Embedded Files
Hearing Philadelphia is a collaborative musical work that amplifies the voices of those affected by gun violence in the City of Philadelphia. Each performance of this “score” is not just a musical act but a communal remembrance—an opportunity to honor lives lost and to foster healing through sound.
We invite you to visit our Digital Memorial, where you can listen to the stories of those we remember. Let their voices guide your performance, and share their stories so they are not forgotten.
Music has the power to build new communities, to reshape how we listen and relate to one another. May this piece serve as a space for remembrance—but also for imagining and creating a more just and compassionate world.
Table of Contents
Interactive Performance Score
Movement I: Music in the Arcades - c. 10 min
Movement I: Music in the Arcades - c. 10 min
This movement is about carrying voices forward—letting memory, breath, and sound resonate together in a space where they can be heard.
Setup & Materials
Each performer (instrumentalist or singer) should have a personal audio device (smartphone, mp3 player, etc.) and headphones or earbuds to be used for the first movement.
Musician groups are divided by type. Each group performs in their assigned arcade.
North Arcade = woodwinds
South Arcade = brass
East Arcade = strings
West Arcade = voices
*Percussion waits outside of the arcades. See Movement II for percussion entry.
Movement & Spacing
Musicians spread evenly around each arcade. If able, move slowly and freely around the space while playing, responding and interacting with the natural resonance of the arcade—let the architecture of City Hall amplify and transform the sounds. Make sure to allow for the free movement of pedestrians!
Listening & Response
Begin by listening. Visit our Digital Memorial and take a moment to absorb what you hear—not just the words, but the emotion, the tone, the rhythm of speech, the breath.
Let a sound emerge. Allow a single sustained pitch or sonority to surface from your response to the recording. This may be drawn from the speaker’s vocal contour, the weight of their words, or a personal emotional resonance. It does not need to directly imitate, but rather reflect.
Sustain and blend. Hold this tone gently, listening to the surrounding voices. Adjust your dynamics and timbre to create a collective resonance with the space and the ensemble. Let the architecture of City Hall amplify and transform the sounds.
Shaping the Performance
Duration: Each performer decides how long to hold each tone before allowing another to emerge. There is no fixed pulse, only a shared awareness of the collective sound.
Silences & Pauses: Between sounds, allow space for breath and reflection. Silence is part of the resonance.
Interaction: As you listen to others, you may subtly shift your pitch or timbre to blend, contrast, or create gentle beating tones in the overtones of the space.
Ending: The piece concludes after around 10 minutes. The entry of the percussionists will signal the start of Movement II. Fade out and wait for cue from section leader to begin playing Movement II.
Graphic Score Sample:
Sample Audio Excerpt of Movement I
Movement II: Movement Music - c. 5-10 min
Movement II: Movement Music - c. 5-10 min
This movement is a gradual build—a gathering of rhythm and sound, transitioning through the space and uniting into a collective resonance. The performers will move and interact, following the pulse of the drumline while maintaining a focus on their sustained tones.
Movement
The PME Drumline (and percussionists) will start from outside the arcade, playing a high-energy rhythmic marching cadence (see score below). They gradually move through the arcades and into the courtyard of City Hall. All other musicians will follow behind them in a line.
The four groups of musicians snake around the inner courtyard around the attendees.
Gradually form a big circle around the attendees in the center of the courtyard and hold your positions, ending Movement II on cue from PME Drumline.
See the score for C instruments below for detailed instructions on the sounds for Movement II. Scores for Bb instruments, Eb instruments, bass clef instruments, and guitars are available for download here [https://bit.ly/4iJuJNK]. An audio mock-up of the entire piece is available here. Note that the durations of each cell will be determined by the speed at which the musicians move. And so this audio mock-up will likely progress faster than the actual performance.
Drum Cadence
NOTE: Drum cadences throughout are transcribed from Positive Movement Drumline live performances and rehearsals. What is notated is merely an outline or scaffolding of what the percussionists could and should play. Percussionists are encouraged to embellish these cadences freely and in the spirit of this music.
Cell 1
Cell 2
Cell 3
Cell 4
Cell 5
Cell 6
Cell 7
Cell 8
Mock-up of Movement II (for reference only)
Movement III: Remembrance - c. 15-30 min
Movement III: Remembrance - c. 15-30 min
During this movement, families remember their loved ones and speak their names. There will be no music. Please stand quietly surrounding the attendees and families.
LISTEN
Movement IV: Rising in the Courtyard - 5-10 min
Movement IV: Rising in the Courtyard - 5-10 min
Hold position surrounding attendees and families in the center of the courtyard. After families are done speaking, percussion section leader gives cue to start.
Part I - We Love You
Part 2 - Layer 1 - Pitched Instruments and Voices (with percussion)
Part 2 - Layer 2 - Pitched Instruments and Voices (Layer 1 Removed)
Part 2 - Layer 3 - Percussion (all other layers removed)
Part 2 - Layer 4 - Low Instruments (all other layers except percussion removed)
Part 3 - Soloists - Sound Sample (all other layers removed)
Mock-Up of Movement IV (for reference only)
Movement V: Procession Out - c. 5 min
Movement V: Procession Out - c. 5 min
Continue playing material from Movement IV
All musicians gradually fade out except soloists and the original "we love you" drum cadence with shouted text. All musicians (except soloists) shout text, as before.
Soloists drop out one-by-one.
On cue from percussion section leader, "procession out cadence" begins on top of "we love you" cadence (see below)
Procession Out Cadence combined with We Love You Cadence
Procession Out Cadence Combined with We Love You Cadence
Process out in a line, following percussion section leader. Head north while chanting "we love you" drum cadence text. Continue until the epidemic of gun violence in our city and nation has ended.
This piece is not finished. It will continue—repeated, adapted, and reimagined—until we no longer lose lives to preventable violence.
To take action, support those most directly impacted, and advocate for policy change, visit:
www.hearingphiladelphia.com/take-action
Mock-Up of Entire Movement V (for reference only)
Others are allowed to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work, but only for non-commercial purposes.
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