Instrumental Music
Meme Music
“Meme Music” was written upon the request of Marissa Perez on behalf of the Houghton College Wind Ensemble for their December 2019 concert featuring student conductors. This piece is an ode to and an exploration of music used in meme culture, specifically in how tunes are used in Vines. The two main themes of the piece are both from Nintendo gaming systems–the first being the “Mii Chanel Theme” which has been parodied often on Vine and YouTube, and the second being the themes from Super Mario Bros. These two tunes are played frequently, often with others happening alongside them. Another predominant theme is from Thomas the Tank Engine, which in vines appears surprisingly and at painful volumes, that effect has been mimicked here. Other themes include Smash Mouth’s “All Star” which coarsely plays over the “Mii Theme”; the music from the Trumpet Dad videos in which a father plays a line on the trombone while his son uses an oved door as percussion, and effect also mimicked here; the He Man song that plays over Mario’s Theme; and “Baby Shark” which appears briefly in the oboe and is stopped by the ensemble yelling “No!” One other song that appears just as the recapitulation ought to start is Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up. ” Playing this song at this point in the piece mimics the trope of sending this music video to people disguised as something else. The piece ends in a cacophonous meshing of several rhythmic elements derived from these themes culminating in chaos reminiscent of quickly scrolling through videos.
Sonatina for Piano & Violin
This piece was a small study in sonata form. The second movement is a gigue–a light French dance in 3/4 time–which alleviates the somber tones of the first and third movements. The use of double-stops in the violin part is prevalent throughout the piece. The combination of speed and double-stops in the gigue provides an exciting challenge for the performer.
Dance Suite
Each of these pieces in 3/4 time is a study of various kinds of dance. The first waltz is labeled in the score “con Romanticismo,” which translates “with romanticism.” The Mazurka is labeled, “con Passione,” meaning “with passion.” This movement is heavily influenced by the Master of the Mazurka, Chopin. The third movement returns to another waltz labeled, “con Nostalgia.” This movement’s A section utilizes parallel fourths, pentatonic melody, and staccato bass to evoke an explorer in an exotic land. Its B section is sweeter while the traveler remembers home and what he left behind. The fourth movement is a quick Salsa labeled “Vivace con Chiarore,” meaning “with flare,” is a Spanish inspired dance in which the right and left hand swap melody and accompaniment back and forth playfully. Its label is “Vivace con Chiarore,” meaning “with flare.” Together these four dances provide a large span of both pianistic technique and musical influences from around the world.
Tarantella
This short dance is inspired by tarantellas of Italy. These dances were thought to purify the body of the dancer from spider venom, unfortunately all the activity would likely make the venom travel even faster through the body. Because of this association, these dances often take a dark tone and shift tonal centers frequently. They also tend to speed up into a frenzy as the victim is overcome by the spider bite.