The Marysville Marimba Ensemble is based at Marysville Junior High as an after school, extracurricular activity. Rehearsing each Wednesday afternoon, membership is voluntary. The youngest members of the ensemble are 8th graders. as students progress to the high school, they are still allowed to remain members; consequently, members can ranged from 8th to 12th grade. Marimba music is a rich tradition in many parts of Africa. The music of our Marimba Ensemble is based on the Shona tradition of Zimbabwe. Each song has a "basic" pattern. Each member improvises on that basic musical progression or pattern according to their playing ability and experience. New members of the ensemble will most often stay close to the basic pattern with their limited skills while more experienced players venture further finding new patterns of rhythms and harmonies to fit with the basic. Within the ensemble are players at a variety of skill levels. Described as a "wall of sound," the texture of any song changes as rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns shift from player to player. A lead player will give the subtle signals for when a song is to end. We can perform a song for two minutes or extend the length to twenty minutes or longer. Often the players prefer the extended versions since the extensions challenge the players to create new variations on the basic patterns. Our instruments were built by a marimba maker here in Washington, copying those of the Shona people. The instruments make a distinctive sound created by the "buzzers" located at the bottom of the resonator tubes, characteristic of the authentic African style. Our favorite performance settings are casual and festive. Considered "recreational" music, we enjoy an audience who will clap and/or dance with us. We perform at local festivals such as Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, the Imagination Celebration, and other occasions, both indoor and outdoor, where ever this festive music might enhance the atmosphere.
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