Event Description
Led by internationally acclaimed trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story features retired FDNY firefighter Bill Spade and U.S. military veteran Jaymes Poling. Set against the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Spade and Poling relive their experiences, revealing a powerful, shared bond of strength, meaning, and the human capacity to endure. Their stories, woven together with a deeply moving musical performance by Farinacci and a cast of renowned musicians, unite audiences in remembrance and reflection. This production was created by Dominick Farinacci and Jaymes Poling, and is directed by Emmett Murphy.
About Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story
Created by internationally acclaimed jazz musician Dominick Farinacci and combat veteran Jaymes Poling, Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story is a live story, music, and theatre performance set against the tragedy of the September 11 attacks and the war that followed. World Trade Center firefighter Bill Spade - the sole survivor from FDNY Rescue Company 5 - and Poling, a three-tour Afghanistan combat veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division, relive their experiences and find an unexpected bond in strength, meaning, and the weight of what they continue to carry after service.
Farinacci—described by The New York Times as “a trumpeter of abundant poise who plays beautifully, with expressive control and brings true musicality”—brings an international career shaped by Juilliard, Jazz at Lincoln Center, a TED Talk, and award-winning recordings, alongside a deep commitment to music and mental well-being. Poling brings a hard-earned firsthand perspective and a powerful ability to translate lived experience into meaning and purpose onstage. Spade—featured on CBS Sunday Morning and the BBC—brings audiences inside the lived reality of that day and the aftermath, sharing what he lived through with rare clarity, courage, and gravity.
The music serves as the internal voice of the piece—deepening the narrative and revealing the humanity beneath the events. Performed live by a full ensemble led by Farinacci, the score spans original compositions alongside reimagined works by Leonard Cohen, Gnarls Barkley, Tom Waits, and more, heard through the emotional lens of the story. The production unfolds in a cinematic world where light, image, and space translate feeling into color. Inspired by synesthesia, the multimedia and lighting design maps each shift in Bill and Jaymes’ psychological states, creating an immersive environment that elevates both the storytelling and the music.
Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story is the latest production from Farinacci and Poling’s Modern Warrior, a nationally recognized production that unites real stories, live music, and theatre to explore loss, resilience, and the unseen aftermath of life-changing experiences. Modern Warrior’s flagship production, Modern Warrior LIVE, has toured extensively throughout the U.S. Deeply integrated within veteran and mental health communities, Modern Warrior has become a trusted cultural partner for organizations and leaders focused on resilience, service, and reintegration—bringing lived experience to the stage in a way that expands public understanding and reduces isolation. Modern Warrior is a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, has been featured on NPR and Fox News, presented at Amazon Headquarters, opened for Brené Brown, and earned praise from national leaders including two U.S. Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and General James Mattis, who called the work a “necessary and worthy mission.”
Dominick Farinacci, Trumpeter and Creator
“…a trumpeter of abundant poise,” who “plays beautifully, with expressive control” and “brings true musicality.”
— The New York Times
Dominick Farinacci is among the most acclaimed trumpeters of his generation. Born and raised in Cleveland, he was just 17 when Wynton Marsalis selected him for a special PBS performance. While a student in Juilliard’s inaugural jazz-studies class, he launched an international career as a recording artist and bandleader—releasing eight albums in Japan before gaining global recognition.
At Marsalis’ request, Farinacci led Jazz at Lincoln Center’s outpost in Doha, Qatar (2012–2016). His 2016 album Short Stories, produced with Tommy LiPuma, and the Cleveland Arts Prize he received in 2022 reflect his continuing influence. Yet for Farinacci, achievement serves artistry: in 2011, he composed “A Prayer for You” in response to his mother’s cancer diagnosis, later performing it in a TED Talk he gave at the Kennedy Center about the power of music and mental wellbeing.
Farinacci’s work also includes creating Modern Warrior productions with combat veteran Jaymes Poling - an innovative story, music and theatre experience centered around personal stories of loss, endurance, and how people carry life-changing experiences forward. His flagship production Modern Warrior LIVE has a touring history of more than 150 performances, has been featured on NPR and Fox News, and received acclaim from General James Mattis (26th US Secretary of Defense) calling it a “necessary and worthy mission.”
As director of the Tri-C JazzFest Academy in Cleveland, Farinacci guides young artists with empathy and honesty—teaching both jazz history and the realities of the music business, with the goal of helping musicians find fulfillment, resilience, and well-being through their art.
Bill Spade, FDNY World Trade Center Firefighter
Featured on CBS Sunday Morning and the BBC, Bill Spade is a lifelong New Yorker and September 11th first responder. On September 11, 2001, he deployed to the World Trade Center with FDNY Rescue Company 5—alongside eleven members of his unit—and was the only survivor. In the years since, Bill has spoken candidly about life after 9/11, including survivor’s guilt, raising two young sons, and the counseling and support that helped him move forward.
Before 9/11, Bill devoted his life to public service—first as an NYPD officer, then as an FDNY firefighter. After joining the NYPD in 1984, he transitioned to the FDNY and spent the next decade responding to major emergencies across New York City.
Bill’s commitment to remembrance and education continues today. He has been a docent at the 9/11 Memorial Museum for more than 10 years, dedicated to ensuring September 11th is never forgotten.
Jaymes Poling, Combat Veteran & Creator
Jaymes Poling brings to Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story the firsthand perspective of a three-tour combat veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan. Confronting war memories, the loss of friends, and the isolation many veterans face after service, Jaymes discovered the power of storytelling, music, and public speaking to help move forward.
Enlisting at 17, he served eight years as an infantryman, machine gunner, and squad leader at Fort Bragg, including three years in combat in Afghanistan. Through Modern Warrior’s productions and speaking engagements, Jaymes has toured nationally to engage communities in schools, performing arts centers, and veteran and mental health conferences. He has also spoken with hundreds of active-duty soldiers overseas about mental health through the Troops First Foundation.
After graduating from John Carroll University and meeting jazz musician Dominick Farinacci, the two created Modern Warrior LIVE—an innovative story, music, and theatre experience centered on personal stories of loss, endurance, and how people carry life-changing experiences forward. Jaymes plays a crucial role across Modern Warrior productions and nonprofit operations, building partnerships that help veterans move from isolation toward connection and strength.
Raised in Warren, Ohio, Jaymes holds a finance degree from John Carroll University.