I'm new to the marimba/xylophone/vibes world! So introducing me. Also advice please?

[David Hollywood]

Excellent posts! I'm happy we're finally having a real Concert Percussion discussion!

[gaffro]

That's fine, they won't be to dissimilar, i suppose.

And what is the academic stuff then? Theory etc?

Yeah there's theory like harmony and counterpoint exercises, composition, history (involves essays, only part I didn't like), in the first year you do science of music too. Then in second year you can do all sorts of other things, it's pretty broad, worth looking into, it'll all be on the website I'm sure

[Artisan]

Yeah there's theory like harmony and counterpoint exercises, composition, history (involves essays, only part I didn't like), in the first year you do science of music too. Then in second year you can do all sorts of other things, it's pretty broad, worth looking into, it'll all be on the website I'm sure

Thanks a lot. I shall check out the website. That's a really useful insight.

Excellent posts! I'm happy we're finally having a real Concert Percussion discussion!

Wahay!

[funkpunk]

I love the Pro-Mark Nick Petrella Mallets. They have a felt head on the harder side and an aluminum shaft towards the top for playing triangles, or anything else that requires a harder surface. They sound great on a marimba.

[Ronnie G]

I graduated from music school last May and I quite enjoyed my experience there. I learned lots about theory, practice habits, and performance. I personally took it upon myself to do more drumset and marimba study than anything else. I enjoyed timpani and snare drum, but drumset and marimba interested me the most, so that's what I focused on. I was a drumset person even before college, and my studio professor's telling us that drumset players are pretty much the only performers who can make a living was not lost on me. All of the theory and aural skills training definitely came in handy for doing band rehearsals--with a strong theory and performance background, you can easily find band leader gigs.

For my day job, I'm a band director, and I love it almost as much as I love playing. Teaching is a great option career-wise for a music grad. Plus, it allows you a good bit of time to gig on the side if that's your think.

As for mallets, I am a BIG fan of Marimba One marimba mallets. The weight is perfect, and the sound is superb. Close runners-up are the Nancy Zeltsman mallets from Encore. Plan to spend a little money on your marimba mallets--they'll last you as long as 5 years with proper care. For xylo, the James Ross IP902 mallets from Innovative are very good and very versatile.