Drops

The inspiration behind Drops came from observing a rainstorm come and go one evening. As the storm started, the drops were falling sporadically, and every so often enough water would collect on a leaf to create a single drop that would fall to the ground. What results is a fun, groovy quartet for 4 players on two marimbas.

Program Notes

The inspiration behind Drops came from observing a rainstorm come and go one evening. As the storm started, I noticed the drops were falling sporadically, and every so often enough water would collect on a leaf to create a single drop that would fall to the ground. At once, the rain started to fall quicker with increasing velocity until there was a constant wall of water cascading from the sky. I sat and marveled at the beauty, which I translated into the harmonic colors of the piece. Finally, the storm calmed. The ending depicts the rain dwindling down from an intense downpour into a soft sprinkle that dies away into nothing.

Grade Level: 4
Copyright: 2015
Number of Players: 4
Duration: 6:30
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Type: Quartet
Category: Percussion

Listen to Recordings

Instrumentation

Marimba 1 (4-octave)
Marimba 2 (4.5-octave)
Marimba 3 (4-octave)
Marimba 4 (4.5-octave)

*Only two 4.5-octave marimbas are necessary to perform this piece.