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Transmutations for flutes and electronics
Transmutations is a flexible improvisation framework for flutes and electronics that leverages 21st-century technologies not only to explore and extend the timbral versatility of flutes, but also to underscore the performative, fluid, and ever-evolving nature of timbre more generally. It was born out of a set of 12 fixed media "transmutation studies" demonstrating the transformation of short samples of flute sounds into, around, and across various semantic categories.
In Transmutations, the flute similarly wavers in and out of a multitude of sonic identities by means of digital signal processing techniques. Sometimes, it masquerades as another familiar object or interface (e.g., a ticking clock) or abstractly evokes a concept or phenomenon (e.g., a storm); at other times, it beckons toward the ethereal or ineffable, resisting indexical identification altogether. With source materials warped, layered, and splayed across the frequency spectrum, such concerns as “the real” and “the true” begin to move out of focus, making way for attention to embodied phenomenological experiences of sound.
This work was initially developed as part of a broader research project as a graduate student at MIT, probing the boundaries of auditory cognition. It has taken on new lives in various venues and formats, from solo sets at local art exhibitions to productions with improviser collaborators.
Jessica Shand (b. 1999) is a flutist, producer, composer, and researcher based out of Providence, RI. She calls on an eclectic set of influences to mobilize curiosity and collaboration beyond disciplinary boundaries, from contemporary jazz, electronic music, and creative improvisation to constellations of philosophy, technology, and mathematics. Her debut release, a solo album entitled Transmutations, draws influence ranging from electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani all the way to hyperpop icon SOPHIE to unravel vast perceptual landscapes out of flute sound across 12 short vignettes.
Jessica has presented and performed in partnership with such institutions as Carnegie Hall, the American Repertory Theatre, and the MIT Museum, and with ensembles including the International Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Music Festival and School. An inaugural fellow with the Steve Jobs Archive, she holds degrees from MIT (M.S. '24) and Harvard (B.A. '22).
Jessica’s cherished mentors include Claire Chase, Vijay Iyer, Esperanza Spalding, Miguel Zenón, Anthony Cheung, Paula Robison, and Brook Ferguson. She has been a Wm. S. Haynes Co. International Young Artist since 2016.
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