Sound Stories is an oral histories and community arts project of Marlborough bringing together the voices of farmers, business owners, students, long-standing families, and new arrivals to the community.

With support from the New York Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship, composer and sound designer, Katie Down has teamed up with the Marlboro Free Library and Marlboro High School to realize this creative vision. Every person with a tie to Marlborough is invited to contribute their own narrative, whether through spoken word, poetry, music, or visual art, to this evolving collective sound collage.
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To ensure these legacies last for generations, all finished interviews will find a permanent home in the archives of the Marlboro Free Library and on a public sound platform to foster and promote local histories that help shape our future.

Phase 1: Gathering Voices. We are currently working toward a goal of collecting as many community interviews as possible by September 1st.
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Phase 2: Composition. Selected fragments from these recordings will be integrated with local field recordings and musical elements into a sound collage for our public sound walks this autumn. More on Sound Walks below.
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Phase 3: Experience. This October, we will host four guided sound walks in the hamlet of Marlboro and along the Marlboro Nature Trail, allowing attendees to engage with these living memories through listening.
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The general public is invited to a  festive community gathering on October 18th at The Falcon.

This welcoming open mic event is open to everyone—bring a song, a poem, or a favorite anecdote to share. Enjoy pizza and light refreshments as we honor the vibrant spirit of our town. Following our fall debut, the initiative will return in Spring 2027.

For more info and to go on one or more of the walks, go to www.soundstoriesproject.com

To RSVP for the community party, click on https://www.soundstoriesproject.com/event-details/community-gathering-at-the-falcon-underground