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Performing a Marimba Solo at this year’s

Australian Percussion Eisteddfod?

Here is some helpful advice.

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Developing your interpretation of the music you play is

one of the most important and satisfying aspects of music

making. Your interpretation reflects your ideas and feel-

ings about the music. Unfortunately, younger musicians

usually concentrate only on understanding the notes and

rhythms of a marimba solo. Obviously, this is important,

but it’s only fifty percent of the job. Communicating your

emotional connection with the music through your inter-

pretation is essential to the “magic” of music. Think about

how a certain performance or piece of music has touched

you in the past. When you perform you want to connect

with an audience in the same way that music connected

with you.

The following ideas may be helpful as you prepare a

piece of music and try to get “beyond the notes and

rhythms” to find a starting point for your interpretation.

Remember, the goal when playing music is to be expres-

sive while maintaining stylistic considerations.

“The simplest things in music are the ones that count.

The simplest things are, of course, also the most difficult

to achieve and take years of work.” Pablo Casales

Style of Music Once you select a marimba solo to per-

form, it is important to understand the stylistic considera-

tions of the music. If you are preparing a transcription of a

Prelude by J.S. Bach and you are unfamiliar with music

of the Baroque period, your interpretation may not be

convincing. It would be impossible to perform a transcrip-

tion well without studying and listening to the original ver-

sion. Whether your selection is an original composition or

a transcription, the understanding of the music and com-

poser’s intentions are vital to the success of your perfor-

mance.

Here are some starting points:

Learn all you can about the composer of the piece of

music you are preparing.

Listen to any recordings of the composer’s music and

determine which stylistic considerations and expres-

sive elements are important in your solo.

Be aware of these expressive elements when you

listen to other instrumentalists perform.

Define any unfamiliar musical terms on the manu-

script.

Phrase Development The integrity of musical

phrases, or the grouping of notes, is essential to your

interpretation. Listen to how a violinist or French horn

player begins and ends a phrase. Slurring is an im-

portant tool for musicians to connect notes and devel-

op phrases. Wind/string players and vocalists can easi-

ly glide from one note to the next without re-articulating

the flowing notes. Unfortunately, keyboard percussion

instruments do not have this capability. Slurs can be

imitated on the marimba by re-attacking the second

note at a softer dynamic to blend into the ring of the

first note. Even through marimbists can only imitate a

slur at best, it is important to listen carefully to how oth-

er instrumentalists utilize the slur. By understanding

how a wind player or violinist shapes a phrase with

slurring, the marimbist can be more sensitive to the

development of phrases on the marimba. Critical listen-

ing is necessary for a strong interpretation.

As you learn the notes and stickings for the music,

mark the beginnings and endings of each musical

phrase in pencil on the manuscript. Strive to make the

delivery of each phrase crystal clear to the listener.

Just playing the right notes and the right rhythms will

not be enough to make your playing expressive.

A phrase should have musical direction and an ending.

Decide on the musical “character” of the phrase. Is it

moving forward (building), pulling away (relaxing) or

unchanging?

Practice singing the phrase the way you want to play

it.

Make sure to ask yourself, “Is my interpretation of the

phrase interesting to me?” If your answer is “no” or

“I’m not sure,” then it probably won’t be interesting to

the audience either.

Use a tape player to regularly record your playing.

Reprinted with kind

permission from

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Use a pencil to mark areas in the music that need attention

as you listen to your tape.

Dynamics Most performers strive to utilize the compos-

er’s dynamic intentions written on the music. However, there

are many “shades” or levels to each of the standard dynamic

marking. Rarely does a piece of music keep a static dynamic

level even though it looks that way on the page of music.

Most solos have an ebb and flow of relative dynamics under

a heading such as “forte” or “piano.” It is up to the performer

to decide how to incorporate this dynamic motion into an in-

terpretation of each phrase.

Focus on the page of music and utilize all of the infor-

mation the composer has given you regarding dynamics.

Analyse the shape of the phrase and the musical direction

of each phrase. If the composer does not offer any sugges-

tions, try a basic application of higher pitches equal louder

dynamics (fuller dynamics at phrase peaks). Decide if this

fits the direction and style of the music.

Try different approaches to sample different dynamic appli-

cations.

Once you have become satisfied with your ideas, write

them in pencil on the music.

Record your interpretation with a tape player and make

revisions if necessary.

Time Percussionists have a tendency to think that

rhythm and time is rigid like a grid. Just take out your metro-

nome and set it to sub-divide sixteenth notes to listen to this

grid. Non-percussionists such as pianists and violinists do

not always think in this manner. Listen to other instrumental-

ist and focus on how they use time and rhythms to be ex-

pressive. Study the music of these performances as you lis-

ten to “rubato” and “expressivo” sections of the music. You

will find that there are many possible variations of the same

rhythm.

Analyse your music for opportunities to utilize time

(pushing forward, pulling back, accelerando, ritard, etc.).

Always consider the style of music when deciding the ap-

propriate ways to use time in your playing. Remember, too

much of a good thing can cause the listener to “tune out.”

Consider altering roll speed in rolls for help in musical direction

Articulation Even though the marimba may seem to have

limited articulation possibilities, there are many ways to alter

the tone and attack of the marimba for expressive content.

Mallets are the common choice for articulation shifts on the

marimba. Choosing and combining different mallets can offer

articulation changes for the listener.

Combining the top part of the marimba mallet in one

hand versus the normal playing area in the other

hand (and other possibilities such as the shaft of the

marimba mallets) are other options. Many composers

also utilize dry strokes or dead strokes for shorter

articulations, where the mallet strikes the bar and

remains on the bar to dampen the sound. Different

playing areas on the marimba bar (near the nodes,

half way to the centre of the bar, and the centre of

the bar) also create a variety of timbre choices and

articulation shifts.

• Try different articulations as a means for expressive

playing, not just an effect.

Since most composers do not mark these articula-

tion shifts, identify the sections of the music you

think are applicable and experiment with different

playing areas on the bars, mallets, etc.

Test your articulation shifts in a large room or per-

formance hall. These changes will sound different in

a big room as compared to the practice room.

Record your performance and mark any necessary

adjustments on your music.

Recommended Reading and Listening An excellent

text on musical interpretation is Casals and the Art of

Interpretation by David Blum published by Homes

and Meier Publishers, 1977. This short text is a clas-

sic work on interpretation and expression. Students

of all ages will benefit from Pablo Casals’ ideas as

they are demonstrated through a variety of orchestral

examples. However, listening to the examples and

score study will lead to a broader understanding of

musical interpretation. It is important to vary your lis-

tening habits with many styles of music. Attend con-

certs by professional musicians as often as possible.

Put yourself in the position to hear “unfamiliar” music

played by outstanding musicians whether in concert

or on recordings. This could include any solo recital,

chamber music, jazz, world music and orchestra con-

certs. Over time, these experiences with quality mu-

sic will surface in your own playing.

Mark Ford is the coordinator of percussion activities at

The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. A ma-

rimba specialist, Ford has premiered several new works

for solo marimba and has recorded three CDs, Motion

Beyond, Polaris and Athletic Conveyances. Ford regu-

larly presents concerts/clinics around the country and is

the Percussive Arts Society Immediate Past President.

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Performing a Xylo Solo at this year’s

Australian Percussion Eisteddfod? Here is

where it all began with the great George

Hamilton Green and his brother Joe

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It seems like an intimidating requirement: "Must be able to play George Hamilton Green

exercises five and ten without stopping in all major and natural minor keys." This is what would

be expected of a music student in "Applied Percussion 119" class, for example, and it is just one

reflection of the over-size image Green has in percussion music, specifically the history of the

xylophone and vibraphone.

The former instrument was one of a group of varied percussion that was added to the classical

orchestra in the 19th century, also including tuned bells and glockenspiel. It would not be until

Green's recordings in the 1920s that the full potential of these instruments would be realized.

Keyboard percussionists ever since have been building on the Green groundwork which includes

vintage recordings, a large repertoire of compositions, and several instructional texts that have

remained essential. Some vibraphonists taught themselves to play simply by using Green's

recordings, among them the great jazzman Red Norvo, after pilfering Green sides from his

parents' record collection.

Green began playing xylophone at

the age 11, having received plenty

of encouragement from his band

leader father. Within two years the

youngster was a soloist in his

father's outfit, and upon turning 18

he headed into vaudeville where

he made an international reputa-

tion for himself as a virtuoso, show-

stopping xylophonist. His sideman

activities included the Happy Six, a

group directed by Harry Yerkes

with New Orleans musicians Alcide

"Yellow" Nuñez on clarinet and

Tom Brown on trombone.

Critics went wild with superlatives while the young

Green soaked up ample opportunities to work as a

soloist, composer, arranger, and sideman. With

his brother Joe Green setting up yet another xylo-

phone alongside his, outfits such as the Green

Brothers' Xylophone Orchestra and the Green

Brothers Novelty Band were born.

Optimum Percussion stocks 28 of his great

solos as individual sheet music titles plus

his Xylophone Rags compilation and his

three wonderful instruction books. Green’s

“Instruction Course for Xylophone” ,

“Modern Improvising and Application” text

and his “New Elementary Studies for Xylo-

phone and Marimba” still stand out as ex-

cellent texts for all levels of player.

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The brothers also performed together in and as the Green Brothers Xylophone Orchestra, the

Green Brothers Xylophone Band, and the Green Brothers Marimba Orchestra, not to mention the

rarefied Green Brothers Mellorimba Orchestra. Between the two of them several trucks worth of

xylophones, marimbas, vibraphone, harpaphones, bells, and chimes were being packed and un-

packed at each engagement. By the early '30s, George Hamilton Green had begun publishing a

series of solo xylophone compositions including "The Ragtime Robin," "Cross Corners,"

"Charleston Capers," "Rainbow Ripples," and "Caprice Valsant." A series of six xylophone solos

cut for Edison was the first shot in a discography that would eventually include more than 150

sides. Green eventually would leave Edison and move on to recording arrangements with Victor,

Columbia, and quite a few other recording outfits. In 1946, Green retired from music, then turned

around and sketched a successful career for himself as an artist, illustrator, and cartoonist. One

of the best collections of his performances is the set entitled Masters of the Xylophone, released

by the appropriately named Xylophonia label and also featuring xylophone gallivanting by brother

Joe Green.

The Canadian percussion ensemble Nexus released an album in which it exclusively plays the

Novelty Music of George Hamilton Green. ~ Eugene Chadbourne

(Reprinted - https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/george-hamilton-green-joe/id300165239#fullText 07 07 2016)

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This year Optimum Percussion is proud to provide a beautiful Adams Alpha 5 Octave Marimba for the competitors to perform upon at several events. This instrument is also being used for the performances at the Australian Marimba Competition and The Australian Percussion Eisteddfod and the Australian Percussion Gathering.

About the Alpha

Adams have used the highest quality of the wood for the produc-

tion of the Alpha marimba bars. This high quality wood has a

higher frequency which has allowed the Adams tuners to perfect

the harmonics. Adams re-studied the tuning for every single bar

and created a keyboard that has been tested thoroughly by piano

tuners, many marimba artists and the Adams team. Robert van

Sice after his first recital on the new keyboard said: "Frans, I

played a two hour recital last night in Baltimore on one of the

keyboards with the new tuning. I really enjoyed it and was in-

spired by the sound. I have not played that well in 10 years -

Thanks for all that you do for the marimba!"

Design

For the beautiful new look design of the Alpha Series,

Adams cooperated with the designers of KesselsGranger

design studio. It's clear that the result is astonishing beauti-

ful. Steven Kessels and James Granger believe that “the

result is an instrument with an unmistakable stance and a

line that mirrors the uncompromised flow of music that the

instrument produces. It goes without saying that the new

Adams Marimba pushes forward the envelope of musical

instrument design. This is an instrument that is designed to

perfection for the world’s leading artists."

Adams is providing a first prize for the Australian

Marimba Competition of 2500 Euro. Optimum Per-

cussion would like to thank Adams for their support

for Australian Percussion and we hope that playing

this beautiful Alpha instrument is inspiring to all.

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Naoto Segawa is a marimbist from Japan who

studied with Jonathan Fox (Principal Percussionist,

Singapore Symphony Orchestra) at the University

of Singapore and with Sumire Yoshihara at the

Musashino Academia in Tokyo, Japan. He is the

Founder, Marimbist and Manager of the chamber

group Ensemble Go and has been a freelance

Timpanist at Citi Opera Orchestra, Melbourne,

performer in “Composer’s Lab Singapore”,

Singapore and a Marimbist in Percussion Ensemble

Funcussion, Japan. As well as being a finalist in the

Australian Marimba Competition this year, Naoto

has won many awards including an Honorable

Mention, (YSTCM) Concerto Competition: Marimba

Concerto , 3rd Prize, New Graduates Competition,

Best Student Prize, Hosokawa Prize, Pearl

Percussion Seminar, 3rd Prize in the 6th Romania

International Music Competition, Romania, 1st Prize

and Special Audience Prize in the 14th KOBE

International Music Competition, Audience Prize,

Japan International League of Artists (JILA) Music

Competition, and the Komori Prize, 18th Pearl

Percussion Seminar, Nagano Japan.

i) When and why did you start playing?

My older brother used to practice snare drum

all the time when I was around 7, so it was his

fault... I mean his influence.

ii) What music did you last listen to?

Steve Reich's "Daniel Variations". An epic

piece that makes you cry.

iii) What's in your stick bag?

Three sets of marimba mallets, triangle

beaters, tuning keys, a pair of sticks, and

rubber balls.

iv) What is your favourite piece or work

that you have performed?

Andrew Thomas's marimba concerto "Loving

Mad Tom". One of the best concertos ever.

v) What's the last video you watched on

Youtube?

New York Philharmonic: Evening with Danny

Kaye. It is hilarious!!

vi) What is your favourite percussion/

drum book?

Leigh Howard Stevens: "Method of

Movement for Marimba with 590 Exercises".

vii) Who was your main instrumental

teacher and what was one of the best

lessons they gave you?

I studied with a Japanese marimbist Kunihiko

Komori, and he always taught me how to play

"music" not just instruments.

viii) A drum or percussion item that you

cannot live without?

I recently bought a wearable metronome that

vibrates instead of click, which freed me from

noisy clicking sound!!

ix) Musical Idol?

I always think Ravel could have written a

great marimba piece. Still looking for a

shaman who can summon his spirit to

compose for me.

x) Oddest musical instrument request

you've received?

One composer came up to me and asked "Is

it possible to HEAT and BEND vibraphone's

keys to get microtones?"

Introducing Naoto Segawa who

will be adjudicating at this year’s

Australian Percussion Eisteddfod

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Internationally acclaimed percussion soloist, chamber musician and

artistic director Claire Edwardes, has been described by the press

as a ‘sorceress of percussion’ performing with ‘spellbinding

intensity’ and ‘graceful virtuosity’. Her award-winning performances

combine a theatrical energy with charismatic and original interpreta-

tions bringing to life the varied array of music she performs.

Graduating as Student of the Year in 1997 from the Sydney

Conservatorium of Music, where Daryl Pratt was her teacher, she

went on to win the coveted Symphony Australia Young Performers

Award in 1999. She subsequently relocated to the Netherlands to

undertake a Masters Degree at the Rotterdam and Amsterdam

Conservatories under Richard Jansen, Peter Prommel and Jan

Pustjens.

Resident there for seven years, she was the recipient of many

international awards and prizes including first place at the Tromp

Percussion Competition (2000) and Llangollen International

Instrumentalist (2001). Claire was the 2005 MCA/Freedman Fellow

and she is the two time winner (2007/2012) of the AMC/APRA Art

Music Award for Excellence for her contribution to Australian music.

In 2014 she was granted a prestigious Australia Council Music

Fellowship.

Mike Bal ter ar t is t C la ire

Edwardes wi l l be a t the

Opt imum display area on

Fr iday 22nd July.

Come and meet her and

ask about her new

Cla ire Edwardes

Ser ies mar imba mal lets

Claire has performed concertos with all of the Australian orches-

tras as well as numerous European orchestras and has premi-

ered works by an array of composers worldwide such as Harri-

son Birtwistle, Matthew Hindson, Elena Kats-Chernin and Mat-

thew Shlomowitz. She relishes her collaborations with Berna-

dette Harvey (piano), Amy Dickson (saxophone), Karin Schaupp

(guitar) and Jane Sheldon (voice).

She is the artistic director and percussionist of Australia’s fore-

most new music group, Ensemble Offspring (2011 winner Art

Music Award for Best Performance). As such she programs and

performs to the highest level, some of the most innovative and

cutting-edge music being presented in the world today. Claire’s

CD catalogue includes three solo albums with Tall Poppies in-

cluding ONE, Flash and Coil, The Axe Manual on the Metronome

Label and Hush Volume 8. Claire is endorsed by Mike Balter

Mallets and Adams Percussion.

She teaches percussion at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music

and currently balances her life as a mother of two young girls

with a busy concert schedule in Australia and abroad.

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"Mike Balter marimba mallets are the solid choice for every professional marimba virtuoso!"

Claire Edwardes

Ser ies mar imba mal le ts

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Kuniko Kato (percussion) is a guest artist at this year’s

Australian Percussion Gathering at Griffith University and will be

performing on a 5 Octave Adams Alpha Marimba

Kuniko is one of the most gifted and significant percussionists of her generation. Her

astonishing virtuosity, exquisite musical insight and expressive yet elegant perfor-

mance style continues to attract not only audiences, but established conductors and

composers too. She is renowned for her flawless technique when playing both key-

board and percussion instruments, which blends seamlessly with her profound musi-

cal intelligence.

Kuniko studied under the legendary marimba player Keiko Abe at Toho Gakuen

School of Music in Tokyo, Japan and advanced her studies under Robert Van Sice at

Rotterdam Conservatorium in the Netherlands. She graduated with the highest hon-

our (summa cum laude) as the first percussionist in the institution’s history. Whilst

studying, Kuniko continued to develop her professional career, playing various con-

certos and solo recitals including the Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra by

Akira Miyoshi.

Kuniko performs and collaborates with internationally renowned composers, conductors

and orchestras including Franco Donatoni, James Wood, Toru Takemitsu, Iannis Xenakis,

Seiji Ozawa, Steve Reich and Unsuk Chin. In addition to her solo performances in Asia,

Europe and the United States, she has been a member of various orchestras and chamber

groups such as the Saito Kinen Orchestra (Japan), Ensemble ICTUS (Belgium) and En-

semble NOMAD (Tokyo, Japan).

Kuniko is strongly committed to music education through percussion workshops, master

classes and open rehearsals whenever possible in conjunction with her solo recitals. She

has been working with children with learning disabilities in Japan since 2004, one example

of which includes a series of log drum (slit drum) workshops.

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KUNIKO is a world wide endorser of Adams and Pearl

We look forward to her performances and

masterclasses at the Australian Percussion Gathering

in just 10 days time.

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Rhtyhm2Recovery

This training is fun and practical. It will teach you a wide range of skills for bringing rhythm based music into your classroom or other setting. It includes practi-cal exercises and games to engage participants in creative improvised music and all the attendant social and emotional development that goes with it. Arthur brings a tremendous enthusiasm to his work and many of his graduates return again and again to learn from him. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to ex-pand your skills with a master of the art. The classes in Sydney are on now .. The photo below shows just some of the Remo instruments we provided for the event.

Registration and further information can be found at www.rhythm2recovery.com

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