Liquid Music, Northrop, and the Walker Art Center Present
Jlin: Permutation of Three
Past event
Oct 02, 2025
A math lover, former steel factory worker, and proud resident of Gary, IN, Jlin (Jerrilynn Patton) has quickly become one of the most distinctive composers in America and influential women in electronic music. Jlin’s thrilling, emotional, and multidimensional compositions have earned her praise as “one of the most forward-thinking contemporary composers in any genre” (Pitchfork).
This carefully crafted program demonstrates Jlin’s expansive musical universe through solo electronic material; genre-defying collaborations with omnivorous violinist and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain and renowned tap improviser and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval; and the Kronos Quartet-commissioned Little Black Book performed by musicians of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO).
Little Black Book is presented in partnership with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Articles & More
Review: "An improvisation-infused mash-up of electronic and classical music"—Pioneer Press
“Be water, my friend,” [Jlin] said. “Be able to adapt to whatever you touch. That’s why I never see myself in this genre or that genre. For me, it’s all one world. Whatever it is, whether I’m in classical, fashion, trap, blues, whatever it is, it’s all one space.”—Minnesota Star Tribune
“[Jlin’s] music is propelled by the sheer force of her percussion, her ornate, radical progressions, her shape-shifting sounds, an undercurrent of menace. Listening to Jlin tracks is like watching the horror movie heroine open the door into a vast unknown—and yet, she turns out to be completely in control, morphing and bending the rhythm, changing up the narrative again.”—Pitchfork
“Jlin is an artist who belongs to her genre, but has an eye on where it could go next.”—The Guardian
“Jlin … has constantly grown more daring. [Her music] is the best kind of overload.”—The New York Times
“It’s unlike any music you’ve ever heard, … creating rhythmic instrumentals that explore the joys of repetition with beats that bounce around like super-balls.”—The Los Angeles Times
Learn More - Explore These Themes
The content below derives from the Northrop Across Campus Program that supports Northrop's mission towards intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.
Find ways to make thematic connections to these suggested topics:
- Music: Classical, Contemporary, Electronic, Composition
- Dance: Tap
- Cross-Genre Collaboration
- African American & African Studies
- Feminism
- Labor & Art
Dive deeper with these resources that provide additional information about the performers, the history of the artform, and the artistic process.
Links:
Video: "Composer Jlin on Writing 'Perspective' for Third Coast Percussion"
"The Innovator: How Jlin Is Altering Dance Music's DNA"—Rolling Stone
Jlin: Akoma Album Review—Pitchfork
"Jlin’s Sonic Palette Defies Gravity and Genre on Akoma"—PopMatters
Video: "Jlin - The Precision of Infinity (ft. Philip Glass)"
Daniel Bernard Roumain website
Video: "DBR | Composer. Violinist. Artist Entrepreneur."
View in UMN Library: "The unbounded world of Daniel Bernard Roumain: Collaboration across disciplines, genres lies at the heart of violinist's work"—Boston Globe
Video: "A Conversation With Daniel Bernard Roumain"
Video: "Leonardo Sandoval: 2022 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance"
Start a conversation about the performance or encourage reflection, using these questions as inspiration.
A math lover, former steel factory worker, and proud resident of Gary, IN, Jlin (Jerrilynn Patton) has quickly become one of the most distinctive composers in America and one of the most influential women in electronic music. Jlin’s thrilling, emotional, and multidimensional compositions have earned her praise as “one of the most forward-thinking contemporary composers in any genre” (Pitchfork).
- How do geography, socioeconomic class, and cultural identity influence and/or inspire a composer’s music?
- How do you imagine industrial work and a love of math might have informed Jlin’s creative and artistic process? Have you experienced a connection between math and music? If so, explain.
- How does Jlin, as an African American woman from Indiana’s working class, challenge perceived historical gender imbalances within the fields of composition and electronic music?
- The full title of the performance is an equation: Jlin / n! = 3!, though technically difficult for Northrop to replicate on our website and print materials! This reflects Jlin’s interest and expertise in math. What does that name mean to you? Why do you think Jlin would represent the performance name in that manner?
Jlin: Permutation of Three demonstrates Jlin’s expansive musical universe with new solo electronic material, and features collaborations with violinist and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain and renowned tap improviser and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval. Members of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will also appear in the program, performing Jlin’s Little Black Book, commissioned and initially performed by the Kronos Quartet.
- How do diverse artistic collaborations facilitate the dissemination of new ideas, skills, and practices? And how might this way of working challenge or reinforce notions of nationalism within a larger geopolitical and cultural context?
- How do multidisciplinary and multicultural collaborations change our understanding of genre and ownership of artistic styles, especially considering the historical power structures within artistic and media institutions?
- How might the range of sounds, genres, and styles this program offers speak to students at the U?
Acknowledgments
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
About the Liquid Music | Northrop Series
Expand your idea of how music flows through contemporary dance, film, and beyond. The Liquid Music | Northrop Series brings boundary-pushing works to the Northrop stage. Immerse yourself in these dynamic performances from exceptional collaborations.
