Strange Adaptations is a fun piece for both the perfomer and audience alike. It was commissioned by my good friend, and clarinetist, Angel Duran. Angel asked me to compose a work for bass clarinet and marimba with her only specification being “to make it jazzy.” So, I wanted to make an exciting piece that utilized syncopated rhythms and had a “jazzy” sound.

Two works kept coming into my head when I was figuring out what to write; John Mackey’s piece for concert band, Strange Humors, and Nathan Daughtrey’s percussion ensemble, Adaptation. Neither piece
constitutes as a “jazz tune” but both have moments of exciting rhythms and hints of blues scales. I used those works as inspiration and subsequently the title for my piece. While it is more of a showcase for the
bass clarinet, the marimba also has its fair share of the limelight.