"Music has been a defining force in my life, thanks to the unwavering support of both my parents," Gillis told El Sistema. "My mother, a music teacher, championed my classical training on the violin, which has helped shape me into the engineer and astronaut I am today. The discipline, work ethic, and creativity fostered through music set me on the path that led to this extraordinary adventure into space."

"I feel that one of the skills from music is the ability to break down any problem and practice very small pieces of it until you can build a whole, and that feels so applicable to space flight," Gillis said in an interview with the Polaris Dawn Crew. "You are learning, with repetition, how to break down the things you can't accomplish, and then see them through, with practice, and get to the other side."