Octavius for Solo Marimba - Andrew Thomson

[MatthewLorick]

Very nice solo. It's nice to see more original marimba music; we have enough solos and ensembles of people beating on things! lol

Cheers

[GKPercussion]

Very nice !

[KezmeisterG]

I got this piece ages ago before it got published even though I knew I wasn't good enough to play it but I've been working on my chops and I should hopefully be playing this for my recital next year and I was thinking of entering a few competitions playing it as well. I just reckon it's so bloody awesome.

[wickedwhitecrew]

I love it how you can tell the video quality is not the best but the Marimba One still sounds amazing

[lentplanet]

what level is this piece?

[oxysean]

Wow. I have a 5 octave marimba one, how come mine never makes noises like that?

[StevensGrip]

@oxysean Thanks- How new is your instrument? It is likely that your keyboard needs to be 'broken in' a bit. Either that, or check the height of your resonators. While the height won't fix the resonance, it may help develop the sound a bit.

[oxysean]

@StevensGrip it's old - like 7 years old, but I also got normal voicing, I'm thinking I should have asked for a darker bass end.

[Musicforlife210]

Awesome solo dude!!! Im going to get this whenever I learn how to do the stevens grip :)

[DrumLuv23]

Sweeeeeeeet! Loving your technique, the sound, the piece, etc.

[hhaleybluee]

im buying this for drum corp tryouts in november:)) im sure itl get me far. very interesting piece. i love the melody. what octave marimba is suggested and what kind of mallet? medium hard? medium soft?

[StevensGrip]

I'm glad you like the piece- I'm playing on a 5 octave marimba, although you can transpose everything up an octave if need be (the ending will need to be played a bit differently, but I've done it- not too bad) and I'm using a medium hard mallet for 2,3,4 with a slightly softer one in 1.

[hhaleybluee]

thanks so much:)) and i really do love this piece, im excited for it. ill post a video of me playing it later on this fall and you should let me know how im doin, since its your piece and all. so i can change whatever you think would sound best

[StevensGrip]

Great! I'd like to see how other people play it. Quite honestly, I don't think I even play the same exact way every time. Just in case you aren't sure how to order, visit my website (check info). I'll look forward to your order. In the meantime, I'll start putting together a score

[hhaleybluee]

im buying this for drum corp tryouts in november:)) im sure itl get me far. very interesting piece. i love the melody. what octave marimba is suggested and what kind of mallet? medium hard? medium soft?

[IntoxicatedByBeauty9]

is that a marimba one marimba bc it looks like one and those are like the best

[StevensGrip]

@IntoxicatedByBeauty9 It is a marimba one,and I agree, they the best instrument overall. I've constantly gotten into arguments over what maker is the best. Malletech, in my opinion, has a superior sound in the bass, but I can't stretch as easily over the graduated bars. Marimba One's also transport very easily, which is handy in my line of work.

[drumevolution]

Oh my Godness! This is awesome!!

[KezmeisterG]

So I was listening to a recording of your piece 'The Letter'. Guess what I recognised!!

[StevensGrip]

Well, you're not the first to recognize it, but good on picking it out. I thought it fit well as a transition after re-orchestrating it.

[Pbreen10]

wow

[foonugie1]

that is the coolest 4 mallet piece ever!!  The 4 mallet stuff i play is nothing compared to this.

[armenchik619]

around how much does a decent one of these go around for?

[stackattack]

Wow, very well done. keep it up!

[Bennder]

what kind of marimba is that? and what kind of mallets are you using?

[StevensGrip]

Maimba One; the mallets are marimba one's medium double helix.

[rkdrum93]

haha there should be a deal. Spend over 10000$ get a lifetime supply of mallets

[Bennder]

padouk?

[StevensGrip]

Rosewood- the mic on my camera's not that good

[darthrebelpenguin]

BTW, badass screename. Can't imagine playing any other grip. :)

[Jonram11]

what the freak bro. this was amazing. and you wrote that. wow.

very impressive.

[gooberwestern]

swallowed*****

[gooberwestern]

great job. I would just say, performance-wise, try to maintain the feel all the way through. maybe slow it down a little so you don't rush. Make sure it grooves all the way through (some of the "fills" during the "chorus" got kinda swollowed because it ended up being just a little fast. Overall though, great job and great piece. Keep it up

[Guitarwithwertyloops]

Hey i need some tips on making a marimba solo ive got a basic outline but i need it to be difficult.... lol beggers can't be choosers

[StevensGrip]

Ah, but beggars can be recievers....do you have any of it written down or recorded so I can hear/ see it?

[Guitarwithwertyloops]

sadly i only have finale 2003 at my disposal :P and no i just made it up like 2 days ago just started playing and i watched this and i added some of the fast stuff u did but i changed rythms lol i will work on it but i can't think of a beggining (also Im a freshman (LOL) in high school so no job to get money for better programs haha) but ya ill put somthing together

[StevensGrip]

Having any version of Finale is better than nothing. If you want, send me the file. I'll open it up in my version of Finale (2008) and check it out. I'll send you some feedback and maybe an idea or two- I'm always interested in what other people write.

[Guitarwithwertyloops]

ok the file imma send is an idea but mostly part of the middle chunck of things

P.S. i can't change time signetures so its pretty funky looking XD

[Guitarwithwertyloops]

it wont let me send measage..._ _"

[the09conradz]

How much did you Marimba cost, when you bought it?

[StevensGrip]

it cost about $11,000- my life's investment.

[KezmeisterG]

That's why I don't have one. That's like 20 Grand in AUD :(

[KezmeisterG]

I can't stop watching this lol!

[Guitarwithwertyloops]

same

[triguntz]

Hey--first off, absolutely incredible!! Kudos to you for having both a very strong technique and the creative mind to come up with this stuff! Are you a college music student? I'm studying at PSU for percussion and have only been playing marimba since I've been here, but it's so much fun. I'm considering buying this from you! Before it gets published and famous, of course.

[StevensGrip]

Thanks- I am currently a freshman at Ithaca College transferring into a composition major.

[EdmondDantesLeComte]

VERY impressive. Absolutely amazing.

Just give this video time. It will eventually make it's ways into some publishers hands.

[Kaizaii]

Hi Andrew

Congratulation! Very nice piece and very well played.

Kai Stensgaard

[StevensGrip]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

[rkdrum93]

Do you mind telling me what kind of mallets you use, because i really like the sound they give?

[StevensGrip]

These are Marimba One's medium double helix mallets- blue yarn, birch shaft.

[KezmeisterG]

That was... Epic!

Do you plan on ever getting it published? Because I'm not good enough to play it now but in 2 years after a bit of practice I might be able to lol!

Also interested in why you chose the name, is it based on anything in particular? Like the style you used or something.

[StevensGrip]

I chose the name "Octavius" because a number of the 32nd note runs, as well as the theme, are doubled in octaves. I have a number of pieces that I'm not good enough to play lying around, but they keep me motivated. If you are interested in ordering a score, email me. (See video info) Thanks!

[DrummerInTheHead]

holy crap, how much does a full size marimba set you back? :O awesome playing as well

[msgadrummer90]

Hey, do you have the music to this available somewhere? I really liked it and think it would be fun to learn.

[tensionbolt]

Amazing!!! Especially considering you just had surgery! The part from 1:05 really had me tapping my foot. Love your instrument, I wouldn´t cry myself to sleep every night if I had a Marimba One in my livingroom.