Bongo Piz(z)az(z) is a work for digital media composed in June-September of 2024. I originally started composing this piece because I felt that pacing and making interesting song structure were some of my biggest downfalls as a composer, and I wanted to improve in those areas. Namely, I felt all my pieces had way too fast of pacing and all started sharing very similar song structures. Bongo Piz(z)az(z) begins with a quiet intro with a lot of space in between phrases to let it breathe more. Space is utilized extremely frequently in this song, primarily to heighten the comedic effect of certain sections, but also to allow for copious breathing room. The slow middle section is representative of the deep internal upsetness one is destined to experience after discovering the multitude of ways pizzazz can be spelled. It gradually builds up to the punch-line of the song: “T(W)O Z!!! Or not t(w)o z…”. This is immediately followed up by a whispering storm of “z”s, instilling a state of panic. Then, back to solo marimba, just like the beginning of the piece. This is representative of calming down from the panic, but as it progresses, we hear more instruments enter also playing this same motif at different times. This is symbolic of the many different ways to spell pizzazz. All of this builds up until a state of panic is reached once more, this time even more intense. Ending with loud crash cymbals and an accelerando into an unholy tempo, it’s pure chaos. Then, silence, ending it all off with a solo bongo hit.