Thanks for Listening for vibraphone and marimba duo
Publisher: C. Alan Publications (2020)
Composed: 2019-2020
Duration: 4′
Difficulty: Medium
Instrumentation (2 players): vibraphone, 4.3-octave marimba
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The impetus for Thanks for Listening was at least partially therapeutic, allowing a way for me to express musically what I wanted to say publicly about the dialog, or lack thereof, in our society at large. I felt strongly that the issues we were all confronting required a willingness to listen, particularly to those with whom we didn’t agree or whose life experience was markedly different than ours. I wanted to express both a desire to listen better myself and an encouragement to others to listen more intentionally, more carefully, and more thoughtfully. In a culture where we fight for the opportunity to say our piece and where social media prompts us with “What’s on your mind?” I am convinced that we are better served by open ears than by an open mouth. This is a simple “conversation” between vibraphone and marimba that is far more musical than technical and playable with only two mallets for each player on instruments that are readily available to most. It will not heal our society nor will it solve the many real and hard issues we must confront, but it is nonetheless my small contribution and personal commitment communicated through music. Thanks for listening.