I know how I felt when this happened, but it is still so hard to this day to write and express what i felt. Communicating such emotions is incredibly difficult and at times, not enough words can describe what happened. To those who suffered the most, and for the rest of us who were somehow impacted, i believe there's opportunity to heal. I've always felt passionate about memorials because they're spaces that are most personal to the experience of those who visit them. As a young architecture student, I worked in a few memorial competitions because i believed this was what i was most passionate about and how i could use architecture to improve the lives of others. By the time I got to graduate school, i was presented with an unfortunate opportunity. October 1st happened and the one way i could best help my community was with the help of architecture. As time has passed, i have dedicated my time in teaching to improve my skills and research human centric design. Whether it is through the use of emotions, our stories, and our experiences, my goal has been to hopefully one day help design something that'll bring a positive impact to all of us.
-
Submission #123
Tuesday 1 November 20223 items -
Submission #122
2 itemsI think it is important to tell the story, not just represent it in a sculpture, building or artistic rendering. The written word can be powerful, and can often encompass that which many people feel. For that reason, I am submitting a poem I wrote during the 5-year Remembrance event. Poetry is art, and therefore is one way the story can be told.
-
Submission #120
1 itemPat Dalton Amico is a survivor of the Route 91 shooting. Pat and his wife not only attended the concert but assisted other survivors that night, including getting ten (10) people into their truck to find medical attention and safety. Many of the people he helped have called him a hero, but he feels he just did the right thing.
Pat, being a singer and songwriter, thought he could do more to help! Pat wrote two (2) songs, 58 Angels and Forever Family, memorializing the victims and honoring those lost that night, who are known as Angels. Both of those songs Pat utilized to help raise money for the victims and to help heal everyone affected by the tragedy. 58 Angels and Forever Family, quickly became the songs with which many survivors and angel families identify. One of the Angel mothers, who only speaks Spanish, reached out to Pat to sing 58 Angels at a memorial dedication for her son. Pat was told she has listened to his song everyday and can sing it word for word. Pat had her sing right next to him on stage at a tribute event for her son. Additionally, Pat has attended heavenly birthday events for that Angel and sang for the family at each one. Pat has assisted in raising over $100K for the Angel family’s and victims. He has performed the songs at each of the four (4) annual Route 91 memorial concerts, tribute events, fundraising concerts and for Angel families personally. Pat oversaw and funded the creation and production of a musical compilation containing Pat’s original songs plus those of other artists touched by the tragedy. In addition to selling thousands of copies of the CD, Pat made available the song 58 Angels to download and streaming services, donating all proceeds from those sales, downloads and streams to Route 91 charities that directly aided the victims.
Pat calls the route 91 survivor and Angel family’s his family. So many of the family’s have traveled to visit Pat and and his wife, Colli, at their home in Las Vegas and numerous family members of those he helped that night in his truck have reached out to thank them. A young woman who had been shot and her fiancé were two of those people in Pat’s truck that night. Realizing that she needed immediate medical attention, Pat swerved toward an ambulance, resulting in the EMT’s stopping and transferring the injured woman for transport to the hospital. Months later, after finally discovering the identities of the young woman and fiancé who were helped to the ambulance, Pat and his wife were invited to their wedding and remain close friends with them to this day.
The Route 91 community is a second family to Pat and his wife, just as Pat’s Forever Family song says. -
Submission #118
3 itemsHello, my name is Ben Stone. I'm a singer-songwriter and entertainer from Liverpool, England. I've lived and performed in Las Vegas since 2008. Apologies for this late submission. I was only recently made aware of the opportunity to do so for this most worthwhile project and permanent 1 October memorial.
In the days following October 1st 2017, I wrote a song called VEGAS STRONG in an attempt to try and process this unimaginable tragedy and shine a light on the unwavering spirit and unity of our Las Vegas community. Combined with a selection of powerful imagery from various media sources, I posted my song in the form of a video on Facebook and on YouTube. The video and song received tens of thousands of views / plays / shares and comments. I was grateful that it was so well received and was perhaps able to offer some solace for those reached both locally, nationally and internationally.
I would be honored to have my song included as part of any permanent 1 October memorial. The original song is more of a live stripped down acoustic version (attached), but I believe through my many musician and music producer friends in Las Vegas I could arrange to have this song properly recorded and produced for this project. Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss this further ( ben@benstoneproductions.com ). Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you and supporting this project in any way I can. Cheers for now, Ben
In additional to the audio .wav file attached, below is a link to both the YouTube video and Facebook video post on social media, along with the Facebook post copy ...
VEGAS STRONG by Ben Stone - YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJN9SkX5SwQ&t=10s
VEGAS STRONG by Ben Stone - Facebook video post:
https://www.facebook.com/736984244/videos/10156143374734245
VEGAS STRONG - by Ben Stone
#VegasStrong #VegasStrongAnthem ... PLEASE SHARE!✌️❤️
Written and produced by singer-songwriter Ben Stone in support of the victims, their families and all those affected by the senseless attack in Las Vegas on October 1st 2017. VEGAS STRONG pays tribute to the brave and heroic first responders and the strength, unity and resilience of the incredible Las Vegas community.
"Like so many others, Las Vegas in now the place I'm proud to call home. Amidst such devastating pain and suffering, the outpouring of love here has demonstrated the very best of humanity. Music heals and my hope is that this VEGAS STRONG anthem offers strength to those in need and reflects the unbreakable spirit of our great city. We will illuminate the dark, we will lead with love, we are VEGAS STRONG." - Ben Stone
The VEGAS STRONG anthem is a totally non-profit song / video.
Special thanks to the many amazing photographers and media outlets who captured the spirit of the Las Vegas community in the days and weeks following the tragedy. Grateful to be able to display such powerful imagery as part of this song’s message of unity.