Chiu-Uncompression (2S)-P

Modern computers possess amazing capacities. Simply by manipulating flows of zeroes - and ones that they can perform in a fraction of a second - these computational tasks would taken humans countless years. In this piece, I imagine and try to capture what goes on within a computer when it is unzipping a file.

Number of Players: 2
Difficulty: Grade 4+
Instrumentation:

Player I: 5 Cowbells, 5 Toms, Piccolo Snare Drum, Tambourine, Claves, 2 Sus. Cym, Wind Chimes, Agogo Bells, 2 Triangle, Bass Drum, Break Drum, Tam

Player I: 5 Woodblocks, Congas, Bongos, Snare Drum, Splash Cym, Bamboo Wind Chimes, 3 Crotales, Castanets, 3 Small Gongs, Bass Drum, Iron Pipe, Thunder Sheet

The composer, Ming-ching Chiu, is a currently a DMA student in composition at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.  He earned his bachelor's degree in percussion performance from Catholic Fu-jen University, where he was active in wind bands and orchestras. He began his formal study of composition as a senior in 2003. Following graduation he taught in Taipei at primary and high schools. He has also served as composer and program coordinator of the Taipei Yueh-fu Drum and Bugle Corps and as composer and music arranger for the Symphony Ochestra of the Taiwan Defense Ministry.