECORDING: AtlasSOURCE: ECM Records #1491 / 1492INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Adrian CrowleyWORK: Lullaby to a Lost Astronaut [4:34]RECORDING: Dark Eyed MessengerSOURCE: Chemikal UndergroundINFO: shop.chemikal.co.uk