Written for the Dalbergia Duo (Anna Rutkowska & Julianna Siedler Smuga), this is a major work for two marimba (5.0), in three movements and about 10 minutes in length. The movements are titled: 1.Tandem of Secrets, 2. Slipstreams, 3. Mobbing in the Sky. It will take two advanced players who have enough time to learn this difficult but

Written for the Dalbergia Duo (Anna Rutkowska & Julianna Siedler Smuga), this is a major work for two marimba (5.0), in three movements and about 10 minutes in length. The movements are titled: 1.Tandem of Secrets, 2. Slipstreams, 3. Mobbing in the Sky. It will take two advanced players who have enough time to learn this difficult but fascinating work. It is possible to program separate movements, although I would prefer to hear all the movements together as one large work.

I was thrilled when Sarah Tenney asked me to compose a second composition for her and the Marimba Magic group at the Rivers School of Music. She, and her students are just that - magic! She always gets the students to play at a level of maturity and musicianship beyond their young ages.
The first commission was a work for marimba solo and chamber

I was thrilled when Sarah Tenney asked me to compose a second composition for her and the Marimba Magic group at the Rivers School of Music. She, and her students are just that - magic! She always gets the students to play at a level of maturity and musicianship beyond their young ages.
The first commission was a work for marimba solo and chamber orchestra, Rivers of Wood, which was premiered by one of her students, Eugene Young. This time I composed a work for percussion ensemble, Sarah’s Dance. Each part was written for a specific instrument from amongst the available inventory of percussion instruments, and also for a specific student currently involved in her group.
The music for Sarah’s Dance is essentially melodic and singing in nature, alternating with more rhythmic sections, very much in a conversational setting, creating a counterpoint of both melody and rhythm. It is a “dance”, because what Sarah and her students do is always an amazing job of bringing music and joy to life through music. The music might be seen as a kind of overture of better things to come in the middle of difficult times in our world. Instrumentation: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Vibraphone 1 & 2, Marimba 1, 2, 3, Tambourine, Timpani (4)

This is one of my most groovy works, for marimba, congas/bongos (one player with hands) and upright bass (pizzicato and likely amplified). It was written for Dane Richeson and I, but we never were able to do it, and are, alas, retired now. So it is yet not performed, and therefore the premiere is available to a group with considerable rhythmic

This is one of my most groovy works, for marimba, congas/bongos (one player with hands) and upright bass (pizzicato and likely amplified). It was written for Dane Richeson and I, but we never were able to do it, and are, alas, retired now. So it is yet not performed, and therefore the premiere is available to a group with considerable rhythmic skills. A fun and joyful work, well worth the effort I believe.