State of the World from NPR Looking Back: Making Music from the Sounds of War
Dec 29, 2025
Joanna Kakissis, NPR's Ukraine correspondent based in Kyiv, shares her powerful insights on how war has transformed life in Ukraine. She highlights a unique youth orchestra that captures the sounds of conflict in their music. The orchestra members creatively incorporate drone sounds and other wartime noises into their compositions, illustrating their resilience. With tales of hope amidst chaos, they craft a piece that reflects their experiences of fear and survival, showcasing the healing power of music in the face of adversity.
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Children Composing War's Soundtrack
- A youth orchestra outside Kyiv composed "Shahed Overture" to mimic wartime night sounds, including the buzzing of Shahed drones and sirens.
- Conductor Serhii Ndouji and students like 14-year-old Rostoslav channel their lived fear and hope into the ongoing composition.
War Noise Becomes Musical Material
- Shahed drones have become a defining nightly sound across Ukrainian towns, shaping everyday life and expression.
- The orchestra turned that ambient terror into artistic material, showing how civilians reinterpret conflict acoustically.
Musical Narrative Of A Night Attack
- Players recreate the sequence of a night attack: calm, sirens, the drone, anti-aircraft, explosions, wreckage and rescue sounds.
- Conductor Ndouji uses bass drum and violin to map those moments, ending with ambulance and rescue cries.