Psyche Inspired: Rebecca Farmer

Rebecca Farmer Headshot

Institution: Utah State University

Major: BA in Music with an Emphasis in Composition

Psyche Inspired Class: 2024-2025

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: De Gasparis’ Psyche

De Gasparis’ Psyche

Rebecca Farmer

November 6th, 2024

Major: BA in Music with an Emphasis in Composition

Genre/Medium: Contemporary Classical Piano Duet; Video Performance and Sheet Music

About the work:

“De Gasparis’ Psyche” is a contemporary classical piano duet inspired by the discovery of the Psyche asteroid by Annibale de Gasparis in 1852. This piece reflects the journey of exploration and the celestial beauty of the cosmos through three distinct musical sections. Read more…

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Reflections on Project 2: Between Mars and Jupiter

Between Mars and Jupiter

Rebecca Farmer

January 6th, 2025

Major: BA in Music with an Emphasis in Composition

Genre/Medium: Classical Contemporary Piece, Graphic Score

About the work:

“Between Mars and Jupiter” is a contemporary classical duet inspired by the orbital patterns of the asteroid Psyche, which orbits between the two planets. This piece takes the listener on a sonic journey through space, drawing on the mysterious and dynamic motion of Psyche’s trajectory. The work incorporates open instrumentation, allowing it to be performed by a wide variety of musicians and in diverse venues. The piece features a graphic score and aleatoric notation, which are featured on the panels of the Psyche spacecraft launched on October 13, 2023. Read more…

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Reflections on Project 3: Journey to the Metal World

Journey to the Metal World

Rebecca Farmer

March 28th, 2025

Major: BA in Music with an Emphasis in Composition

Genre/Medium: Instrumental Pop Song Created in Logic Pro X

About the work:

The instrumental composition “Journey to the Metal World” is a fusion of cinematic pop, classical piano, and electronic elements, inspired by the metallic asteroid Psyche. Taking influence from the dynamic, genre-blending style of Tokio Myers, this piece embarks on a sonic voyage that mirrors the wonder, intensity, and solitude of deep-space exploration. The piece opens with a delicate yet haunting piano motif, representing the distant call of the unknown. Layers of pulsating synths and atmospheric textures emerge, evoking the vast expanse of space. A rhythmic, driving beat takes over, symbolizing the spacecraft’s descent, while metallic-sounding percussion and glitchy electronic flourishes create an otherworldly ambiance. In the final section, the music swells to a climactic fusion of electronic pulses and symphonic grandeur, embodying the thrill of discovery before fading into an ethereal, reflective outro—leaving the listener suspended in the weightless mystery of space.

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Reflections on Project 4: Tapestry of Psyche

Tapestry of Psyche

Rebecca Farmer

Major: BA in Music with an Emphasis in Composition

Genre/Medium: Crochet Tapestry

About the work:

“Tapestry of Psyche” is a one-of-a-kind crochet tapestry made up of 3,680 stitches that brings together the elegance of medieval artistry with the wonders of space exploration. This handmade piece is crafted with yarns inspired by the vivid colors of the NASA Psyche mission, capturing the awe and mystery of the Psyche spacecraft’s journey to a unique asteroid.

The tapestry features a whimsical design, with intricate details of the Psyche spacecraft floating amidst a starry sky, accompanied by a soft, dreamlike cloud. The pixelated graphic of “Psyche” adds a modern, digital touch to the piece, blending the ancient with the futuristic in a way that mirrors the mission itself. Just as medieval tapestries told stories of distant lands and mythic adventures, this work of art weaves together the story of space, science, and imagination.

Each stitch is carefully made, using rich, textured yarns to evoke the grandeur of the cosmos, while the pixelated design nods to the digital age. This tapestry is a tribute to the ongoing quest for knowledge, the beauty of the unknown, and the timeless wonder of discovery.

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