Ying-Chen Kao

Frustration Factory

Frustration Factory is a character piece written in six movements.  Each movement captures a moment in time, describing the final creative push before the dreaded deadline. The title of each movements paints a distinct character:  I. Time is ticking… II. Frustration III. Worn to a frazzle IV. Lullaby V. Startled VI. Call it a day Tic-toc, tic-toc, time is ticking, and the deadline is approaching. Every nerve-wracking second becomes more pronounced, and ill-tempered. Frustration intensifies and overwhelms the senses, causing ideas to jumble and fragment haphazardly. Emotions are overwrought, and momentum deflates gradually. A dreamlike mental state engulfs consciousness. A brief sense of calm is achieved but through the tranquillity the tic-toc returns. Louder and louder, it grows snapping consciousness back into reality. One final push to persevere. One final push to “call it a day.”  Ying-Chen Kao