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Construction begins in the neighborhood.

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Notes from the Fires: Christopher Still (Part 2)

John Rabe

CommunityOn DemandNotes from the Fires

Note from the Fires: Christopher Still (Part 2)

Finally, some progress for one of the people we’re following in Notes from the Fires.

00:00

Finally, some progress for one of the people we’re following in Notes from the Fires. Host John Rabe met LA Phil trumpeter Christopher Still and his wife Amanda at the site of their burned home in Altadena.

Amanda McIntosh and Christopher Still on the site of their home in Altadena after the ruins were cleared. Chris is holding the architectural plans for their new home.

Amanda McIntosh and Christopher Still on the site of their home in Altadena after the ruins were cleared. Chris is holding the architectural plans for their new home.

John Rabe

Construction begins in the neighborhood.

Construction begins in the neighborhood.

John Rabe

They finally have architectural plans for the new house! So, to the sounds of Stravinsky, backhoes, and jackhammers, we hear about the new place. Amanda is of course glad to be making progress, but she says she feels a bit like she’s betraying the old house. Chris says they’ve entered a phase - rebuilding - where lots of fire victims are deciding to try to start fresh somewhere else.

NFTF Christopher Still - Piano

Ryan Johnson and JJ Padilla, part of the team cleaning contaminated debris in Altadena, carry the only remaining part of Amanda McIntosh and Christopher Still’s piano into the couple’s garage, which unaccountably did not burn down. Credit: John Rabe

At the end of this piece, we hear Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott performing "Goin' Home," based on Dvorak's New World Symphony.

CommunityOn DemandNotes from the Fires
Written by:
John Rabe
John Rabe
Published on 04.29.2025
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