Steps within Gaps was inspired by the meters and physical image of soldiers marching. This is a concert march for piano, which transforms traditional march patterns by using unusual ‘gaps’: silences, harmonic changes, and left -right pedalling to create unique patterns. This process is designed for the pianist to create the allusion of ‘marching’ between different ‘spaces’ and produce a new format which lies beyond the traditional military march discipline.

During the compositional process, the composer collaborated with a choreographer, Chi-Hsuan Lin, who used the new march materials to create a special dance work for three dancers based on the composer’s background and military training experience.

The piano work can be performed as a solo work or with dance choreographed by Lin.

The first-take recording is played by Chun-He Yu.

Steps within Gaps (2024)

Drawing from military pulse—the whole band as a gradual heartbeat—I reflect on how loyalty and nationhood persist across distance. The work evokes the desolate atmosphere of an emotional state shaped by the tension of resilience, solitude, and remaining loyal and loving toward the homeland. 

The work can be divided into four parts:

I. Heaven's Mercy
II. The Misty Forest
III. The Pulse
IV. Taking Root


Premiered by the Taiwan MND Wind Band, at the National Concert Hall, Taipei, March 2025

家在「渺邈」之處……一群無法回家的人，會懷有怎樣的心境？同樣地，對於無法返鄉歸國的軍人而言，他們心中的「國家」將會是什麼模樣？又能以哪些方式繼續存在於他們心中？
作曲者將孤軍孤勇心志聯想為人體脈搏（Pulse）生命根本節奏，其隨人類誕生、進化已有數十萬年，也早已經融入日常，以至於我們常忽視其重要性。而軍樂中最重要的曲式—「進行曲」，其中「鼓點」（通常以大鼓、低音樂器演奏呈現）在西洋音樂中稱之為Pulse，與生理脈搏恰有極度相似之處—深埋於進行曲之中，少了低音鼓點，即如人體少了心臟幫浦，作曲者將脈搏（鼓點）譬喻孤軍超越生理性與地理性的忠誠之心：一（地理性）是探討那身處異國，依然未減忠貞之愛國情懷；二（生理性）為孤軍在孤立無援、無法如願返國的困境下，如何重建如「家」的歸屬感？他們雖身處異鄉，卻仍心繫國家，無形中已將此意念轉化為「脈搏」般的生存本能，在異鄉家園更是遍佈中華民國國旗、高唱國歌。藉此，我們不禁反思，對於早已安然落根的我們，「國家」或「家」的本質為何？或者，「國家」（家園）還可以哪種方式成形、甚至永存？
 此曲將管樂器氣音、顫音、不穩定泛音等技巧合成為抽象音景、濃縮為脈動節奏，以重現、詮釋當天「天憫烈士」大雨滂沱、淼淼煙霧之情境，敘述孤軍在戰後如何安家及「定義」他們獨有的－孤獨、渺邈，逐漸凝聚自成「脈搏」步伐的堅毅情操。

樂曲結構如下：
I.	天憫：木管齊鳴哀語、吹奏者的氣息與白噪音交織成群，彷彿上天憐憫孤軍過往的艱辛歲月。天淚雨落，伴隨他們回返魂牽夢縈的故鄉。
II.	霧林：籠罩著迷霧的叢林（氣音及顫音），是孤軍奮戰的起點，也是命運的轉折之地。這裡既見證了悲劇，也蘊藏著重新燃起的希望。
III.	脈動：「天憫」動機重現，重複的五聲音階音型、調性色彩及拍點的不定切換，與「休止符累加（減）法」組織變化而成的鼓點緊密交會，從中孕育出強而有力的「脈搏」與生命韌性。
IV.	落根：葉落未能歸根，卻於異鄉扎下根基。新舊脈搏交織成群，心繫根源，脈息永續。

由中華民國國防部示範樂隊管樂團，國家音樂廳（台北），2025 年3月 首演

渺邈 The Missing Pulse, 2025 (for Wind Ensemble)

Demo for stereo system

Wuan-chin Li:  “BAN SHAN 扮仙” 
 (Fixed media, Computer Music work,  surround sound system preferred)
 
“Ban Shan (means “play God” in Taiwanese)” is a story about a “Ba Jia Jiang” young medium (who also represents as the bodyguards of Taiwanese god), when He began to have a lucid dream after a temple fair in the mid night. This young medium kept dancing and dancing in the dream, finally he became one of the god.

The Taiwanese mediums “Ba Jia Jiang (八家將)” originated from the Chinese folk beliefs and myths, usually referred to  few members of god, generally eight members. The general legend of the existence of Ba Jia Jiang is from the eight generals catching evil exorcism for Wufu Emperor (五福大帝). These eight generals are the gods of the underworld. They are also known as the bodyguards or attendants for the temples of the nether god such as Dongyue Emperor (東獄大帝), Yama (King of Hell, 閻羅王) and Cheng Huang (City Gods, 城隍). 

In order to draw out the scene of the temple fair in Taiwan, where usually “Ba Jia Jiang” mediums dance in martial troupes (Din-Tao :“陣頭”[1]) for god, with firecrackers and Taiwanese gongs sounding crossover, a version of 5.1-surround sound setup had also been designed to be with this work. Drum samples processed in different layers represented as the different spaces/worlds that this young medium boy was in the dream. Those different spaces sometimes stretch over, sometimes stand up indivisible, and also sometimes exist independently. A sound sampled from Taiwanese Hand Gong was also triggered through designed effects. In the traditional legend, people believe the sound of Taiwanese Hand Gong leads the human spirit and ghost. 

The composer who had grown up in the temple area in Tainan City (Taiwan), hopes this work will carry the charming fever from the traditional festival in her hometown to the world.

 
  
----------------------    
[1] Video clips from the traditional Taiwanese “Ba Jia Jiang” performance set in temple fair: https://youtu.be/yZx3tdB1ib4 , 
https://youtu.be/Hsr6EV5Ppco 
 

  “扮仙”是ㄧ首電腦音樂環環繞混音的作品，故事是關於一個八家將少年的清醒夢境。在深夜的廟會後，疲憊的八家將少年進入了夢境，在夢中他持續地跳著陣勢，無法停止，直到他真的成仙。

八家將（台羅：pat-ka-tsiòng），儺儀、儺舞的一種，臺灣民間信仰中家將陣頭之簡稱，緣自中國民間信仰及中國神話，原指神將數名，通常是八位，一般說法是起源於五福王爺幕府專責捉邪驅鬼的八位將軍，這八位將軍亦是陰間神祇，故也作為東嶽大帝、閻羅王、城隍等陰司神明廟宇的隨扈，逐漸演變成王爺、媽祖等所有廟宇的開路先鋒，擔任主神的隨扈。後來，廟會中參與的信士，裝扮成這「八家將」，以衛護主神。演變為一種臺灣民俗活動，乃廟會陣頭之一；屬於文武陣中的武陣。負責捉拿鬼怪妖邪，也有解運祈安、安宅鎮煞的功能，具有強烈的宗教性質，陣頭氣氛也常顯得神秘、威赫、嚴肅。

八家將在信仰意義上，具有刑求妖邪的權威，是勇猛威武的陣頭。5.1 聲道環繞音響系統的使用表現出八家將在廟會陣頭中的氣勢與聲響，在本作品演出中是不可或缺的。取樣鼓聲特殊處理後的，從不同方向的疊入。這些不同層次的聲音組合，時而交錯，時而結合，時而各自獨立，代表著八家將少年在夢中神遊於不同的空間與世界。也特別使用了台灣道士所使用的手鑼的取樣音色，呈現於不同的聲音變化模組中，融入安神的氛圍，並藉以與陣頭的勇猛相對比。

從小居住在台南廟宇巷弄之間的創作者，希望藉由藉由電腦音樂的形式，將故鄉迷人的八家將廟會陣勢與風采帶到世界各地。

扮仙 Ban Shan

Track 02 from TILT Brass' "Debut at Bowery Poetry Club", a Non-Site Records " SoundCloud Releases (SCR)" series release, recorded at BPC on Jan. 20, 2003.

Personnel:
Dave Balllou, Russ Johnson, Brian McWhorter - trumpet
Greg Evans, Justine Flynn, Tom Varner – French horn
Curtis Hasselbring, Christopher McIntyre – trombone
Mike Boschen – bass trombone
Marcus Rojas – tuba
Kevin Norton – percussion

M. Kagel - March 1 from 10 Marches (to miss the victory) (1978)

還沒看過電影
聽身旁的人哼哼唱唱
念著微虐的歌詞，在抑揚頓挫之間
旋律與歌詞的緊密結合，不自覺已被深深洗腦

每彈幾句，心中就痛了幾分
最後用鋼琴唱完這首歌時
時間也不知不覺過了6分半....

Steps within Gaps (2024)

Raying Huang

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