There was an interesting segment on ‘Morning Addition’ on National Public Radio this morning. It was about how music is used and played by astronauts up in orbit. An astronaut named Brewster Shaw was interviewed for the segment and had this to say about the one and only astronaut band: “You have people who are able to quickly pick up and accomplish tasks in areas totally outside their field of training,” he says. “Those kind of people are very likely to have enjoyed music, and been able to play something musical, so you just recruit them into the band.” He adds, “There’s not a lot of pressure — it’s pretty much you just have fun and do it.”
Give it a listen and see what you think about it. Why does music get the astronauts going in the morning? Does it have the same effect on you? Why did the astronauts decide to start a band? Can you relate to their experience?
Here’s a link to the article and the radio segment.
Written Article: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/16/138171055/music-in-space