Transdialect is a piece for a mixed ensemble consisting of violin, flute, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, drum set, and auxiliary percussion. The connection of distant ideas and styles is explored in this piece as chamber music and jazz are unified. Tone, energy, and metric drive are ever-evolving components which take the opening material to unexpected places.

The opening material is presented as chamber music, but gradually evolves until it is suddenly turned on its head. Halfway through the piece, though the material is familiar, the tone is very different. This parallels the reality of translation: in some languages, dialects are quite different from one another, and though something may be communicated and understood, its tone or meaning may be skewed in translation. Such is the evolution of the musical material presented in Transdialect. Despite the similarities in musical content, translation between musical dialects drastically alters how it is received.

The recording featured on this page was made possible by generous students at Whitworth University.

Transdialect

My name is Blake Clawson, and I love nothing more than composing and arranging music.  Here you'll find recordings of my work.

Ben Morris is a composer whose music tells unconventional stories and crosses genre boundaries. He is Assistant Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University.