
||: Original Compositions :||
STEN: Concerto for Marimba & Funkestra
STEN: Concerto for Marimba & Funkestra
Genre: Funk, Fusion, Jazz, Rock
Performers: 14
Instrumentation: Marimba (Soloist), Alto Sax I-II, Tenor Sax I-II, Bari Sax, Trumpet I-III, Trombone I-II, Piano, Bass Guitar, Drum Set
Difficulty: Advanced
Summary:
I wrote my first concerto during my graduate work at the University of Delaware. At the time I was in love with funk/fusion, syncopation, and odd meters (time signatures), especially meters in 7. STEN was my attempt at exploring as many variations of 7 as I could, while still maintaining a solid groove.
The marimba solo itself was written specifically for a good friend and former roommate, Paul Robertson (of apartment S-10)--a monster marimba player, and all around great buddy. I learned a lot from that dude, specifically--in the context of this piece--how to simplify without losing depth, when/where/how to leave space effectively, and how to write player-friendly parts that can be extremely difficult--just not impossible--to perform, and more importantly, to perform well.
Listen >>>
