2nd Annual M³ Festival to Celebrate 21 Exceptional Composer-Performers

Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), a visionary and non-hierarchical mentorship initiative created by musicians Jen Shyu and Sara Serpa, presents its 2nd annual in-person festival featuring 21 bandleaders from their 3rd & 4th cohorts. The three-day M³ Festival will run September 21-23, 2023 at Roulette Intermedium, located in Brooklyn, New York. On September 24th, there will be a community reception at Center for Fiction, also in Brooklyn. This exciting festival celebrates some of the most innovative and groundbreaking composer-performers in the jazz and creative music scene.

The M³ Festival 2023 boasts an exceptional roster of artists, each contributing their unique talents and artistic vision. Among the illustrious musicians set to perform are Rebekah Heller, Fay Victor, Francesca Tanksley, Layale Chaker, Milena Casado, Ria Modak, BarTog, The Sabbath, Srayamurtikanti, El Cuerpo Rítmico, Leonor Falcón, Goussy Célestin, Frankie Patcher, Naomi Moon Siegel, Vino Wu, Ruth Naomi Floyd, SONG, Saxreligious, Jessica Ackerley, and Joan Sue. These gifted composer-performers have been an integral part of the M³, and their collective brilliance promises to create an unforgettable experience for audiences. 

What sets the M³ Festival apart is its unique premise of bringing together musicians who have collaborated remotely but have never met face-to-face. This landmark event marks a momentous occasion, where the talented artists from the 3rd and 4th cohorts of M³ will finally have the chance to meet in person and share their music live with one another. The festival's atmosphere will undoubtedly be charged with creative energy, fostering an environment of harmony and artistic exploration that can only arise when like-minded visionaries come together.

“This year's festival musicians from M³'s 3rd and 4th cohorts are hands down some of the most groundbreaking composer-performers in the world today, each with a stunning clarity of vision that you'll rarely if ever find gathered together in one place.” — said Jen Shyu, co-founder of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians.

The M³ Festival 2023 is not just an opportunity for musicians to share their art with each other but also an invitation for the audience to immerse themselves in a universe of creative expression. The audience can expect three days of ingenious compositions, virtuosic performances, and moments of musical genius that will leave a lasting impression on all those in attendance.

In the relentless pursuit of balance and diversity, this lineup of composer-performers was thoughtfully curated to embody innovation across genres. The M³ Festival serves as a testament to the power of inclusivity, demonstrating that when intentions focus on fostering a diverse and inclusive community of musicians and creators, it unlocks a world of boundless possibilities.

“This festival is an amazing opportunity to discover musicians that will blow your mind! It makes me really proud to see the seeds we have been planting with M³ for the past 3 years growing into incredible musical collaborations and witness a new community of musicians taking shape, hailing from all corners of the world, with multiple traditions and innovations,” — shares Sara Serpa, co-founder of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians.

To close the festival United States Artists (USA) and M³ are hosting a launch party to celebrate the release of New Suns Issue 9 and M³'s Anthology. Programming includes readings by members of M³'s Fall Equinox 2022 cohort from their Anthology of Writings, followed by a community reception with snacks and beverages. New Suns: Listening with Artists is an online publication of commissions, interviews, and stories from artists responding to life and the world around them. This will take place on September 24th at Center for Fiction in Brooklyn. 

This celebration of jazz and creative music is scheduled to take place on September 21-23, 2023 at Roulette Intermedium, 509 Atlantic Avenue (Entrance on the Corner of Third Avenue; Accessible Entrance on Atlantic Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11217. The community reception is on September 24, 2023 at 3–5pm ET at the Center for Fiction 15 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217.

 

Day 1: September 21, 2023

7pm - 7:30pm
Fay Victor/Rebekah Heller DUO
Fay Victor (voice); Rebekah Heller (bassoon)

7:40pm- 8:10pm
Francesca Tanksley with Newman Taylor Baker -- Piano/Percussion Duo
Francesca Tanksley, piano; Newman Taylor Baker, percussion

8:20pm - 8:50pm

Duo Maratín: Ria Modak + Ángela Varo
Ria Modak (guitar, voice) Birsa Chatterjee (saxophone, voice)

 9pm - 9:30pm BarTog + Cecilia Lopez
BarTog (turntables, voice) Cecilia Lopez (synthesizer)

9:45pm - 10:15pm
Milena Casado
Milena Casado (trumpet) - Morgan Guerin (Synths, ewi) 

 10.25pm - 10:55pm
Layale Chaker
Layale Chaker (violin, voice) Phillip Golub (piano, microtonal keyboard) - Adriano Vincentino (drums)

 

Day 2: September 22, 2023

7pm - 7:30pm
Srayamurtikanti & Gamelan Friends
Ni Nyoman Srayamurtikanti (Kendang, Ceng-ceng, Gender Wayang), Victoria Lo Mellin (Kendang, Ceng-ceng, Gender Wayang), & Liz Behrend (Kendang, Ceng-ceng, Klentong) 

 7:40 - 8:10pm
The Sabbath presenting The Adhan Project
The Sabbath (vocals) and Liany Mateo (double bass) 

8.25pm - 9.25pm
El Cuerpo Rítmico, Leonor Falcón, Cecilia Lopez
El Cuerpo Rítmico - piano, Leonor Falcón - viola, Cecilia Lopez - electronics

9:40pm - 10:40pm
Goussy Célestin & Frankie Patcher Ensemble
Jessica Jones (tenor sax), Naomi Moon Siegel (trombone), Goussy Célestin (piano/vocals), Liany Mateo (upright bass), Frankie Patcher (drums)

 

Day 3: September 23, 2023 

7pm - 7:30pm
Naomi Moon Siegel
Naomi Moon Siegel (Trombone), Leonor Falcón (Violin), Jessica Ackerley (Guitar), TBD (Bass), Frankie Patcher (Drums)

7:40pm - 8:40pm

Ruth Naomi Floyd and Vino Wu
Ruth Naomi Floyd (vocals), Vino Wu (double bass), Sumi Tonooka (piano - TBA), Keith Loftis (Tenor Saxophone - TBA, Drums - TBA

8:55pm - 9:55pm
bright bright (Jessica Ackerley and Joan Sue)
Jessica Ackerley (guitar), Joan Sue (vocals + electronics)

10:05pm - 11:05pm
SONG and Saxreligious Quintet:
SONG (Voice and Effects), Eli Maliwan AKA Saxreligious (Tenor Saxophone), Caili O'Doherty (Keys), Ethan Cohn - (Bass) Eliza Salem (Drums)

 

Day 4: September 24, 2023

USA's New Suns x M³ Anthology Launch Party
Sunday, September 24, 2023
3–5pm ET at the Center for Fiction
15 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Reserve a ticket link here: Free with eventbrite link (limited seating)

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Jessica Ackerley is a Canadian guitarist, improviser, composer and visual artist who synthesizes the varying degrees of acoustic and electric sound in vividly bold ways. Joan Sue is a renowned singing multi-media artist, composer and improviser based in Berlin. bright bright will be performing for the first time as a duo and will be premiering new music in this concert. 

Master Percussionist, Composer, Vocalist and Educator, Newman Taylor Baker is originally from Petersburg, VA born to a family of scholars. His paternal grandfather was the only former slave to receive a PH.D from Yale University. At 2 years old, Newman received his first drum on Christmas Day and never looked back.

Milena Casado is a composer, flugelhorn and trumpet player from Spain, based in NYC. Composer, flugelhorn and trumpet player, Milena Casado will present a new project with multi-instrumentalist Morgan Guerin. Together, they explore new compositions and improvisation, music and poetry.

Deemed a "Renaissance Woman" in the New York Times, Brooklyn born Haitian-American artist Goussy Célestin interchanges the roles of pianist, composer, vocalist, dancer, writer and arranger with ease. Goussy's current mission integrates all of her disciplines in her project, Goussy Célestin's Ayiti Brass, incorporating elements of traditional Haitian folklore and Jazz.

Violinist and composer Layale Chaker's musical world lies at the intersection of Arabic Maqam, contemporary music, Jazz, and free improvisation. 

Violinist, violist, improviser, and educator Leonor Falcón performs in ensembles dedicated to jazz, avant-garde, latin, and classical music. As a leader, her latest release Imaga Mondo Vol. II has been available on Bandcamp since March 11th, 2022, and her duo project with violinist Sana Nagano: Peach & Tomato's latest album is coming out on 577 Records on August 4th, 2023. https://www.falcongumbarecords.com/

Ruth Naomi Floyd is a vocalist, composer, photographer, educator, and justice worker who uses her multidimensional contributions to inspire positive change in the world. 

Rebekah Heller's work aims to expand the sonic possibilities of her instrument — both in her solo work and through a deep collaborative practice. Called "an impressive solo bassoonist" by The New Yorker, she is dedicated to exploration, experimentation, and the democratization of sound.

Cecilia Lopez is a composer, musician, and multimedia artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her work explores perception and transmission processes focusing on the relationship between sound technologies and listening practices. She works across the media of performance, sound, installation and the creation of sound devices and systems.

Ria Modak is an Indian-American guitarist, composer, and historian whose artistic and academic work investigates the role of music in creating and subverting borders. 

Bergamo-based musician, Frankie Patcher is a multifaceted drummer, an inquisitive improviser and a visionary composer from Bergamo, Italy, known for her international collaborations in the avant-garde and free improv jazz scene featuring musicians.

El Cuerpo Rítmico is a musician, improviser, composer, performer, multidisciplinary artist, teacher and activist from Argentina.

The Sabbath is a South African award winning jazz vocalist, composer and educator. The Sabbath will be performing a concept duo composition from her new album 'The Adhan Project' which will feature bassist Liany Mateo.

Saxreligious is a transgender Asian American saxophonist, composer, educator, and activist, who was born and raised in the Bay Area, CA. 

Naomi Moon Siegel is a trombonist, improviser, composer, and educator whose work is geared toward cultivating community and a positive, transformative music culture beyond genre norms. 

Hailing from South Korea, SONG is a singer and composer who deftly combines modern jazz harmony and odd time signatures with singable melodies that instantly catch the ear of the listener.

Srayamurtikanti is a Composer-Performer trained on Balinese Gamelan Music. Her works currently explore the possibilities of composing and playing gamelan in a more experimental way. Srayamurtikanti will perform with Victoria Lo Mellin and Liz Behrend for the first time. They will work on experiments and will explore Balinese Gamelan Music and musicians' movement. 

Internationally-acclaimed pianist/composer/educator Francesca Tanksley currently composes for and performs with the Francesca Tanksley Trio, and serves as pianist with the Billy Harper Quintet and the Jeff Siegel Quintet, among others. Internationally esteemed drummer/teaching artist Newman Taylor Baker has performed in over 50 countries, whose innovative current project, WashboardXT, combines washboard and electronics/software.

BarTog is a swedish-argentine improviser, vocal artist and educator. Her music ventures into experimental and free improvisation using her voice, electronics and turntable.

Brooklyn, NY based sound artist/composer Fay Victor hones a unique vision for the vocal role in jazz and improvised music regarding repertoire, improvisation and composition. Victor has an 'everything is everything' aesthetic, using the freedom in the moment to inform the appropriate musical response, viewing the vocal instrument as full of possibilities for sound exploration, a through-line  for direct messages in an improvising context.

Ángela Varo is an Andalusian violinist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. Her music is a fusion of jazz and flamenco violin, inspired by the rich cultural heritage of her region.

Bassist, musician, composer, and artist Vino Wu is well-versed in various music strains, including jazz, improvised music, hip-hop, and pop music. He also is an artist who collaborates with visual art, painters, dancers, and multimedia.

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