# Phil Kline's Unsilent Night > Participatory outdoor sound sculpture event featuring boomboxes playing composed musical parts. (iPhone/iPad app by Joshua Parmenter.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-klines-unsilent-night/id483509723 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Joshua Parmenter](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183665020) - Category: Music, Entertainment - Price: Free - Rating: 4.60/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.6 · 210 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2011-12-03 - Data updated: 2026-06-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-klines-unsilent-night/id483509723/reviews.md ## What is Phil Kline's Unsilent Night? NOTE: Please allow for time to download Phil Kline's Unsilent Night over a WiFi connenction before a performance! Unsilent Night is composer Phil Kline's free outdoor participatory sound sculpture of many individual parts, recorded on cassettes, CD's and mp3's, and played through a roving swarm of boomboxes carried through city streets every December. People bring their own boomboxes and drift peacefully through a cloud of sound which is different from every listener's perspective. Kline says: "Every year I present Unsilent Night, which is like a Christmas caroling party except we don't sing, but rather carry boomboxes, each playing a separate tape or CD which is part of the piece. In effect, we become a city-block-long stereo system.” Since its debut in 1992, Unsilent Night has become a cult holiday tradition in NY, drawing crowds of up to 1,500 participants. Unsilent Night 2009 took place in more than 25 cities and for the first time in London, Denver and Dallas. Unsilent Night 2010 will take place in cities around the world, with debuts in Hong Kong, Oxford, UK and Charleston, WV. New cities are being added, so be sure to visit the schedule page of this site for updates. How did Unsilent Night begin? In 1992, Phil Kline had an idea for a public artwork in the form of a holiday caroling party. He composed a multi-track electronic piece that was 45 minutes long (the length of a cassette tape), invited a few dozen friends who gathered in Greenwich Village, gave each person a boombox with one of four tapes in it, and instructed everyone to hit PLAY simultaneously. What followed was a sound unlike anything they had ever heard before: an evanescence filling the air, reverberating off the buildings and streets as the crowd walked a pre-determined route. Friends immediately suggested the event be repeated the next year, and now—almost 20 years later—it’s happening all over the world. ## Key features - Outdoor participatory sound sculpture - Roving swarm of boomboxes - Multi-track electronic composition - Cult holiday tradition - Global city events ## Recent user reviews (9 of 9) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-klines-unsilent-night/id483509723/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Makes for a magical night *2018-12-05, version 3.0* Worked well on older iPhone 5 ### 5/5 — Awesome musical tradition *2017-12-17* Phil Kline’s “Unsilent Night” is like a Sixties Happening updates for us modern world. For just an hour, people from all walks of life are drawn into a mesmerizing soundscape community comprising participants, passive listeners, and chance passers by. I’ve been doing it pretty regularly from fairly early on. ### 3/5 — Schedule Update *2014-12-19, version 1.2* Update the Schedule. That's all. ### 4/5 — Watch out for Auto-lock! *2012-12-15* I love mobile sound art! But be sure you turn off screen Auto-lock during a performance or the sound from the app will be cut off! Not good during the event. This should be fixed or warned about in the instructions. ### 3/5 — Basic app; seems OK *2012-12-10* If one came late to an UnSiNi event, or was an impromptu participant, one might wish for a way to jump to current point in the piece. Also, I see the app volume control doesn't respond to hardware control changes. ### 1/5 — Dosent work *2011-12-18, version 1.1* Shows an image for 1 second and then crashes, please fix for monday night :( ### 5/5 — Unsilent Night goes Mobile *2011-12-17* I've been a fan of Phil's Unsilent Nights for many years, and it's always been a kind of amazing update on the idea of "caroling." I'm happy to see it Mobilized! I hope people will also be carrying the traditional boomboxes as well. ### 1/5 — Broken? *2011-12-16, version 1.1* The app loads a picture for several seconds, then closes. It doesn't play music as advertised. Hopefully this will be fixed by Monday, in time for the procession. ### 5/5 — Can't wait to perform in Unsilent Night! *2011-12-03* How cool that there is an iPhone app now! Looking forward to the event in Seattle this year. ## Frequently asked questions about Phil Kline's Unsilent Night ### What is Phil Kline's Unsilent Night? Phil Kline's Unsilent Night is a free outdoor participatory sound sculpture where participants carry boomboxes playing different parts of a musical composition. It transforms city streets into a collective stereo system, creating a unique auditory experience. ### How does Phil Kline's Unsilent Night work? Participants download the app and bring their own boomboxes. Each boombox plays a separate recorded part of Phil Kline's multi-track electronic composition, creating a roving sound sculpture as people move through the city. ### Is Phil Kline's Unsilent Night free to use? Yes, the app is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements associated with the application. ### What devices does Phil Kline's Unsilent Night support? Phil Kline's Unsilent Night is available on iPhone and iPad devices. It requires sufficient time to download over WiFi before a performance. ### How often is Phil Kline's Unsilent Night updated? The app was last updated on November 18, 2025, with version 3.5. Users can check the schedule page within the app for updates on new cities and events. ### What is the age rating for Phil Kline's Unsilent Night? Phil Kline's Unsilent Night has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children aged 4 and older, making it a family-friendly event. ### Can I use Phil Kline's Unsilent Night offline? While the app itself may function offline after download, the core experience of the sound sculpture relies on coordinated playback during scheduled events. It's recommended to have a stable connection for updates and event information. ### What is the user sentiment for Phil Kline's Unsilent Night? The app has a strong rating of 4.6 stars from 8 ratings, suggesting a positive user experience. This indicates that users generally appreciate the unique concept and execution of the sound sculpture. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.5 — 2025-11-18 Updated schedule page for 2025! ### 3.2.2 — 2024-11-25 Update contact link ### 3.2.1 — 2024-11-17 Updates to support new schedule updates ### 3.1.1 — 2020-12-03 Updated instructions on the Player screen ### 3.1 — 2019-11-24 Updated colors and layout. 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User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-04.*