Years after the tragedy, American pianist and songwriter Jake Heggie has turned the stories of 9/11 survivors into songs.
The Associate Press reports that the songs will tell the stories of survivors from around the country as they delve into the emotions created by the terrible act of terrorism in 2001.
Gene Scheer listened as men, women, and children shared their stories. As they told Scheer how 9/11 has impacted and will continue to impact them, the lyrics for this album were found.
According to Heggie, the new album "here/after (songs of lost voices)" should "create a sense of hope and newness that can come from the grief. Otherwise, the people who did it win."
The stories being told are not just about the day that the terrorist attacks occurred, but about the journey that many of these survivors have been on as a result of that terrible day. "A dozen years later, stories continue to emerge, evolve and yearn to be told," Heggie stated.
The people who contributed their stories to this album are all from outside of New York. Heggie's reasoning for this is that those outside of the city itself need a chance to grieve and express themselves.
The album will be released on October 21, 2013.