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What Does Space Sound Like?

What does space sound like—and who decided that? Composers have toyed with themes of space, stars, and discovery in music—describing through music the ideas of open space, travel, mystery, and majesty, as well as imagining what “outer space” might sound like if you could hear it.

Performing Music in Outer Space

Astronaut Carl Walz summed it up: “Taking musical instruments on a ship for an expedition is a tradition, if you will. It’s what makes us human is because we bring some of our home with us.” Listen as we explore the intersection between the human drive to explore and the ability to create.

Sputnik

The space age began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik—the first artificial satellite. Around the world, millions of people tuned their radios to hear it beeping or waited outside to watch it pass overhead.

Voyager & the Golden Record

There’s music floating in Outer Space. And we’re not just being fancy or poetic. There are actually two disks filled with songs that are floating out beyond the planets that are most distant to Earth. The disks are strapped to the sides of the Voyager probes that were launched to explore the outer edges of our galaxy and whatever lies beyond them. In this podcast, we hear from two of the three people who decided what music would go on the disks to learn why they thought it was important to let whatever extraterrestrial life may exist in the universe know that human beings make music.

Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning

Eric Friedman 
Director, Digital Learning

Kenny Neal 
Manager, Digital Education Resources

Tiffany A. Bryant 
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement

JoDee Scissors 
Content Specialist, Digital Learning

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Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.