Out Of Bounds - BSN/PN

Out of Bounds is a youthful piece for bassoon and piano, written for thirteen-year-old Fei Fei Zhou. The titles, a playon words, come from the idea that Fei Fei enjoys outdoor sports. On his bike, he likes the downhill rush after riding uphill. At baseball games, he enjoys tension-building situations which then resolve themselves with a hit or a home run. He also told me the story of one fishing trip with his dad, where a fish got hooked but cleverly swam around a piling and managed to free itself. 

The phrase "out of bounds" is used here to mean getting free, releasing tension, or breaking out of a binding situation. The piano part not only supports the bassoon but also participates in the work as an equal partner. Out of Bounds was composed at the request of Fei Fei's teacher, John Ruze, Principal Bassoonist of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra. 

For more information about the piece, including sounds clips, please click on HERE.