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Two years after Sept. 11
While the world watched video relays from New York on Sept. 11, 2001, Fresno State music professor Benjamin Boone sat down in the afternoon and penned the first movement of an orchestral piece that would take two years to complete. A few minutes after 9 p.m. on Thursday, more than 80 Fresno State students debuted the song, called “9-11,” to the world. It started with a series of booming crashes that shook the Fresno State Music Hall, and followed with random sounds and recorded phrases from various interviews Boone conducted with Fresno State students. Through their voices and instruments, the students became the heart of the song, Boone said. “ It’s the interviews, it’s their words,” he said. “They gave me the material. I feel honored to be able to work with them.” The song’s second movement, “The Aftermath,” is more subdued and draws away from the tension of the attacks and leads into the hope of the changes the event brought. The concert, which sold out the music hall, featured a selection of songs that started with “America the Beautiful” and “Kyrie” from Missa Secunda. It ended with “9-11,” a song that Boone said could have only been done with the raw emotions from students at Fresno State. “ I wanted students to be a part of the music,” he said. “I realized they all talked about the actual event—how horrific and unbelievable it was.” Within weeks of the terrorist attacks, Boone said he began to interview students. He wanted to show how much feeling is associated with the attacks, he said. The song, like the attacks, brought back strong memories for Emily Willingham, a senior majoring in both music education and performance. She played the flute in the program, and she also was one of the students interviewed after Sept. 11. “ I could not stop crying,” she said. “Especially with my mom in the audience, it was hard to hold back tears.” In the song, she said that even though her mom was in Modesto on Sept. 11, she had to call her just to be sure she was safe. “ She’s the most important person in my life,” she said. “ 9-11” has more than 80 parts. Throughout the first movement, the voices of students echoed and repeated words such as “9-11,” “Sept. 11,” “Nothing was safe” and “attacks” as the music rose and fell, twisted and turned. In the second movement, the voices spoke of hope. “— I think it bonded our country—“ “— tragedy brought us together—” “— It’s sad it had to be an event like this.” After the song ended, Boone was backstage, hugging and shaking hands. When people congratulated Boone, he shook it off. “ It was the students,” he said. “It was the students.” |
