Apollo 11

July 20, 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. This was a monumental event, as it was the first time humans set foot on a celestial body other than Earth itself. It was also important technologically (the mission itself), politically (the cold war/space race), and boosted the morale of our nation during a difficult time (the Vietnam War).

The song begins with excerpts from President John F. Kennedy's special message to Congress on May 25, 1961. This is followed by the voice of mission control (and rocket rumble) at the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969, and then finally another excerpt from President Kennedy from his address at Rice University on September 12, 1962. Later on we add astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "The Eagle has landed" and "One small step for man..." communications. Neil Armstrong was, of course, the first man to step on the Moon.

The song is pretty straightforward, though some rhythms may prove a little challenging (we rehearsed the phrase "Sea of Tranquility" in the studio a few times). It is nonetheless entirely in unison, which helps keep the focus on the subject matter. When in doubt, listen to our full version recording as an example of performance.

It should be noted that the spoken solos at measure 43 are the words on a plaque attached to the leg of Apollo 11's lunar landing vehicle, The Eagle. That plaque is on the Moon today.

Which brings up another point. This whole song is a teachable moment, so be sure you let classroom teachers (especially the science and history teachers) know you have a great song to reinforce teaching across the curriculum. Although some of the lyrics are more poetic, it also contains important facts. For instance, the Saturn V (pronounced "Saturn Five") is the rocket that propelled the astronauts into space, and The Sea of Tranquility is a large plain on the Moon where the astronauts landed. It should also be noted that although President Kennedy did not live to see the Moon mission completed, the people at NASA (National Aeronautics And Space Administration) took his words to Congress in 1961 - "before this decade is out" - very seriously. For when the astronauts safely splashed down on July 24, 1969, a message was displayed on a screen at Johnson Space Center (mission control) which read: "Task Accomplished... July 1969," with the Apollo 11 insignia beneath it.