I was made aware of the wonderful work of musician John Boswell, thanks to a tweet from the American Humanist Association's twitter page (americnhumanist). Boswell is currently engaged in what he calls Symphony of Science. In this project, he writes pieces of music and applies as lyrics the interesting and inspiring quotes from scientists such as Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, and Stephen Hawking. He uses their original voices but alters the pitch to be melodic with the music. It's not meant to be a realistic simulation of singing, but has an electronic pitch to it, which is fitting for the slightly techno-style musical backdrop - reminiscent of the technological, and thus the scientific.
What is so great about Boswell's work is not the technical aspects, but how he uses music to communicate the awe at the topics being discussed. In his renditions, Boswell captures the feel one can have listening to scientists such as these. The profound experience we can have as we explore the wonders of the universe are stunning and it is refreshing to see music like this capture it emotionally. Surely, this will be an excellent tool in communicating the beauty of the universe as revealed by science.
You can learn more about Boswell's project at www.symphonyofscience.com as well as sign up to his mailing list, download MP3s of these songs, and contribute your support for the project. Let's hope he creates more!
This is my spirituality...
