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Commercial Music student has her songs beamed up to space

Third year BA Commercial Music student Sally Robinson has had her songs sent up to the International Space Station as part of her project called A Sides | B Sides.

The project will include a set of four double a-sides based on the four elements; air, earth, fire and water, and Sally’s aim for the project is to have her music played in the furthest reaches of our planet. She has released her first two songs which represent air, Moonlit Skies and Leaves in the Light, and is tracking where her songs are played across the world.

To achieve her aim of seeing how far her voice can travel, Sally has been sending her songs to inspirational scientists around the world. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly who spent over a year on the International Space Station said he could really relate to Moonlit Skies and sent it up to be heard on the International Space Station. Sally describes this song as a “love letter to Mars” which includes the first recordings from NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover. Sally’s music has also been played at polar research facilities in the Arctic as well as in Svalbard, Antarctica and on Adelaide Island.

Sally said: “The project grew from my love for science and astronomy, and my interest in hearing the individual stories behind each listener. I love the idea of being heard in remote and unusual locations, particularly after being in lockdown, so I set myself a challenge of seeing how far away I could be heard.

“Each release will be sent to unusual locations that connect to the element they’re representing; for air, I have sent them to space and weather scientists, and polar research facilities. For earth, I will send them to deserts and rainforests. For fire, I will be sending them to volcanoes, and for water, I am focusing on scientific research ships.”

Talking about her time at Bath Spa University, Sally said: “Studying BA Commercial Music allowed me to focus on the type of music I want to create, and gave me the opportunity to learn more about the industry I’m entering. Spending three years focusing on my music has allowed me to massively improve my musicianship, and work in a community of many talented individuals, alongside giving me the confidence to start producing and promoting my own work.”

The tracks are being released on significant days; the first pair on the first day of British Summer Time which is also a full moon day. Each remaining pair will follow the next full moon with the earth pair being released on 27 April, fire on 26 May, and water on 24 June

You can listen to the songs and follow the project on Sally’s website.