Wandering for marimba solo
Publisher: C. Alan Publications (2009)
Composed: 2008
Duration: 4’15”
Difficulty: Medium
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A collection of continually changing arpeggiations and melodic ideas, Wandering is a delicate and beautiful work for solo marimba. The opening section is set primarily in 7/16 time and uses varying phrase lengths and occasional meter changes to establish a comfortable yet unpredictably repetitive ostinato. Three primary ideas are presented and intertwined before a brief interruption by a more aggressive rhythmic chordal section. Quickly returning to the original material, the line works its way down to the bottom of the instrument then gradually ritards into a three-and-a-half octave arpeggio of an ambiguous dominant-function chord. A more relaxed and peaceful melodic section is now allowed to surface as a contrast to the perpetual ostinato. Still, several arpeggiated figures begin to emerge with increasing frequency before the melody eventually gives way to a reprise of the opening material. As before, the arpeggiations work their way to the bottom of the instrument and the piece slowly ritards before concluding softly on a low C-sharp.

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The short length and concentrated technical aspects of the work would make it a valuable study or concert piece for an advanced high school or undergraduate student. – John Lane
Printed by permission of the Percussive Arts Society, inc.