“The Day My Teachers Cried” has been released.
I was in high school when the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy occurred. The hope and anticipation held by so many people across the world on that day turned quickly to shock, horror and deep sadness. “The Day My Teacher Cried” is a reflection on the events of that day, the Challenger Crew’s profound legacy as well as a celebration of their lives.
Here are some points of interest about the Challenger Crew:
- The Challenger Center was founded by family members of the Challenger crew and is a wonderful tribute to their legacy. Click here to learn more about the Challenger Center.
- Each crew member has an amazing story and you can head to the NASA and Challenger Center websites to learn more. The Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51L Crew includes:
- Francis “Dick” Scobee - Mission Commander
- Michael Smith - Pilot
- Ellison Onizuka - Mission Specialist
- Judith Resnik - Mission Specialist
- Ronald McNair - Mission Specialist
- Gregory Jarvis - Payload Specialist
- Christa McAuliffe - Teacher in Space Payload Specialist
- John Denver wrote a lovely song dedicated to the Challenger crew, their families and the NASA staff called “Flying For Me.” You can listen to it Spotify and Apple.
Now for some music notes:
- The outro of “The Day My Teachers Cried” serves as a celebration of life. This part of the song features a saxophone in recognition of Ron McNair who was an avid saxophonist.
- "Space Oddity” (David Bowie) and “Rocket Man” (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) are referenced in the song starting at ~2:34. The reference is an acknowledgement of these and the many other great songs which capture & inspire our fascination with space.
You can listen to “The Day My Teachers Cried” on any of these sites:
eric 😎
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