The Daily (2024) ~10’

percussion quartet [crossword and chalkboard]

Written for the Sō Percussion Summer Institute and premiered by students.

Every morning, I attempt the daily New York Times crossword puzzle as my partner completes his crossword-a-day calendar. When both of us reach a point where we feel stuck (mostly on Saturdays…), we swap crosswords and complete it for the other. The first movement of “The Daily” reflects on the rhythmic and cooperative process that we have in solving our crosswords. Each clue and each answer bring a new sound, creating patterns that evolve as the crossword is completed. The second movement is more of an exploration of letters and ways of writing themselves. Previously, I was the teaching assistant for an oral skills course, spending many hours in a classroom writing on chalkboards. The natural rhythms of writing on these boards, the pauses, and even the sounds of the eraser became a music. This movement transforms these everyday actions into a game of chase, where the eraser is perpetually pursuing the performers to keep the board clean.