The Quiet Piece was composed between 2023 and the summer of 2024 for four percussionists on one vibraphone as part of the Sandbox Percussion Creator Mentorship Program. Different from my other music, which is typically fast and loud, I intended to make this piece slow and calm. That's why I titled it The Quiet Piece.

The main technique of The Quiet Piece is pitch-bending on the vibraphone. Pitch bend has always been one of my favorite techniques, frequently used on string and wind instruments. This time, I applied it to percussion. Pitch-bending on the vibraphone typically involves pressing a hard mallet onto the bar at a nodal point and then sliding it away from the node as the note sustains, creating a bending effect. This piece thoroughly explores this technique in many ways.

This piece does not have a deeper meaning; it is simply intended to provide a moment of peace for you.

(Wenbin Lyu, June 20, 2024)

July 12, 2024; Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival; Portland, Oregon; Sandbox Percussion

June 12, 2024 (premiere); Sandbox Percussion Seminar; The New School; New York, NY; Sandbox Percussion