Shine
In creating my string quartet Shine, I worked to develop a single theme to its fullest extent. The piece vaguely follows an ABACBC format, although many of the sections can be further divided into binary or ternary forms. After a dramatic building of tension in the A section, the theme starts to show itself shortly into the B section. It does not fully appear, however, until all the parts switch to plucked strings. When the A section returns, the B theme is layered over it to produce a new composite section. Then the piece takes a more somber tone as the C section comes in with slow chords in richer harmony. This then leads to a repetition of the B section cast in a minor key, which modulates back to major, and then transitions to C again as the piece ends.
Rain
I wrote the first draft of this solo piano piece during my junior year winter break, at the same time that I wrote the theme to Shine. Both were created with a specific person in mind, but I associate this one overwhelmingly with her. This piece originally contained six unrelated sections, and over this past summer, I put it through intensive revisions. By working on it every day for months, I turned it into one of my most powerful compositions. In composing this work, I particularly drew from Debussy’s Arabesque 1, and Satie’s Gymnopedie.
Winter
This work for solo piano and electronics began as I returned home to San Diego for winter break at the end of 2018. I decided to try to finish a second piano composition in time for this recital, though it may not contain the detail Rain possesses. Winter begins with a somber atmosphere, and then builds out to a fast and dramatic climax, where the piece transitions to a jazz feeling. From there the piece gradually contracts, ending in a peaceful realm where the journey began.
Selfless
My piano and cello piece, Selfless was the first classical composition I wrote at Occidental College. It was inspired by my past history creating Dubstep, and my failing romantic relationship at the time. The piece begins with a sorrowful melody played by the cello, which I created early on during the relationship. The more rhythmic bits represent the frustration and anger that grew as my relationship came to an end. The piece as a whole avoids a traditional classical formal structure, but rather follows an abstract version of a typical dubstep song: intro (chord progression/sorrowful melody), build up, and drop.
Interrupted Bliss
Interrupted Bliss is written for flute, viola, and harp, but began as a solo piece for piano and electronic recording. I felt this piece could be adapted for this ensamble, with the harp functioning as the piano part, and the electronic elements divided between viola and flute. Most of my music is dominated by common meters, and when I started writing this piece I wanted it to stand out from my others by using an asymmetrical meter. After some experimenting, I ended up settling with an introduction in 5, a calming section followed by a climax in 7, and a return to 5 for the end. A few themes and textures reappear throughout it, but overall it has a free form structure, with one idea flowing to another.
Closed
The viola, double bass, and percussion piece Closed was originally composed as four unique passages. These were then divided to strictly follow an ABACDA structure. The main challenge in composing this piece came from weaving these sections together and finding the right balance of excitement and calm. This piece drastically shifts back and forth between a sense of high energy propelled by the drums, and slow gentle progressions. By using common melodies to stitch the sections together, I show that my themes are versatile enough to support one another.
Sami
This piece is named after my dog, Sami. It is written for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. I originally wanted this piece to follow an aesthetic narrative that would resemble an adventure I took a few years ago. During this trip, I initially experienced childlike amazement, which grew and grew until I returned home. This was one of the most educational experiences of my life, and afterwords, I thought I could implement the things I had learned into my everyday routine. However, this proved more challenging than expected, and as a result I began to feel more negatively about the experience. This is reflected in my piece as the belligerently happy mood takes a darker turn around halfway through. As a whole the piece is divided into three sections, each with more tension than the last.
End
My final piece was composer for bowed vibraphone, violin, and bassoon. Silence plays a major role in this piece, as uncomfortably long pauses give the piece a breathe. This was the final piece I composer while attending Occidental, and so I titled it end.