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Cat and Mouse is the adventurous sonic dialogue between trumpet player/composer Nicole Rampersaud and percussionist/composer Brian Shankar Adler.

Before the performance, Nicole and Brian will lead the audience in a guided listening walk through the Kennedy Park neighborhood followed by a reflective sharing about what was heard. Within the performance, Cat and Mouse will create a short piece of music (in real-time) based on the sounds of the neighborhood. 

Combining brass, electronics, and a hybrid drum set that includes North Indian tabla, Argentine bombo legüero, and various found objects, the two create new connections between raga, experimental music, and more.

Separately, their innovative musical voices have led to international collaborations with some of the leading figures in contemporary music from Ray Vega to Anthony Braxton. Together, they cut across space, time, and genre, drawing on a broad range of musical practices and traditions in the creation of new music.

Creative music places process at the forefront, and demands a firm commitment to remaining curious about how the music is unfolding in real time from both the musicians and the audience. Cat and Mouse will provide an inclusive opportunity (for youth and the listening public) to become immersed in the creative process, offering new ways to listen, interpret, and connect/reconnect with their locale. 

The performance will conclude with a question and answer session.

Saturday, June 8 a 5:00 PM (doors 4:30 PM). The performance will begin with an approximately 30-minute listening walk around Kennedy Park, followed by a 60-minute concert. 

Folks are welcome to skip the walk and join us for the live music at 5:30 PM.

Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $30 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)

ARTIST BIOS

Trumpet Player, Composer, and Improviser Nicole Rampersaud has a singular voice that intersects with a broad range of musical practices and traditions. Her intrepid listening and boundless curiosity have made her an internationally sought-after collaborator throughout several musical communities.

Nicole’s individualistic versatility has led to collaborations with many of the leading innovators in contemporary music: Anthony Braxton, Joe Morris, Ra-kalam Bob Moses, Sandro Perri, and many more. Her primary groups include Brass Knuckle Sandwich (with pianist Marilyn Lerner), a duo with guitarist Joel LeBlanc, and she is a founding member of the trio c_RL alongside Allison Cameron and Germaine Liu. She relentlessly seeks out and creates spaces to work with a diverse and expanding group of music-makers as a means of exploring and nurturing new connections between creative practices.

Since 2008, Nicole has been building a catalog of solo compositions that deconstruct the trumpet’s sonic possibilities. In solo performances, Nicole improvises composites of her pieces in the moment, resulting in compelling structures that engage audiences in the creation of a connected experience. In 2021, she co-founded the improvisation-driven series, Understory, which uses technology to reimagine collaboration between improvising artists across Canada.

Brian Shankar Adler is a multidisciplinary drummer, percussionist, and composer. Described as "a polyrhythmic force… New York City gritty yet still somehow capable of evoking the delicacy of a summer breeze…” (JazzTimes), his work transcends the terrain between genre and geographic region, asking: how can we find connection through rhythm?

Brian Shankar Adler has performed in caves, forests, and adjacent glacial ice fields as well as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. He has been recorded on over forty albums including his solo works, For a Gallery on the Moon (Chant Records, 2020) and Fourth Dimension (Chant Records, 2019).

Playing primarily a hybrid drum set that includes North Indian tabla, Argentine bombo legüero, and various found objects, Adler's work explores the perception of time, the communicative properties of embodied gesture, and the existential questions that reside in the human condition. With equal focus on improvisational and compositional practices, he uses rhythm to connect: inward as a meditation and outward as a language to bridge social gaps.

Adler has worked with Kinan Azmeh, Jane Ira Bloom, Jay Clayton, Sheila Jordan, Guillermo Klein, The Michael Leonhart Orchestra, Frank London, Kate McGarry, Matt Moran, Mali Obomsawin, Emilio Teubal, and Ray Vega. He is a member of the eclectic surf-noir band Bombay Rickey and performs environmental activism with Bash the Trash.

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN POLICY

No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.

COVID-19 POLICY

Mayo Street Arts no longer requires audience members attending public events to wear masks. Audience members who feel sick—whether due to COVID or any other illness—should stay home out of respect for others.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Mayo Street Arts has a no-refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.