Media from Ben's Music Composition Distinguished Major Project

Audio

Piece	Performer	Duration
Portraits - I	Ben Yobp	5'18"
Portraits - II	Chuhern Hwang	2'32"
Portraits - III	Sean Li	1'40"
Portraits - IV	Adam Pelleg	4'32"
Portraits - V	Simon Zhang	2'06"
Portraits - VI	Simon Zhang	1'30"
Portraits - VII	Ben Yobp	2'31"
Ictoan	Simon Zhang & Eli Chen	4'32"
Afternoon of a Stray Dog	Ben Yobp & Jenna Kim	16'58"

*Note - email me if you want a high quality .wav file of any of these pieces

Video

Program Notes

Portraits
Portraits is a suite of seven brief pieces for solo piano. In each movement I attempted to render a musical caricature of a person I know or used to know. I would describe the motivation behind each piece, but I’d rather you use your imagination to envision the types of people I’m trying to portray.

Ictoan
When I compose a piece of music, its name is usually the last thing on my mind. Few of my pieces ever wind up having one. Ictoan, an acronym that stands for “I couldn’t think of a name,” is a simple piece for violin and piano. It begins with a melody for the violin in five-four time accompanied by arpeggiations in the piano, and then moves into a more intricate and chromatic section before recapitulating the initial theme. Listen for rhythmic disagreement between the two instruments, which has been parameterized.

Ictoan

When I compose a piece of music, its name is usually the last thing on my mind. Few of my pieces ever wind up having one. Ictoan, an acronym that stands for “I couldn’t think of a name,” is a simple piece for violin and piano. It begins with a melody for the violin in five-four time accompanied by arpeggiations in the piano, and then moves into a more intricate and chromatic section before recapitulating the initial theme. Listen for rhythmic disagreement between the two instruments, which has been parameterized.

Afternoon of a Stray Dog
Picture a stray dog sauntering along the train tracks. Within forty seconds or so he sniffs some grass, looks for mud to roll around in, pokes at a deer carcass, gets distracted by a squirrel… He doesn’t have a very long attention span because he’s a dog. This piece is not an attempt to guide the listener programmatically through a dog’s afternoon; rather, it is a presentation of twenty miniature worlds to view in rapid succession, which is how I image a dog might understand his day.

Afternoon of a Stray Dog

Picture a stray dog sauntering along the train tracks. Within forty seconds or so he sniffs some grass, looks for mud to roll around in, pokes at a deer carcass, gets distracted by a squirrel… He doesn’t have a very long attention span because he’s a dog. This piece is not an attempt to guide the listener programmatically through a dog’s afternoon; rather, it is a presentation of twenty miniature worlds to view in rapid succession, which is how I image a dog might understand his day.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this recital a success: Ted Coffey, Michael Puri, Kelly Gross, Marcy Day, Arlyn Woodall, Joel Jacobus, Adam Pelleg, Chuhern Hwang, Jenna Kim, Sean Li, Simon Zhang, Eli Chen, Ji Nin Loh, Josie the dog, and my parents. My recital was supported by the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund. Established in 2004 by the generosity of Mr. Alan Y. Roberts ('64) and Mrs. Sally G. Roberts, the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund underwrites the private lessons and recital costs for undergraduate music majors giving a recital in their fourth year as part of a distinguished major program in music.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this recital a success: Ted Coffey, Michael Puri, Kelly Gross, Marcy Day, Arlyn Woodall, Joel Jacobus, Adam Pelleg, Chuhern Hwang, Jenna Kim, Sean Li, Simon Zhang, Eli Chen, Ji Nin Loh, Josie the dog, and my parents.

My recital was supported by the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund. Established in 2004 by the generosity of Mr. Alan Y. Roberts ('64) and Mrs. Sally G. Roberts, the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund underwrites the private lessons and recital costs for undergraduate music majors giving a recital in their fourth year as part of a distinguished major program in music.

Photos

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Scores

Piece	Download PDF
All
All Portraits
Portraits - I
Portraits - II
Portraits - III
Portraits - IV
Portraits - V
Portraits - VI
Portraits - VII
Ictoan
Afternoon of a Stray Dog