Dance of the Cephalopod is an immersive, electroacoustic solo percussion piece that invites audiences to gather, listen, dance, and activate polyethylene wind chimes while contemplating the delicate balance between humanity and nature. From the lonely cry to the ecstatic escape of a multi-limbed sea creature, the work shares a story of survival, struggle, and the consequences of environmental degradation. Seamlessly accelerating, the piece features a spine-tingling blend of solo percussion and a backdrop of oceanic field recordings.
Sample available on request.
Á Bao A Quq Aoaba is a palindromic construction based on the Á Bao A Qu: In Borges's story, the Á Bao A Qu lives on the steps of the Tower of Victory in Chitor, from the top of which one can see "the loveliest landscape in the world." The Á Bao A Qu waits on the first step for a man brave enough to try to climb up. Until that point, it lies sleeping, shapeless and translucent, until someone passes. Then, when a man starts climbing, the creature wakes, and follows close behind. As it progresses further and further up, it begins to become clearer and more colorful. It gives off a blue light which increases as it ascends. But it only reaches perfection when the climber reaches the top, and achieves Nirvana, so his acts don't cast any shadows. But almost all the time, the climber cannot reach the top, for they are not perfect. When the Á Bao A Qu realizes this, it hangs back, losing color and visibility, and tumbles back down the staircase until it reaches the bottom, once more dormant and shapeless. In doing so, it gives a small cry, so soft that it sounds similar to the rustling of silk.
Sample available on request.
Commissioned by the Bates College Gamelan Orchestra, We Are a Body of Water is an eight-movement piece that explores the profound connection between water, humanity, and our interconnectedness. Through a blend of traditional gamelan instruments, tabla, and cello, the composition delves into themes of climate change, border conflict, and social injustice.
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Commissioned by Palaver Strings, A Memory of Fire is inspired by the Shri Rudram, a Vedic text from India that Brahman's have been chanting for thousands of years. Adler re-imagined the melodic gestures without the use of any text. Three note melodic permutations twist and travel, carried by a propulsive groove that invites the ensemble and audience into a sacred space.
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With a nod to Carla Bley, Ida pays tribute to British filmmaker Ida Lupino.
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Inspired by (and premiered within) the two-story, open-air, 19th-century fortress in Casco Bay, Maine, Fort Gorges is a conversational percussion duo played on granite rocks or bricks.
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Seiche is a rhythmic theme composed for tabla in tin tal, a 16 beat cycle. The accompanying lehra is composed in Rag Gaud Sarang, an early afternoon raga.
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Sediment is an extended blues in 5/4. With whimsical, nostalgic undertones, this piece imagines the world from the perspective of a child playing in the sand.
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Mountain Pass blends Hindustani and American rhythmic traditions through a modular cells. Composed in rupak tal (a seven beat cycle) in a blues form, it incorporates vocalized tabla bols, beat boxing, body percussion and an accompanying lehra.
Sample score and audio available on request.
Scored for percussion quartet and stop motion animation, Paper, Rock, Scissors features repurposed found objects and binary rhythmic encryption. Inspired by Buckminster Fuller, the piece unfolds through textural, and polyrhythmic development.
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Young Blood is a meditative solo percussion piece inspired by sounds from within the womb.
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Lower Voices is a solo percussion étude played on two toms.
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In Fourth Dimension, Adler uses the format of a jazz rhythm section to invoke an inner world characterized by textless mantras, disintegrating drones and mind-bending polyrhythms.
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Mantra is based on the Indian raga, Chandrakauns. Typically performed in the evening, the raga gently evokes creativity, mystery and longing.
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Nuearth imagines a renewed Earth, as seen through hopeful eyes.
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In Gowanus, two raised behemoth roar day and night, vying for dominance. They rip through debris along the Brooklyn canal, where slimy radioactive spills mingle with overabundant plastic waste.
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Binary Suite is a response to the prediction that humans and machines will soon merge and become one. A meditation in four movements, the piece asks humans to hear and interpret binary code in a way that computers can, and computers to hear and interpret code played by improvising musicians.
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Living Within the Ocean is a text setting of a poem by Sufi poet Jalaludin Rumi.
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