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This thesis explores the composition Amorphous, a contemporary piece for string quartet. The composition aims to delve into the fluidity and dynamism of musical form, drawing inspiration from the concept of amorphousness—defined by its lack of a definite shape or structure. The composition fuses microtonality, traditional tonal references, and experimental timbral techniques to create an extraordinary soundscape. Drawing inspiration from Kaija Saariaho, Joshua Fineberg, and Chaya Czernowin, experiment with an 8-tone microtonal system that coexists with conventional tonal elements. The result is a seamless integration of both tonal worlds, producing unique harmonic textures and melodic lines. Amorphous is structured in four movements, utilizing the quartet as a single entity. The compositional techniques include glissandi, harmonics, and unconventional bowing methods, all of which contribute to a rich and varied timbre. These methods enable Amorphous to flow between different states, from smooth, fluid transitions to sharp, fragmented interludes. The final work was performed by MIVOS String Quartet.

What’s Left Over is based on passages from Bessel van der Kolk's "The Body Keeps the Score," which discusses the long-term effects that early-life traumatic incidents can have on both body and brain. Decay periods and sympathetic resonances are explored on both minute and structural levels reflecting remnants and fragments that may linger for years after an incident has occurred.

A conversation you cannot hear explores one of my deepest musical fascinations - the ability of the human brain to follow multiple strains of activity and information at the same time. From the outset, there are two lines of musical thought presented - one begins as soft, warm, consonant harmonies in the strings and piano, and the other is represented by angular, shrill gestures in the winds and snare drum. This is not a peaceful coexistence, however. As the piece continues, the competing drives of these two musics bring them into more and more direct conflict, which gradually causes both of their identities to be compromised. Ultimately, this musical “battle” culminates in the deafening strike of a bass drum, which to me symbolizes the ramifications of this struggle: the infliction of an irreversible, critical harm that - not unlike the strikes of the hammer in the final movement of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony - smashes the structural integrity of both musics to dust and brings the processual progress of the piece to a brutal, abrupt halt.

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Composition for wind ensemble.