My dissertation piece is a three-movement work of 20 minute duration for violin and piano that draws significantly from elements of traditional Korean culture, especially folk dance and folk music, and secondarily from Korean folk theater and visual arts using rhythmic patterns and gestures from folk dance and melodies from folk music and extended instrumental techniques that mimic the sounds of Korean traditional music and the music that typically accompanies Korean traditional dances.

The formal shape and material intentions of the piece— the fast-slow-fast tempo profile of the three movements, typical of so much Western music, is anchored conceptually in Korean ideas of "Heung" (communal joy-exploding energy) and "Han" (suffering-repressed energy). Each movement will make reference to a different folk music genre, the first movement alluding to "Sanjo," the second to "Gut," and the third from "Pungmul" (see chart). In addition, each movement will contain gestures from the Korean folk dances "Taepyongmu," "Sal puri," and "Sangmo Dolighi," all of which have different ceremonial functions in traditional Korean society. Each movement will also have its own characteristic folk rhythm pattern. The first movement will be based on an explicit Korean folk tune, while the overarching emphasis thematically in the three movements respectively will be "Garak" (melody), "Puri" (loosening), and "Nori" (fun).