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Instrumentation

Performance History

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Program Notes

2025

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5:00

Percussion Ensemble

Vibraphone, Piano, Double Bass, Drum Set, Auxiliary

A Game of Cat and Mouse is a wild, fun, and unpredictable piece for percussion ensemble that I wrote to express my love for cartoons and breaking rules. One of my most favorite cartoons from my childhood was “Tom and Jerry” which is a wild, fun, and unpredictable comedy featuring a cat (Tom) spending seasons trying to catch a mouse (Jerry). I wanted to write a piece that mirrored the joyousness of cartoons and I named the title as it is now to pay homage to the cartoon that is nearest to my heart. The beginning of this piece and similar sections starts “sneaky” to represent a mouse creeping throughout a house. The sudden “SURPRISE” enters the cat as it chases the mouse for the rest of the piece. This piece has many crazy turns and events. There are sudden intentional switches in tempo, dynamics, and styles. Towards the middle of the piece you will hear the main theme start to “glitch out” to prank the audience and simulate a broken record player. Also, you will hear a vamp section where the same measure is played over and over again just enough to make the audience go a little bit crazy. I’ve thrown in a few references to Tom and Jerry and also another very popular video game (I hope you can pick it out). This crazy rollercoaster of piece is surely a crowd pleaser that is engaging the whole way through.

October 28th, 2025 : GSU Fall Student Showcase : Premiere

November 2nd, 2025 : Dylan Mantione Student Recital

November 20th, 2025: GSU SCI Concert