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U.S. Soldier Composes Aural Landscapes of Iraq

by Howard Mandel

William Thompson Enlarge image i

"If you're in a war... that definitely comes out in your music... it just emanates from you," Thompson says.

Courtesy of William Thompson
William Thompson

"If you're in a war... that definitely comes out in your music... it just emanates from you," Thompson says.

Courtesy of William Thompson

Sgt. William Thompson IV, a reservist who was deployed in Iraq, is a third-generation jazz musician from New Orleans.

But during his time in combat, he turned to a different musical form: Using his laptop, he records the sounds of war and incorporates them into compositions that he posts online.

Thompson, who was called up for duty just before he was to graduate from the University of New Orleans, faces a bittersweet homecoming after 18 months in Iraq. Hurricane Katrina's aftermath has posed obstacles to his return.

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