Takers & Leavers (Solo 4-Mallet Marimba)

Takers & Leavers is a marimba solo with expressive lyrical sections contrasted by groove-oriented material. The piece draws inspiration from both Western and West African marimba traditions. It includes one-handed rolls, some quick 4-mallet permutations and tightly coordinated melody/accompaniment voices that are sure to be a fun challenge for marimbists of most skill levels. With its hummable melody and beautiful harmonic moments Takers & Leavers would be a great addition to any concert.

Genre: Solo 4-Mallet Marimba | # of Players: 1
Series: N/A
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 3:45

Instrumentation
4-octave Marimba

Program Notes
The title Takers & Leavers is in reference to Daniel Quinn’s 1992 novel Ishmael. The book explores the idea that our “Taker” culture is based on the myth that we humans are the pinnacle of evolution and the earth was created for us. It’s a compelling and very original book that is certainly worth a read. In my work as an educator, I often deal with the way music and culture relate to one another. After reading Ishmael I found myself wondering how music might fit into this idea of Taker and Leaver culture; humans living in harmony with nature vs. trying to control it. This lead me back to the marimba, a Western (Taker culture) instruments with West African (Leaver culture) origins. Having been influenced by marimba traditions from both sides of the Atlantic I set out to compose a piece finding a balance between these two approaches. This piece represents the conflicts we have created in the modern world, with each other and with nature itself.

– P.F.