it's deadly; [rumbling sound of rocket engine] (voice of astronaut) [unintelligible] 29 Apollo. (male speaker continues) it’s not a place for humans, and
[rocket engine sound fades out] those who go there take great risks. (voice of astronaut) [unintelligible] Okay, stand by there, Jane, we’re lookin’ at it. [unintelligible] (Michael Giacchino continues) I
[instrumental music]
was commissioned to write a piece of
music to celebrate the 60th anniversary
of NASA.
[music volume increases]
The piece I wrote is called “Voyage.”
[music]
The idea of people exploring for good—
that to me is very inspiring. [faint music in background]
(male announcer) Academy-award winning composer Michael
Giacchino. [applause] [trumpets and orchestra play]
[applause]
[rhythmic drumming, followed by trumpets and orchestra]
(Michael Giacchino) [music volume lowers] To be commissioned from NASA to write a
piece of music is even crazier than I—
the fact that I got to do [chuckles] Star Wars, Star
Trek, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange—like
it's even crazier than all of those
things sort of happening. This is even
bigger than that (uh) for me. Because this
involves the whole world. [rhythmic instrumental music begins] (Michael Giacchino) When I was kid,
I found myself with these series of
obsessions: Muppet Show, Star Trek. And I
wouldn't just [emphasized] like them, I would be
[emphasized] obsessed with them. [music volume increases] (voice of actor Leonard Nemoy) Live long and prosper.
[music volume lowers] (Michael Giacchino) Same with Star Wars. I would try
to learn as much as I could about [emphasized] how
they did it.
And I still can remember watching King
Kong for the first time and just being
like, [excitedly] what [emphasized] is this?! I just [emphasized] loved that
movie as a kid so much. I used to record
the movies on a tape recorder when I'd
go see them, and I would listen to them
at night. I’d put the speaker
underneath my pillow because it brought
fantasy to life, [jagged musical notes plus “zapping” sound effect for light sabers] and that sort of became
my M.O. I just loved that idea, bringing
fantasy to life. [instrumental music] This is such a gift
that [emphasized] I have been given in order to write
something in honor of NASA. [music continues]
Music is an incredibly powerful weapon.
There's just a great escape that can
happen. It's this [emphasized] weird thing that comes
from inspiration and emotion and feeling. [music continues]
I have to be affected emotionally in
some way, or else I can't write music. I
can't just manufacture music; it doesn't
work that way.
I was two years old when they landed on
the moon.
My dad took pictures of the television
screen—I still have those photos, I
treasured those photos. And as I got
older, I started following the other
launches. I would literally run home if I
knew that, either one was gonna land
or one was gonna take off. [droning music continues]
It's been one of the great joys of my
life, really getting an inside look at
what goes on over at NASA. [man shown speaking in video, but there is no sound]
[droning music continues]
I was able to go to the, the final
space shuttle launch. Me and my son went.
[roaring sound of engines as rocket takes off] (voice of male announcer) And zero and liftoff of space shuttle
Atlantis,
reaching the crest of its historic achievements in space. (male voice from ground control) [unintelligible] (voice of astronaut) Roger, over. [unintelligible] [sounds of rocket engine continue]
[spaceship engine sounds fade out] [droning music returns] And it was just such a—one of my
favorite moments [emphasized] ever. Just so inspired
by [emphasized] them and the fact that it's all for
good. [droning music continues and gradually becomes louder]
The piece I wrote is called “Voyage,” and
it's really a reflection of so many of
the thoughts I had as a kid growing up. I
always wondered what goes through a
person's head when they wake up in the
morning, and they know that they're about
to strap themselves to a rocket [music becomes lighter and more lyrical] and get
shot into space? You know, from the moment
they open their eyes that morning, to the
moment they're taken out to the pad, to
when they're (voice of ground control in background simultaneously with Michael Giacchino) 6 … 5… 4 … strapped in, to when they're
set off, to when they are floating, to (unintelligible voice of ground control continues faintly in background)
when they're then on their way to the
next thing, and then on their way back
home—this is sort of a thought about
people who take voyages, whether it is in
space, whether is it across the ocean,
whether it's across the nation. [music continues, then turns into droning music] (Michael Giacchino resumes) I can't
help but think that the beauty of space,
the beauty of exploration, will always
outweigh the dangers of, the deadliness of
space, and I think it will keep people
wanting to reach further and further (voice of ground control in background) Liftoff, we have a liftoff … [unintelligible] (Michael Giacchino simultaneously) to see what's out there.
[lyrical music returns] (Voice of John F. Kennedy) We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy,
but because they are hard. Because [emphasized]
that goal will serve to organize and
measure the best of our energies and
skills. Because that challenge is one
that we’re willing to accept, one we are
unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.
[music continues and becomes louder, includes sound of drums]
[music]
[applause, cheers]
Thank you.