Marimba

hey everybody,

It's been a while that I posted something here, but Tony asked me to do some content for the site, so I will try to post regularly, probably every week. I'm very excited to get in touch with the vibesworkshop community again.

I'll start with a video I did last November. I was asked to play in the large ensemble of Nels Cline, and documented my preparing process for you. Maybe you can take a little bit for your own preparation process.

Merry Christmas and Good Vibes from McMurdo Station, Antarctica:

Yesterday (Christmas Eve in Antarctica), I had the great honor of participating in one of the coolest events I’ve ever done. I performed my arrangement of The First Noel, which I call “Noel Antarctica” for various U.S. Field Research Camps around Antarctica including the South Pole, Shackleton Outpost and Wais (West Antarctic Ice Shelf).

These are one of my go-to sets of mallets when I'm using the pickup system on my vibes, but I recently tried them on marimba and I LOVED the sound I was getting.

http://wrti.org/post/philadelphia-orchestra-plays-pat-metheny-wrti-sund…
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/arts/Metheny-meets-the-Fabul…

"Concerto for vibraphone and marimba. An instrument new to the orchestra stage, the MalletKAT".

Barry

If you're old enough, you probably remember back in the 80's when there was a popular advertising campaign for Windy's that coined the phrase "Where's the beef?" I've found that the current state of affairs in music has a relationship to that commercial - Where's the motif? Where's the melody?" "Where's the beef?

Hi all,

I thought I'd share this link. It's a pretty positive review from Percussive Notes of a marimba piece I wrote about two years ago. It was recently published by Marimba Productions Inc. and performed by Gwen Dease at the past PASIC. It's being featured right now at the mostlymarimba website. If you're interested in playing it or know someone who may be, please pass the word along. Here's the link;

I'm playing malletkat with some fusion shredders at 55 Bar in Manhattan tonight if anyone is in the area. Group lead by Felix Pastorius.
Namaste.

I've known many good people who discount the relevance of art because it has not been explained to them in a way that they understand. Art is a quest for greatness in all forms. It sets the bar for humanity. It's the best and highest level of accomplishment that humans can achieve or fathom. An artful effort supplies the world with a path toward achievement. An Artful accomplishment offers the world hope of that achievement. Art is not mere entertainment. It is purposeful beyond all other physical things.

Hello Vibes Workshop members,

I'm very happy to announce that my book, "The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion", (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-band-teachers-percussion-gu…) has just been published by Oxford University Press.

This is Michel Petrucciani playing the most beautiful version of "In A Sentimental Mood" I've ever heard. I decided to share it here because Tony recently requested ideas for solo playing and I forgot to mention this one.