 [1122]Re:Re:Question for more experienced players concerning beginning players. (272 reads) |
2001-06-10 06:15:45 |
I have a few conflicting thoughts concerning this... Back in the late 70's, I was contemplating doing something with the marimba for a living. But, I went to a Leigh Howard Stevens concert in 19809 where I was one of ten people in the audience... at that point, I gave up any notion of doing purely marimba for a living. Nancy Zeltsman wrote a two-part series of articles in Percussive Notes a few years ago describing what it is like to be a professional marimbist. The situation seems a lot better today than it was back in the old days, but probably not much better. I am not a professional percussionist, but Bill Trigg can probably describe what kind of lifestyle the pro marimbist has. So, at first glance, it would seem foolhardy for a young percussionist to specialize on the marimba. However.... It is far easier for young people to learn complicated things. I wish that I had started marimba when I was really young... then things would have come so much more naturally. I know that in Germany, they start kids on mallet instruments really young. Maybe that is why the new generation of great marimbists seem to hail from Europe (Mycka, Kohlberg, etc). This is why I am trying to "push" my own son a bit to learn some marimba when he is young. At 12 years old, my son is becoming quite a decent percussionist. He just started to pick up some marimba a few weeks ago, and already, he is playing half of Yellow After the Rain. If he wants to drop the marimba for a while, then it is fine with me. But, if he ever decides to pick it up again, then he will have the basics ingrained deep in his psyche. Kind of like riding a bike when you are a kid... Just some more food for thought... -marc http://members.home.net/magmasystems Remote Host: |
 [1119]Question for more experienced players concerning beginning players. <Dave> |
2001-06-10 00:40:53 |
 [1120]Re:Question for more experienced players concerning beginning players. <William Trigg> |
2001-06-10 04:29:51 |
 [1122]Re:Re:Question for more experienced players concerning beginning players. <Marc Adler> |
2001-06-10 06:15:45 |
| [1123]Re:Question for more experienced players concerning beginning players. <kyle> |
2001-06-10 09:34:42 |