If you are looking for some fresh, new marimba solos, this compilation of two mallet marimba etudes by Larry Lawless needs to be in your music library!
Now appears on the Prescribed Music List for the Texas UIL Solo & Ensemble.
REVIEW
If you are looking for some fresh new marimba solos, this compilation of two mallet marimba etudes, published by Innovative Percussion, Inc., needs to be in your music library.
Percussionist, composer and educator, Larry Lawless has written some wonderful marimba compositions for the 2-mallet performer; intermediate to advanced. These aren't your typical mallet solo etudes that we've all come to dred ... you know, those "etudes" which are nothing more than mallet calisthenics (aka boring). All of these etudes are musical compositions which happen to incorporate a variety of mallet techniques, perfect for auditions, recitals and solo competitions.
If you are student and/or performer, you want something that is fun to play and sounds nice. If you are an educator, you want the same thing, but you also want it to be a challenge for your students, giving them some new techniques to develop as they work towards performance. I think you'll find this collection of marimba solo etudes to be especially enjoyable and useful. But don't take my word for it, have a listen to this montage of sample cuts (see below) from 12 Etudes for 2 Mallet Marimba as performed by Larry Lawless himself.
