Instrumentation: vibraphone and 3 rins

Duration: 7 minutes

Year composed: 2020

First performance:  Mizuki Aita, TBD, Winter 2021

Performance notes: Neko-dango was written in Capitol Heights during the month of November 2020. During the six months we spent in lockdown, my cat would sleep close to me while I worked, and I would watch her sleep. The piece Neko-dango is inspired by the shape made by my sleeping cat which resembled that of the Japanese sweet dango. One particular variety of this sweet comes in three different colors but has the same flavor. In this piece, the gestures explored by the vibraphone are personal interpretations of everyday sounds made by my cat. The same gestures are developed with different colors, recalling the essence of the dango.

This piece is warmly dedicated to Mizuki Aita.