Clock-in,Clock-out(Western University Percussion Ensemble,2025)

After years of working, I composed Clock-In, Clock-Out for percussion to capture the rhythm of city work life—the constant motion, repetition, and those fleeting moments of escape that make the day more bearable. The piece unfolds in three sections:
1 . Pre-Clock-In – The city wakes up slowly, with a quiet, reflective rhythm—like the calm before everything picks up.
2. Rush Hour – The pace kicks into high gear as the city dives into the chaos of the workday, full of urgency and energy.
3. Busy Hands, Wandering Mind – The body stays busy, but the mind starts to drift—just like it always does during the workday. The Morning Hush motif returns, layered with growing intensity as the cycle of daily tasks builds to a peak—then suddenly stops. Drawing from the dynamic patterns of Peking Opera, the piece weaves together crotales, tom-toms, and vibraphone to contrast the mechanical precision with moments of release, reflecting the balance between movement, time, and the need to pause.