Works

Etude for 4.3 Marimba

"Wings" (Etude in F) is a flowing 4-mallet etude for 4.3 Octave Marimba. At times fast paced, at times intimate, the piece is in many ways inspired by images of wings and flying. It's also an audience friendly recital piece, driven, melodic and soothing to listen to.

Fluidity and evenness in the execution of double lateral strokes are the main focus of the etude. Especially octaves are heavily featured to build up strenght and control over bigger intervals. Musically, the piece guides the player to work on the phrasing of long melodic archs and dynamic shifts.

A recording of the piece is available on Soundcloud, please see link below.

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for 4.3 Marimba

"Before I Sleep" is a lyrical intermediate 4-mallet solo for 4.3 Marimba. It is tailored towards players who have mastered the basic techniques and are ready to take on longer works. The varied sections of the piece feature different concepts like double lateral and vertical strokes, rolls or single melody lines. Changes in tempo and tone challenge students to expand their musicality. More experienced players will find "Before I Sleep" to be an expressive and audience-friendly repertoire piece that can be learned quickly.

A recording of the piece is available on Youtube, please see link below.

This piece has been published by C. Alan Publications and is available in print or as a digital download.

for 4.3 Octave Marimba

"Nocturne No. 2" is the second of two nocturnes I wrote during the fall of 2018. The piece is based on a polyrhythmic pattern, the shifting chordal progressions remind me of the intricate tracery in gothic churches or the patterns on the wings of a butterfly. Like these patterns, our lives often resemble complicated and intertwined lines of various thickness, direction and colour.

Nocturnes are traditionally pieces of music inspired by themes of the night.

A recording is available on Youtube, please see below.

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for 4.3 Octave Marimba (two players) und electronics

Contraption - A strange machine or device

Rapture - being carried from the material to the spiritual plane

cont. - continued

"cont.rapture" is my first work for marimba with electronics, which have been implemented by Frederic Marquardt. The piece can be played by two players on a single instrument.

A calm synthesizer melody opens the piece. During two repetitions, the marimba is adding layers of different character, providing deeper harmonic context to the wandering bassline. Then, the pace suddenly changes, and during a short transforming middle section, the music is picking up speed. A soaring melody is accompanied by a thick groove played by the second player, and percussion and bass from the electronic track.

Included are the score, two marimba parts and multiple tracks (electronics part, clicktrack, electronics with clicktrack on left channel). If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly.

A recording is available on Youtube, please see below.

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for 4.3 Octave Marimba

The first of two nocturnes I wrote during the fall of 2018. The calmness and simplistic beauty of the piece remind me of an evening stroll through a forest, the fading sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves.

"Foliage" is well suited for a beginning or intermediate player, but it also makes for a great, lyrical encore or interlude.

Nocturnes are traditionally pieces of music inspired by themes of the night.

A recording is available on Youtube, please see below.

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for 4.3 Octave Marimba

Home is where the heart is.

This is a piece about...well, home. What it means to us, what it can and can't be, and how it feels to come back to it. The loss of one's home, no matter how it came about, can be a devastating blow, and finding a new home can make many things in our life right. It is the most intimate space we have, our castle, a warm bed, a familiar face. And sometimes it's not even a place at all, but a feeling, a person, an open door.

"Home is" is a piece of advanced difficulty, well suited for a recital or a competition. It presents different technical challenges, but it also gives the player a lot of room to show his or her musicality. Because of the transition from two to four mallets, it generates a nice surprise for an audience that is unfamiliar with the instrument.

A recording is available on Youtube, please see below.

This piece has been published by C. Alan Publications and is available in print or as a digital download.

for 4 Octave Marimba or Vibes (Cajón/Drums optional)

This solo describes the bustling energy and glowing flight patterns of a swarm of fireflies, illuminating a quiet meadow alongside a stream during a warm summer night. Looking at the ghostly, circulating dance for a while, the viewer is suddenly able to take in the whole scene, finding peace and tranquillity, before being captured by the complexity of the swarms movement once again.

Two versions of this piece exist: The version for Vibes can be watched here, the link below leads to the version for Marimba and Drums.

Marimba version (optional Cajón/Drums part included)

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Vibraphone Version (optional Cajón/Drums part included)

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Chorale for 4.3 Octave Marimba

Orison is an emotional chorale for Marimba. The feeling I tried to depict when writing 'Orison' can be caused by many things: An open door, a relieving prayer, an overwhelming sunrise, the warm feeling swelling up inside when someone loves you back. It's a transition from here to there, and only you know what was lost and gained on that trip. But it's not only one thing. It's all the things that made you happy, after a long time, after losing all hope perhaps.

A recording is available on Youtube, please see below.

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for 4.3 Octave Marimba

A piece that I composed for the baptism of our second daughter. It's a little melancholic, but with an optimistic and warm feeling throughout. It's sounds very open and clear, with simplistic beauty. The middle section utilizes mandolin rolls for a nice contrast.

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for 4.3 Octave Marimba

'Through her little eyes' is a friendly, playful marimba solo (four mallets) that I wrote for the baptism of our first daughter. I wanted to capture the curious and innocent view of a child, discovering the yet unknown world. Occasionally, one can also hear some spirit and mischief.

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for 4.5/4.3 Marimba

"Morning Fragment" is a short but atmospheric musical interlude for 4.5/4.3 marimba. It has a calm melancholy to it and is inspired by the music of Kai Rosenkranz. The piece is well suited to function as a prelude, a short interlude at a reading or lecture and similar events.

Contact me for a piano version of the piece.

A piano recording of the piece is available on Youtube, please see link below.

Launch offer: Choose your own price.

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for three players/groups

Firecrackers is an easy (Grade 1-2) ensemble piece in the style of a Drum Cadence, playable with three players or three groups. It has small visual elements and written out solos, that can also be improvised and elongated. It makes a great opening for a concert or an introduction to the drumline style.

An example recording is available on soundcloud, please see link below.

Launch offer: Choose your own price.

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Gospel for Choir SATB

'The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.' - Psalm 18:2

Working in and with choirs has always been a big part of my musical identity. 'The Rock' is an uplifting gospel-rock with expressive solo-verses, a fat vamp-section in the middle and a spirited ending. Get up, stand up!

Sheet music and piano accompaniment available on request.