The Jealousy of Academics was written for sets of found objects: three woods, three metals, three glass objects, and three drums. The piece is constructed of compound grooves created by two players who have music beamed in different ways, emphasizing different points in the bar. Each of these grooves is then further pronounced by the other two players before the music deconstructs into an improvisatory eruption of sound. The piece uses only prime-numbered odd meters in descending length (13/8, 11/8, 7/8, 5/8, & 3/8).