Rustling

Premiere performance begins at 40:27

Work Overview

Instrumentation: bass flute and solo percussion
Commission: Ensemble For These Times for flutist Stacey Palinka and percussionists Haruka Fujii
Premiere: April 17, 2026, E4TT performance by Stacey Palinka and Haruka Fujii
Duration: 7-8 minutes minutes

Program Note

Rustling gets its inspiration from my surroundings in Northern California. Living in the Bay Area, where the weather is temperate and the sun is plentiful for the most part, I start my mornings at 7:30am walking my dog Coco. Our route is not determined beforehand, but often we find ourselves on a trail behind the neighborhood school — just a 5-minute walk from my house but at the same time feeling a million miles away. That time for me is a sacred period: a meditation nurturing my spirit to open up for the composing that will come in the hours ahead. Rustling embodies this headspace.

The piece starts with earthy breaths of the bass flute and swirling of branches on metal as the music gathers momentum. It gradually becomes more and more rhythmic as the parts for both instruments become more defined and virtuosic. The rustling becomes more engaged and reflects the awakening of thoughts in my mind, at times anxiously. The swirling earthy sounds return gradually as the piece comes to its end, encapsulating this mini-portrait of my daily ritual.