September 11 Digital Archive

The Sonic Memorial Project

Title

The Sonic Memorial Project

Description

SonicMemorial.org is an open archive and an online audio installation of the history of The World Trade Center. It collected stories, ambient sounds, voicemails, and archival recordings to tell the rich history of the twin towers, the neighborhood and the events of 9/11. Led by NPR's Lost & Found Sound, The Sonic Memorial Project is a cross-media collaboration of more than 50 independent radio and new media producers, artists, historians, and people from around the world who have contributed personal and archival recordings. To date, we have gathered more than 1,000 contributions, many of which have been woven into feature stories by Lost & Found Sound and broadcast on NPR. SonicMemorial.org is produced by Picture Projects and dotsperinch in collaboration with Lost & Found Sound.

Items in the The Sonic Memorial Project Collection

Lauren Marshall, a native of Oregon, recalls visiting the WTC in 1979 and being amazed by the river of people on the escalators--it was the most people she has ever seen.

New Jersey mom Carolyn Holl brought her twin sons to the top of the WTC and remembers hearing another mother telling her kids not to look at boring New Jersey but to look at cool Brooklyn instead . . .

Composer Carl Seale wrote a procession for high school bands in the summer of 2001. After 9/11, he titled it The Procession of Souls.

Seattle resident Greg McFarlen recalls watching the news on September 11, but the only sound he remembers is the noise of his coffee cup dropping to the floor.

Californian Michael Moss plays the message from his brother in New York that woke him on the morning of September 11.

Tom Munyon a member of the Seraphim Music chorus in Seattle, sang the Fauré Requiem at a memorial service and found the performance especially moving.

Liz Wallerstein's husband is a songwriter. She reads from his work, And You Want Me to Sing a Song, written October 19, 2001.

Video producer Marshall Saunders talks about the fire safety video he made at the WTC after the 1993 bombing.

Elizabeth Rich reads a story about watching the towers being built while visiting her grandma in New Jersey. The towers were the mountains of her childhood.

Carlos Quinteros made a music video using footage from his trip to NYC in 1999 to express what he feels about the city.

Myrna Annette was flying from France to the United States on 9/11 and was shocked when the pilot said U.S. airspace was closed.

Agnes Crow of Virginia sings a haunting wail in response to the events of September 11.

Poet Jill Breckenridge reads her work Contour Line Drawing. She was at a drawing class at the time of the attacks, and her son lives in NYC.

Austin firefighter Peter Teliha sent a care package and poem to his company's sister station in NYC, Ladder 18.

Colorado songwriter Lynn Skinner wrote Voices from the Sky in response to 9/11.

Pamela Bowl's family moved to New York from Canada some time ago and has celebrated two important events at the WTC--she feels they provide bookend stories for her family. Her son's bar mitzvah was held there in 1978. And on November 11, 2000, when…

Floridian Frances Key, director of the International Peace Performers children's chorus, recommends that her group sing for peace and in honor of 9/11. The Florida-based, multi-cultural chorus includes both refugee and American children.

Pennsylvanian Paul LaBelle wrote a song called Hero's Legacy to salute the heros of 9/11 and raise money.

Chicago poet Mary Krane Derr composed a multimedia interfaith requiem from broadcasts, songs, and phone calls. It's called For the Living and the Dead.

Peter Genet was working across from the WTC and recalls leaving a message for his family on 9/11.

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