By Andy Dai

Description: I based Passion literally and expressively on the challenge-theme. Literally, I derived a serialism set from “hope-during-a-pandemic”, where each letter was numerically translated into its corresponding tone (eg. 1st-alphabet-letter A to 1st-tone C… 2nd-letter B to 2nd-tone C#…) to yield “GDEbE EbAbFAbDbGb C EbCDbEbECAbD”, which I used as the theme heard throughout Passion. I also improvised sections around individual words of “hope-during-a-pandemic” (eg. sections/motifs around “GDEbE” representing “hope” and the middle-lyrical section around note “C” representing the word “a”). Expressively, I structured five contrasting sections around the experiential arch of the pandemic (pent-up-angst…impassioned-release…surreal-peace…more-angry-release…to a final-microcosmic-resolution).

About the author:

Andy Dai, from Chapel Hill, NC, is a dual-enrolled senior at ECHHS and NCSSM. He studies piano with Teddy Robie and loves improvising (while procrastinating on practice). Aside from piano, Andy is also passionate about research, tackling projects ranging from malaria to cancer. In his free time, Andy can be found obsessing over ramen, mowing lawns, and staring at one of four walls in his room while pondering the nature of thought.