One aspect of music that fascinates me is how tension and drama can be created by contrasting the effects of familiarity and dissimilarity found in my musical materials. Bridging this dichotomy between continuity and discontinuity parallels my attempt to integrate the two sound worlds of East and West. The title Returnings also refers to my personal story— my own returning to two places I have called home, Taipei and Boston.”

Returnings was commissioned and premiered by Dinosaur Annex in 2010. I have dedicated this piece to them with true thanks for their unrelenting vision of presenting new music to Boston audiences. Anything but extinct, the “Dinosaurs” are, I am happy to find, more culturally vibrant and alive than ever.

Commission from: Dinosaur Annex Ensemble

Percussion Requirements:

4 drums from high to low (ex. low bongo, high tom, djemba low tom)

1 small suspended cymbals (small)

1 suspended tambourine

4 temple blocks

1 small tam-tam

vibraphone