Tachycardia

This video is the World Premiere of this piece in 2015 at Temple University Rock Hall in Philadelphia, PA.
He Sun, bass trombone
Feb 24, 2020

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Tachycardia is a state of elevated heart rate at rest, typically over 100 beats per minute. Causes of tachycardia include hypertension, various heart, lung, or thyroid disease, anxiety, emotional stress, and consuming large amounts of alcohol or caffeine. Tachycardia is typically accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, sudden weakness, fluttering in the chest, lightheadedness, and fainting. This work explores these symptoms through the noise, tones, and breathing. The effects of tachycardia increasingly consume the trombonist, causing further difficulties in the performance of the piece. The player battles to maintain control against overwhelming physiology.