This portfolio showcases a selection of my compositions, arrangements, and collaborative projects, spanning orchestral, brass, chamber, and media music. Each work reflects my passion for storytelling through sound, blending contemporary textures with a deep appreciation for classical and cinematic traditions.
Original symphonic work by Kodi Rasmussen (2024)
City to Conservatory is an orchestral response to the 2023 university funding cuts to music programs, reflecting the challenges faced by students and educators.
The piece traces a music student’s journey, beginning with the chaotic energy of urban life, shifting to semi-aleatoric practice room explorations, and culminating in Āio Mauritau Āio, a waiata by Dr. Te Manaaroha Rollo that symbolises unity and artistic resilience.
Balancing external noise with internal discipline, the composition captures the pursuit of musical identity in a changing educational landscape.
Original E♭ Bass solo by Kodi Rasmussen (2025)
Reaching our mid-20s, we begin to see friends leave - moving away to chase ambitions, build careers, and carve out new lives. ...And Here so I will Keep is a personal reflection on this experience from the perspective of the one who stays behind. It is a meditation on the silence left in their absence, the weight of solitude, and the quiet perseverance of carrying on without them.
Musically, the piece explores these emotions through lyrical melodies, intertwining motifs, and the use of space between the E♭ Bass and piano. Moments of call and response echo conversations once frequent but now more distant, while extended pauses and exposed phrasing highlight the feeling of being left behind. Yet, within this melancholy, there is warmth - an acceptance of change and a deep gratitude for the friendships that endure, no matter the distance. The music ultimately settles in quiet anticipation, looking forward to the day they return.
Original piano solo by Kodi Rasmussen (2022)
Maunga ki Roto (Mountain to Lake) is a solo piano piece inspired by the journey of water travelling from high on a mountain down to a tranquil lake. Through its use of tone clock theory, specifically Intervallic Prime Form (IPF) 1-4, the piece explores harmonic depth while capturing the natural flow of water.
This composition showcases the wide range of the piano, mirroring the dynamic movements of water - from the cascading rush down the mountain to the stillness of the lake. The final phrase symbolises the cyclical nature of water, sinking to the lake’s depths but rising again to repeat the process.