Tag Archives: marimba

Music To Your Ears…Part II

Peter Naughton is at it again. His second piece for percussion ensemble has just been published and is available for purchase through Tapspace, the go-to for all creative percussionists. In his own words:

“When writing Waiting to Exhale, I tried to convey a sense of constant motion and excitement for the listener. I drew inspiration from the Dave Matthews Band, attempting to capture their intense energy and subtle yet distinct harmonic sensibilities. With its relentless 16th note motor, this piece relies heavily on interlocking rhythmic cells to create a larger, composite rhythm.

Originally written in 2017 for a small jazz combo consisting of vibraphone, steel pan, marimba, upright bass, and drum set, I felt there was a lack of rhythmic and timbral clarity among the instruments. In early 2019, I re-orchestrated the piece for marimba quartet, resulting in tighter rhythmic precision and a homogenous color.”

To directors of high school and college-level bands…it’s never too early to start planning ahead for your fall percussion ensemble concerts. Consider introducing this piece to your advanced musicians. They’ll love it and your audiences will be enthralled. I guarantee!

Oh and if you’re wondering why this is Part II, check out Naughton’s first piece, Two Rivers, also available through Tapspace.

Check them out now at:

https://www.tapspace.com/percussion-ensemble/waiting-to-exhale

https://www.tapspace.com/marimba-xylophone/two-rivers

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Have You Ever Had To Make Up Your Mind? And Say Yes To One And Leave The Other Behind?

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Well, it’s done… We’ve just finalized the decision of where to send our daughter, Mary Kate, to college and I can’t help but think of the line from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, “Is that your final answer?” complete with ominous music playing. The process of choosing a college can be overwhelming, but I have to admit, this time it was absolutely grueling. And, what really kills me is that, upon hearing where she will be enrolling in the fall, I know almost everyone will respond with, “Well, that was a no-brainer. Of course that’s where she’s going.”  They’ll say this because it’s the same school that all three of our sons attended, as well. Yes, that’s right. The original list included becoming: a Huskie, a Leatherneck (I kind of like that one), a Redbird, an Illini and a Hawkeye. And…drum roll please…the final answer?…more drum roll… come this fall, she will officially become a  University of Iowa  Hawkeye. But, the decision was in NO WAY an easy one. Did you notice the capital letters? I hope so because I really meant them. In fact, Mary Kate said she was thinking that maybe she could be the different one in the family and make her own way at a different school. We assured her all along that she should not feel like she HAS to go to, what has become, quite unintentionally, the school of choice for our family. She could do her own thing. But, after an exceedingly agonizing deliberation, she settled on joining the percussion studio at Iowa. With her brother. Continue reading

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