40°42′ 42″ N 74° 00′ 45″ W

Scored work for flute, Clarinet in Bb, and String Quartet.

This work was composed to depict the reconstruction of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, following the 9/11 terror attacks. The work focusses particularly on the construction of the One World Trade Center, referred to as the ‘Freedom Tower’ and was inspired by a site visit to the World Trade Center in 2023.

Disclaimer: This work tackles sensitive and distressing subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.

September 11th 2001 is a day that for many still remains etched in the memory. Unlike any of the other tragedies I have engaged with in my research, this is the first event that I vividly remember experiencing in my life. I was seven years old and had just come home from school at the time. This exposure to the event brought fundamental change to my experience of the world, from a fear of flying, to an uncontrollable reaction to loud noises. As is the case with many tragedies, the way in which we ascertain, process, and engage with such material is not a set response. In fact, the way in which we approach our connection to such tragedies helps to create a wider community of experiences.

Like many global tragedies, the arts, and in particular the musical arts have participated in the responses and depictions of the events they represent. This includes both lyrical and instrumental works. However, when these works enter the public sphere, what are the parameters for the correct use, intention, and exploitation that could be presented? Should there be such considerations on the part of the composer/creator? Is there a balance that can be found between the creation of tragedy and the responsibilities of the creator in the process?

This project and poster explores the way in which musical works have been used to depict the tragedy of 9/11, looking at examples from a range of backgrounds and experiences, and contrasting this with my own work, ‘40°42′ 42″  N 74° 00′ 45″  W’ (Banymandhub, 2024e), based on the aftermath of 9/11 and the building of the One World Trade Center in New York City. This project was conducted under a short time frame for a composition workshop for string quartet, Bb clarinet, and flute. Similarly to my prior works focussing on the Holocaust and the 7/7 London bombings, my primary focus was to challenged the thresholds for effective creation of tragedy works, testing, refining my prism model for practice led research (Banymandhub, 2023e) and the subsequent Create with Compassion framework (Banymandhub, 2024d). Furthermore, this work challenges the discussions on personal responsibility as a creator and the compositional process in relation to authenticity, focussing on personal process.

References:

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Banymandhub, A, (2023f) One World Trade Center [Digital Image].

Banymandhub, A. (2024d) Create with compassion: A model and guide to help prepare for your creative project. Unpublished.

Banymandhub, A. (2024e) 40°42′ 42″  N 74° 00′ 45″  W [Score]. Bath: self-published.

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