Four Verbs for Piano is a suite written for and dedicated to my dear friend Dr. Yi Zhang. The initial concept for the piece came from a conversation with Dr. Zhang during one of the long van rides to TMEA. As Dr. Zhang and I discussed the possibility of an original piece for piano, we developed the idea of composing a movement based simply on a verb. As this concept was explored, the result became a series of character pieces that live in an interesting middle ground between absolute music and programmatic music – while a verb is specific and distinctive, it allows enough freedom for both the composer and listener to apply meaning in a personal way. It was with this freedom of interpretation in mind that I chose four interesting and complex verbs on which to base my composition. I hope you enjoy listening to my interpretation of these verbs and perhaps find new meaning in these words beyond syntax and music.

I. Awaken
○ This movement evokes a character waking up from a troubled sleep – concerned and uneasy

about what the day has in store. Much like the feeling of slowly adjusting to a new day, the harmonic language of this movement is revealed over time. But as more is revealed, just as much is left unsaid about the true nature of our mysterious harmonic world. An attempt at clarifying this confusion transitions to a dark and heavy statement of the true torment our character faces before returning to the initial mood of unease – finally facing the day with hesitant acceptance.

II. Move
○ The second movement begins as a graceful and subtle dance in 5/8 that elaborates on its initial

subject over time. Skipping through several short modulations, our theme finally finds its footing in a repetitive statement which depicts a reminiscent and reflective character – someone who is perhaps dancing as a way to remember a beautiful day from a distant past. The final section of this movement shares repetitious statements from our dancing character who simply wants to hang on to the past a bit longer – urging themselves to continue to move.

III. Breathe
○ This movement is intended as a minimalist meditation on the nature of sound. While minimalist in

presentation, our simplistic theme develops during a secondary statement in which the minimal approach gives way to an emotional outburst of longing that never quite finds its solution. Afterward, we fade away to a final sigh in quiet reflection. It is interesting to note that this movement is cadence-less and contains no root position tonic chords in order to evoke the feeling of a constantly revolving environment that never really starts or stops – like a breath. During this movement, listeners are encouraged to close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and allow the sound to work in the background as you find both presence and rest.

IV. Riot
○ The final movement takes a simple but powerful word and lets loose on its nature to evoke a

visceral and spontaneous clash. The 7/8 groove and the use of octatonic scales in this movement are meant to create instability for the listener and create a scene of frenzied chaos. This movement’s middle section depicts an underground world of quiet but important work – a revolution in the shadows. This activity leads to an emotional arpeggiation across the spectrum of the piano before returning to our determined and fierce uprising. At the end, it is unclear who has triumphed, but certainly nothing can return to the way it was.