Repertoire and Performance Notes
Screen Music
Twin Peaks Theme
Work
“Twin Peaks Theme” is the instrumental main theme from Twin Peaks, composed by Angelo Badalamenti for the television series created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. First released on the 1990 soundtrack album, it is widely known for its distinctive atmosphere and haunting melodic character.
Instrument used
Pulsar Studio
Why I chose it
I was fascinated by this television series when I was at university. The main theme was not the only piece that stayed with me; there were several others that I loved as well, and although I have not made videos of them, I have tried playing some of them myself.
Arrangement / performance note
What draws me to this music is the repeated rhythm and melody, and the way they gradually draw the listener into David Lynch’s world. It is a piece that may seem simple on the surface, but is in fact surprisingly complex.
Folk & Traditional
My Lagan Love
Work
“My Lagan Love” is a song set to a traditional Irish air. The melody was collected in County Donegal by Herbert Hughes in the early twentieth century, and the English words are generally credited to Joseph Campbell. It has become one of the best-known songs in the Irish tradition and is admired for its lyrical and haunting melodic line.
Instrument used
Pulsar Studio
Why I chose it
What draws me to this song is the way its rhythm and harmony seem to remain close to human feeling.
Arrangement / performance note
The rhythm has a natural flexibility, almost like speech or breath, and the harmonic movement feels strongly connected to emotional change. To me, it preserves something of a time when music stood closer to the human voice and to lived feeling. There is an emotional directness in it, almost as if the heart were left more exposed.
Ghörsch Mi?
Work
“Ghörsch mi?” is a Swiss alphorn tune by Hans-Jürg Sommer. Its title means “Do you hear me?” in Swiss German. In the published score, the melody is specifically marked to be played slowly and not as a dance, which suits its calm and calling character.
Instrument used
Kosmosky New Wave
Why I chose it
In musical work for people living with dementia, pieces that connect with memory can be especially important. For that reason, I often play Swiss traditional melodies. I wanted to try this piece because I felt that the slow, spacious resonance of the tongue drum might suit the character of alphorn music particularly well.
Arrangement / performance note
I often feel that alphorn duets and trios are particularly well suited to the tongue drum. Its slow and resonant sound seems able to carry this kind of music quite naturally, while preserving its openness and quiet strength.
Classical
Song to the Moon
Work
“Song to the Moon” is one of the best-known passages from Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka (1901). Originally a soprano aria for the title character, it is widely admired for its lyrical and expressive melodic line.
Instrument used
Pulsar Studio
Why I chose it
I was drawn to this piece above all by its lyrical beauty and its unforgettable melody.
Arrangement / performance note
It was a challenge to explore how such a vocal and expressive work could be shaped on the tongue drum. I tried several different versions and approaches, thinking carefully about how to make the arrangement work not simply as a reduction of the original, but as a performance that would sound natural and convincing on the instrument itself.
Popular & Contemporary
The Place Where I Belong
Work
“The Place Where I Belong” is a song by Leroy Sanchez, released in 2020 as part of his EP The Greatest Gift. It belongs to the world of contemporary pop and also carries a clear seasonal and Christmas character.
Instrument used
Pulsar Studio
Why I chose it
Christmas is a special time of year for me. There are many Christmas songs, but I was particularly drawn to the calm and gentle character of this one, and I wanted to try playing it on the tongue drum.
Arrangement / performance note
With some changes, this piece could perhaps be played on a single instrument. For me, however, the possibility of including just a few notes from the second instrument is musically very important. That is something that can only be achieved with a chromatic set, and it is part of what makes this arrangement meaningful to me.
Dreamer
Work
“Dreamer” is an instrumental track by Alan Walker, released in 2023. It was issued through NCS and belongs to the world of electronic dance music.
Instrument used
Kosmosky New Wave
Why I chose it
I wanted to try playing something a little more dance-like, which is relatively unusual for me.
Arrangement / performance note
This performance is combined with an electronic accompaniment that I created myself. My work is usually centred on solo performance, but here I wanted to show that the tongue drum also has this kind of possibility, and to explore how it might function in a more electronically shaped setting.
Anime
Kamado Nezuko no Uta
Work
“Kamado Nezuko no Uta” is an insert song from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc. It was composed by Go Shiina, with lyrics credited to ufotable, and was performed by Nami Nakagawa. The song was used in the final episode of the arc and is closely associated with Nezuko Kamado.
Instrument used
Kosmosky New Wave
Why I chose it
I am very fond of anime, and I have played several pieces from Demon Slayer. What I especially love in this piece is the beauty of the melody and the subtlety of its modulations.
Arrangement / performance note
I often play cover pieces on the Pulsar, but this performance is on the Kosmosky New Wave. In this arrangement, I use all twenty-five notes of the instrument. Even now, it feels almost miraculous to me that I was able to preserve the original modulating elements of the piece while fitting it within a two-octave range. Pieces with modulations are particularly difficult on the tongue drum, largely because of the limitations of range. The most difficult part of this project, however, was not the arrangement but the recording. Since the piece lasts more than eight minutes, unexpected sounds kept finding their way in at some point. It was a reminder of how difficult home recording can be. ;-)
Farewell, My Friend
Work
“Farewell, My Friend” is a track from the soundtrack of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, composed by Evan Call. It is one of the reflective pieces associated with the emotional turning points of the story and with Frieren’s growing awareness of what she had failed to see before.
Instrument used
Kosmosky New Wave
Why I chose it
This piece is connected with a major turning point for Frieren. Through parting from an old friend, she begins to recognise something she had not truly tried to see before. To me, it is a beautiful piece of farewell music, and that is what drew me to it.
Arrangement / performance note
Because this piece was written for post-production, it can feel slightly abrupt in its ending when heard without the accompanying image. For that reason, I made a small adjustment to the arrangement so that it would work more naturally as an independent performance.
Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku
Work
“Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku” is a song by Field of View, released in 1996, with lyrics by Izumi Sakai and music by Tetsurō Oda. It served as the opening theme for Dragon Ball GT and later became one of the most iconic songs in the wider Dragon Ball world.
Instrument used
Pulsar Concerto
Why I chose it
The original is a brighter and more energetic song, but after hearing of Akira Toriyama’s passing, I felt moved to play it in a more reflective spirit.
Arrangement / performance note
It may sound almost like a different piece from the original, but I feel that this, too, is an arrangement that fits the character of the tongue drum.