Suddenly LISTEN is a Halifax based organization founded by my brother Norman Adams. Suddenly Listen and the Suddenly Listen Ensemble is the umbrella for a flexible group of improvizing musicians. Suddenly Listen presents concerts on a regular basis in the Halifax area. Recent musicians have been: Norman Adams, Erin Donovan, Daniel Oore, Chris Church and others.

In Norman's words...

Improvising music is creation in the moment. The palette with which the artists work is a rich mixture of artistic vision, strong technical skills, and a heightened sensitivity to collaboration. At its best it combines spontaneity with a wealth of knowledge and tradition.

Suddenly Listen, a registered not for profit society with a volunteer Board of Directors, was formed in the winter of 2000 under the artistic leadership of Norman Adams. Norman, who is Principal Cello of Symphony Nova Scotia, in Halifax Nova Scotia, had begun to experiment with improvisation and it's relationship to through composed new music in 1995. He began looking for partners to join him in an ensemble specializing in this genre and over the years found four musicians with whom he could share this work. John DS Adams and Erin Donovan, two Toronto artists, collaborated with Norman in Halifax concerts over the years, most notably "Momentum" in 1998 (with support from the Nova Scotia Arts Council). But it was only after Norman joined forces in 1999 with Daniel Oore and Chris Church, local Halifax improvisors with whom a continuous musical relationship could be shared, that Suddenly Listen was able to take on a new life.

Suddenly Listen is a group of musicians who share a common passion and skill for expressing themselves musically 'in the moment'. These musicians are experienced performers and producers of concerts both in Nova Scotia and across Canada. They share a rare and wonderful synergy which gives their improvisations together the ability to range from the quiet and intimate, through the intense and passionate, to the fierce and harsh. Their work is often melodic, but sometimes not, and has a deep humanity and warmth linked with intelligence and wit. This emotional openness is what attracts listeners, and engages the performers of Suddenly Listen, creating a shared experience for the audience and performers alike. Theirs is the essence of musical communication.