"Ballade" is a mixed media piece designed using the same part of the piano action (called "Sticker tongues") from several different pianos. Because I often suffer from what one friends refers to as "bulls-eye-itis" in my designs, I made "Ballade" to demonstrate an ability (to him? to self?) to create works with designs that deliberately don't sit dead-center in a piece. (It was a successful effort, and one that I continue to pursue regularly.)