NASA astronaut's rock 'n' roll past plays well in space
From guitar hero to space hero: NASA's Scott Tingle took the lessons learned from playing in a rock band all the way into orbit.
Are you ready to rock? NASA's Scott Tingle is.
Before Tingle was tucking into spacesuits and floating around in microgravity on the International Space Station, he was delivering out-of-this-world riffs and licks as part of a Boston-area rock band. A fascinating NASA video released Friday delves into how Tingle's rocker alter ego has helped him with his astronaut duties. He is currently in orbit on the ISS.
"The same skills I learned by being in a band, I still use today," said Tingle, who cites team skills, patience and the ability to appreciate other people's contributions as important lessons from his rock-band days. He joined his first band as a teenager.
According to a 2012 article in The Herald News, Tingle's band was called the Loose Ends. It had local success and got some radio airplay.
Tingle still has it. The video opens with him laying down some soulful fuzz-laden licks on a Fender Stratocaster. Later, he shows his chops with an advanced technique called "tapping" that involves using both hands on the guitar's fretboard. It's flashy and it sounds great.
While NASA is no doubt happy Tingle decided to pursue a career in the astronaut corps, us rock 'n' roll fans can mourn the loss of what could have been one of the most awesome rock names ever: "Hello, Cleveland! Please give it up for Scott Tiiiiiiiiiiingle!"
