"Music From Ground Zero", by Tim Tuttle

"Music from Ground Zero" was written by my husband. He's not a professional musician
( though he should be) . His office was right across the street from the WTC: I remember him calling me, puzzled after they heard about the first plane; and then his voice after he called the second time. He had seen the second plane right outside their window ; he saw so much that day. In the days that followed he found out he had lost many, many friends. He was just utterly crushed. A few nights later he picked up his guitar and he was singing so softly I could barely hear him. But it was beautiful. I don't think I had ever heard him sing, and he had never really written music before, though music was certainly his life force and he had been to hundreds of concerts. Somehow all this music that had been inside him came pouring out. The music was so good that some professional musicians found out about it and a band sort of coalesced; on the first anniversary they did a benefit at Tribeca Blues. My husband had never sung in public before. But this music was coming from so deep in his soul, and I think he had such a need to offer what he could give---- ( and he does have a great voice) --and the show was amazing. Since then they have done a benefit each year, at The Knitting Factory, and now at Mercury Lounge. I know it has helped in the healing of many, many people. And not only in NYC. One year a music teacher in ( very) rural Georgia came upon his website as a way for her kids to process what had happened and wrote to him; he ended up corresponding with all these wonderful eighth graders. And although he was opposed to the war, another year he sent CD;s to soldiers in Iraq, because so many of the songs dealt with the loss of friends. Later that year a soldier in uniform showed up at the Knitting Factory; all of his company had signed a flag for Tim to thank him.
I love this music because it is amazingly beautiful, and because it encapsulates for me what was the great light in the darkness of that day: despite all the sorrow and madness in this world, people have more beauty inside them than we can imagine. It came out in a million ways after 9/11; this is my husband's way.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1213072097/88fc8741d39603ef75f9582400e351c0
( or I can send the link) Also at
www.musicfromgroundzero.org. Especially "Inside", "44 Lights" and "By Your Side".

Barbara Blackburn Tuttle