Earth Tones: Science Communication through Music

In this talk, Walker Williams and Patrick Pata will discuss their recent collaboration resulting in Match/Mismatch, a composition for clarinet quartet and electronics premiered at the Earth Tones concert at UBC in March of 2023. In addition to presenting on both the scientific and compositional aspects of the piece, they will talk about the process of cross-disciplinary collaboration, which also included Christina Draeger (PhD candidate in Geophysics) and Los Primos clarinet quartet. The presentation will also include a chance to listen to a recorded performance of Match/Mismatch.

Walker Williams is a DMA candidate in Music Composition at UBC, and a Resident Member of Green College. Walker’s compositional practice is influenced by research in non-music fields including climate science and labour history, and some of their recent compositions explore ways to bridge the gap between electronic music and natural rhythms and soundscapes.

Patrick Pata is a PhD candidate in Oceanography at UBC. He is interested in the physical and ecological mechanisms that structure the distribution of life in the ocean, and using these to provide open and accessible tools for the science-based management and conservation of marine ecosystems. His research focuses on zooplankton and the waters of the Philippines and British Columbia.