Today, we remember Alan Carton, a Sound Design for Visual Media graduate who, after a lengthy battle with cancer, passed away earlier this month at 23.

Alan is very fondly remembered at VFS (where few people knew about his illness until the very end of his year) as a bright, talented young man.

This wonderful article by Christopher Weingarten of the Village Voice tells Alan’s story – it turns out that Alan was also the man behind @diditleak on Twitter, the source for music leak news.

As you will see from the Voice piece, Alan dreamed of VFS, and his family moved mountains to make it happen. We’re so, so glad that they did.

Curtis Wright, an instructor who taught Alan here in 2007, says, “I had the pleasure of teaching – and learning from! – Alan… He was a sweet kid with an understated, cool, confident demeanor. He will be missed.”

Alan’s legacy is considerable for such a young man. Here’s one small part of it – one of the projects he completed at VFS, his own take on a soundtrack for a sequence from the film Brick.

Rest in peace, Alan Carton. Our thoughts are with your family, your friends, and your former classmates.