Bring Out the Boombox for an Unsilent Night

My family loves Unsilent Night in San Francisco. It is one of the few events we go to see in San Francisco every year. 

A couple hundred people will meet at Dolores Park @ 18th Street tonight to walk the nighttime streets  carrying media players of all shapes and sizes. Each plays a version of Phil Kline's orchestral piece for boomboxes. Check out my video to get an idea of what I am talking about. Come participate, you won't be disappointed.

The music starts so softly that newcomers often wonder what is wrong and restart their players.  That guarantees that somebody is always playing out of sync, which adds to the fun.  What you hear depends on which of the four parts you are playing, what fellow carolers near and far are playing, and how the sound bounces off and mixes with the ambient sounds of the busy city.

You can download a track of music from Kline's website to play on your iPod or iPad before the event or you can borrow a CD or tape at the event.  Come early if you want a free CD or tape. They go quickly.

Joe Devlin is a resident of Moss Beach.

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