Jon Heilbron - double bass
Fredrik Rasten - e-bowed acoustic guitar, composition

Murmurations I (excerpt) - Arches - Jon Heilbron & Fredrik Rasten

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

An Original Piano Solo. Performed by Ryan Flat.

Burgundy Gardens

Los Recuerdos, poem and music by JC Maynard. Recorded April 27, 2022 at CU-Boulder's Pendulum New Music Concert.
Singers: Renova New Music Ensemble
***********
Lyrics: 
Los recuerdos de
mis días felices
me atormentan
sin cesar.

Recuerdos, por
favor déja me!

Los recuerdos son 
demasiado para
soportar

Translation: 
The memories of
my happy days
torment me
endlessly.

Memories, please
leave me!

The memories are
too much to bear

***********
Joshua Carter Maynard is a composer and author from Colorado Springs and is currently studying a Bachelor of Music in composition at the University of Colorado Boulder. Maynard’s choral compositions and arrangements have been performed by elite chamber, a capella and jazz ensembles at multiple choral festivals and CHSAA competitions. His twelve-part Latin piece Lux Aeterna was performed by the AAHS Chamber Singers at the Colorado Music Educators Association conference in January 2020. The choir was accepted into the conference after their CHSAA-Superior-rated performance of Maynard’s
Green Mountain at the Westside Honor Festival in November 2018. Additionally, Maynard’s orchestral piece Winterdove was performed by the Denver Playground Ensemble at Denver University’s Gates Hall in June 2020 and again at CU Boulder’s Septetmber 2021 Pendulum New Music Concert. Most recently, his four-movement choral suite Young Years debuted in December 2021 at Grusin Music Hall, as well as his woodwind quintet Dragonfly Pond in March 2022.
Maynard and his pieces have been awarded five Superior CHSAA ratings. Maynard directed music for multiple productions and sang in Honor and AllState level ensembles on the following stages: Carnegie Hall, the United States Polaris Center, the Pikes Peak Center, the Ent Center for the Performing Arts, the Colorado Bellco Theatre, David Filsinger Hall, the Kennedy Space Center and Broadmoor Hall. In Febraury 2020, he sang in the Colorado All-State Choir
at the Buell Theatre. Maynard is also the founder of the Kadet Chorale, the first honor choir at the Air Academy.
Maynard is also a decorated Eagle Scout and published author of a
fantasy novel, The Four Sunrises, available for purchase on Amazon. As an International Thespian Honor Society member, he has performed lead roles in Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Mamma Mia.

Los Recuerdos, JC Maynard

Kaì Pothío Kaì Máomai intertwines music from around the world, and poetry from the classical world. The piece utilises several fragments (31, 33, and 36) in their original Aeolic Greek by the ancient Greek author, Sappho. The voice of the poet is that of a lover approaching their beloved, whereupon seeing their loved one speaking to a man, they are filled with both jealousy of this man, and awe at the beauty of their sweetheart. The other fragments are a prayer to Aphrodite asking for favour in pursuit of love (fr. 33), and a brief expression of heartache and desire (fr. 36). These poems can be read as a discussion on the difficulties of queer love in heteronormative culture, but the themes of love and longing are felt by all people and unite us all as human beings.
 
This piece is heavily influenced and inspired by Hindustani Classical music. For this, great credit must be given to the incredible tabla player and renowned educator of Indian and Hindustani Classical Music in Tāmaki Makaurau, Manjit Singh. The piece utilises the tonality of a raga named Raag Kalyan.

Performed by Bach Musica NZ
Conductor: Rita Paczian
Concertmaster: Yanghe Yu
Violin Solo: Yanghe Yu
Flute Solo: Catherine Bowie
Recording: Franco Viganoni (Viganoni & Viganoni)

https://bachmusica.com/

Poulenc Gloria

Kaì Pothío Kaì Máomai (καὶ ποθήω καὶ μάομαι)

Original score for the documentary "American River" by Scott Morris.

Christopher Molina - shakuhachi
Conor Abbot Brown - clarinet
Max Wolpert, Sarah Hubbard - violins
Jack Bogard - mandolin and violin
Jake Saunders - cello
Ben Morris - piano and synths
Adam Hernandez - guitar
Dan Montgomery - bass
Evan Hyde - percussion
Daniel Whitworth - music copyist

American River

On a Night (2015) for alto solo and unaccompanied choir
Cape Town Youth Choir
Conductor: Leon Starker
Soloist: Estelle Roux

On A Night

Composition for jazz big band in a New Orleans style. Live performance by the Spokane Jazz Orchestra.

Bayou Bijou

I didn’t think it was possible
to yell at the top of my lungs
And hear you sing out just as loud
like we’re the only ones.
And I was so dang sure
that something had begun .

I didn’t think it was possible 
To fall as hard as I did
But then quickly scratch out 
signs of heartache
And never let you in.
And I was so dang scared
to tell you, so I hid. 

and all that time went way too fast
and you gave me what you had
I convinced myself that you fell for
the distance that I had

it surprised you at your best
But so rightly so I’d guess.
Was it worth the tears still left
or the wait to catch my breath?
But still,
I would’ve wanted you to know
 
That when you laugh your eyes scrunch up in bunches
like that purple fruit and fleece pajamas.
Your smile lights up the room of faces and you speak so gracefully
And when you smiled at me,
I didn’t know I could keep falling for more than fifty feet

But For you, it seemed like nothing 
It’s just as fleeting as a dream
I’m just sweet and good at somersaults and staring at a screen
But To me, you mean every single thing

Original: Unequal Distance

God Only Knows Cover

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