Ensemble Celebrates Birthdays Far, Far Away 🪐🎂🚀

The familiar sounds of the classic song “Happy Birthday” are a comforting way to celebrate another trip around the sun, especially for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) astronauts who are spending their birthdays far from Earth.

ThunderRidge High School’s wind ensemble had the unique honor of contributing an arrangement of the familiar birthday song to NASA’s CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) for their Mars simulation that will conclude in October of this year. The special arrangement, named “A Birthday Far, Far Away,” was composed by ThunderRidge junior Jack Todd (pictured in front) and then recorded by the ensemble. It will be played to celebrate each of the four crew members on their birthdays during their yearlong mission.

In a letter to the students, crew member Ellen Ellis mentioned the importance of music to her team. Included in the 60 total pounds of gear each member of the crew could bring for the full year (clothes, toiletries, tools, books and more), crew members also brought a banjo, keyboard, kazoo and harmonicas. "Even on Mars, we need music,” said Ellis. 

Through the lessons learned from the CHAPEA mission, the goal of NASA is to reduce the risks of human health and performance during spaceflight - resulting in safe and successful crewed missions to the Moon, Mars and for many more birthdays.