Audio Monuments
It’s difficult to describe an Audio Monument, because each one is as unique as its subject. But as soon as you hear one, you’ll understand how powerful they are.
We make personalized audio documentaries that honor and preserve the people and events we care about most.
My partner Natalie Gregory and I started making Audio Monuments a few years ago, and it’s safe to say this is the most meaningful work I’ve done. By creating these artifacts for people, we’re giving them a permanent record of their loved ones that goes far beyond what a pile of old photographs and a scrap book can do. We’re helping create an oral history of individuals and families in the form of beautifully produced sonic experiences, that can be passed down for generations.
We treat every person as an important Historical Figure.
Let’s say you have an aging parent who’s lived a beautiful life, filled with stories and characters. You have some photographs, maybe even some old videos, but when taken all together it doesn’t quite capture who they are. It’s the stories they tell, and the stories people tell about them…It’s the sound of their voice, their laugh - that’s who a person is to us.
So in an Audio Monument, we set out to capture the essence of that person, as if we were making a documentary about some famous historical figure. We conduct interviews with friends and family, collect archival media, and craft a narrative that tells the story of a lifetime.
We then edit it, sound design it, and score it with original music inspired by the subject.
When it’s finished, you have a 30-60 minute radio show all about your loved one. Now when your children ask, “What was your Mom like?” you can press play and let them hear for themselves.
How it all started
When my wife’s grandfather died during Covid, we couldn’t get together in person for a funeral. So as a way of creating a remote memorial that everyone could attend, I put together this 40 minute audio documentary, comprised of voice recordings that friends and family sent in - favorite stories, memories, songs. It became such a powerful, beautiful, and permanent record of this beloved man, and Audio Monuments was born.
Since then, Audio Monuments has become so much more. I partnered with my friend, the brilliant podcast producer, Natalie Gregory. We’ve made Audio Monuments to honor living people, weddings, family reunions, and birthdays.
Check out our website AudioMonuments.com to learn more.