Bird up and Horsin' Around (2016) for Piano
Performed by Thomas Feng at Jan Popper Hall, November 15th, 2016
Program note:
I began writing Bird up in the summer of 2016 during a concert tour in West Virginia. Since I partook in the tour as a composer, I had very little obligations. I spent most of my time walking around to hunt for coffee, listening to music, and composing, and also watching the Eric Andre Show. The opening musical gesture of “Bird Up!” had always been very appealing to me, and with the help of my easy schedule, I decided to explore the possibilities of the silly material. The piece opens with a direct quote (a seven-chord figure) from the show’s music, and it also includes two other sections that directly represents some of the moments from the show.