Not finding what you're looking for? Don't hesitate to contact us!

Jennifer Jolley

Jolley: The Space Coast

Regular price $ 66.25

Expected to ship in 1-2 weeks.

Shipping Policy

Murphy Music Press  |  SKU: W-0942A

Description

The Space Coast is the latest expression of my decades-long fascination with space, NASA, and the United States' preeminent role in our collective exploration of the cosmos. I was born 95 days before the first Space Shuttle orbital flight in April 1981. By my third birthday, Sally Ride and Guy Bluford had expanded what we meant by "the right stuff." I hadn't entered high school when the Hubble Space Telescope or the International Space Station launched. Just this year, I spent 10 days binge-watching the Artemis II mission. for me, to borrow a phrase from the great composer Sun Ra, "Space Is the Place." But it wasn't all wonder. Like so many of my generation, I watched the Challenger tragedy live in my preschool and, 17 years later, streamed the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on my computer. The loss of such extraordinary people in service to humanity deeply informed my values. These experiences were critical to the creation of The Space Coast.

All three movements were based on communications and interviews with NASA astronauts. I find the words of those who have experienced the profound beauty and danger of space uniquely insightful. The first movement presents an interview between Jessica Meir and Christina Koch, conducted shortly after their historic all-female spacewalk aboard the International Space Station in October 2019. in it, they shared their hopes and dreams for humanity's future and space travel. Though reconceived as an ensemble piece, the second movement was originally a choral work based on Heidemarie Stefyshin-Piper's reaction to seeing Earth from space. The ambition in this section was to translate the astonishment she felt while marveling at our planet into music. The final movement returns to Jessica Meir, this time with dialogue from an interview she gave to the White House during her spacewalk. During the interview, Jessica said: "This is my first spaceflight, my first spacewalk. It is an incredible feeling, I'm sure you can all imagine, one that I will never forget. I'm extremely fortunate to be sharing this moment with Christina, who is not only my colleague, but also a close and dear friend. So it's our honor to be out here today, to be representing whatever it is that's significant to whatever individual desires and hearts."