I created this work of sound art using only one recording of me practicing the đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither). Even the drum’s sounds are also extracted from that sample. I employed a DAW to chop, juxtapose, stretch, loop, distort, and manipulate the sample, magnifying the strings’ subtle movements and turning the instrument’s sounds into different […]
I Hear the War Drum at Night for Fixed Media Read More »
I recorded the sounds of my crying and my mother’s laughter in different compositions, then worked with the samples as purely abstract sounds. As the sounds were detached from their original contexts and human emotions, they transcended into a vulnerable but cathartic experience. The other two sounds, made from inanimate objects such as clanging keys
Metallic Laughter, Watery Cry for Fixed Media Read More »
Brass instruments are commonly associated with loud military music, which portrays hunting and fighting, coming danger, and majestic power. While working on Waltz for solo trumpet, I wanted to explore another side of the trumpet: its passionate, lyrical, and seductive characteristics. This work is a dance of the soul, an invitation to fantastic freedom. https://youtu.be/H7UAT6cyVpM
Waltz for Solo Trumpet in C Read More »
The title “The Five Processes” comes from Movement II, in which the instrumental techniques and textures depict five processes of energy according to East Asian culture: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth in five variations of one theme. While the second movement is the center of this quartet, it shall not be separated from the
Piano Quartet No. 1 in e minor, The Five Processes Read More »
Below is the journal my mother wrote in October 2015, when I first went to the US to study. Her words capture the mix of emotions, challenges, and growth we both experienced during that time. “Mom, I want to study abroad. Do you have the money to send me?” “No,” I replied immediately, without hesitation.
My Child, Grow Up and Fly to New Horizons! Read More »
Sài Gòn mưa trưa nắng sớm Tìm cho ra ngôi quán êm. Hẹn nhau mưa xanh như lá. Hẹn nhau trong nắng mượt mà… “Amidst Saigon’s midday rain and early sunshine Let’s seek out a quiet café. Let’s meet where the rain is as green as leaves. Let’s meet in the silky sunlight…” The warm,
Seeing Saigon Through a Different Lens Read More »
