Kristen Stoner - The Five Rings for Solo Piccolo. "The Five Rings" is based on The Book of Five Rings, an ancient Japanese text by Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1645) that examines the art and philosophy of martial arts and combat. There are five sections of the text that align with the elements: The Book of Earth, The Book of Water, The Book of Fire, The Book of Wind, and The Book of Void. In this composition, we briefly travel through each element, while exploring the many different voices and technical capabilities of the solo piccolo.