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“ONE OF THE LOVELIEST COMMUNAL NEW-MUSIC
EXPERIENCES YOU'LL EVER ENCOUNTER.”
— TIME OUT
Welcome!
Since its creation in 1992, Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night has become a beloved annual holiday tradition in cities around the world.
It’s very simple to do: Each participant plays one of the four tracks from any device that amplifies music, together making a joyful noise as they walk a pre-planned route. Originally written for cassettes and boomboxes, nowadays most people download our app and use their phone with a Bluetooth speaker. Some people get creative and make their own sound rigs, which we love!
From grassroots organizers and museums to municipalities and libraries, Unsilent Night has been celebrated in over 180 cities on five continents.
“A SHIMMERING SOUND-WALL OF BELLS AND CHIMES THAT IS DREAMLIKE TO WANDER THROUGH IN THE DECEMBER NIP.”
— THE VILLAGE VOICE
Phil’s collection of vintage Panasonic RFS430 boomboxes.
How It All Began
Though one could think of Unsilent Night as a piece of experimental music, it is essentially a caroling party. When I wrote it in 1992, I was thinking of my childhood, the magic of frosty December nights in Ohio, the warmth of public gatherings, and the spellbinding effect of sound traveling through frozen air.
That first winter, I gathered a group of friends, handed out boomboxes loaded with my cassettes, and we counted: one, two, three, PLAY!
After a brief silence came the surprise: the gentle echoes of the canyons of downtown Manhattan came alive—pulsing, sparkling, mysterious, and uplifting. 45 minutes passed in a flash, and as we realized it was ending, we formed a circle. The music faded away and someone called out ‘Rewind!’
So here we are again, all rewound and ready to go.
— PHIL KLINE
Phil’s original Unsilent Night cassette tapes.