Laura Jordan- "Memory of the Woods" for solo marimba by Akemi Naito

Laura Jordan, solo marimba recital
East Carolina University, October 15th, 2009

Akemi Naito, Memory of the Woods (2001) was commissioned by New Music Marimba, a group founded/directed by William Moersch, who premiered the work in Uruguay on May 31st, 2000. Akemi Naito studied at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and later became a member of the faculty. She relocated to New York after receiving an Asian Cultural Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Naito includes the following note in the score:

"When I was asked to write a new piece for solo marimba, my thoughts and imagination turned first to the instrument itself. In order to write what I Hoped would e a deep and spiritual work for this beautiful instrument- the marimba, I drew upon inspiration from a symbol and image of timelessness, the woods forest)."

The compositional imagery of the woods ranges from the shimmering swells, echoes, and sighs in the rolls, perhaps emulating the wind through the leaves, to more literally the exponentially accelerating rhythm of the Buddhist temple drums on individual notes, serving as drums.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• japanese
• woods
• forest
• marimba
• japan
• william
• bill
• moersch
• new
• music
• percussion
• percussionist
• drum
• drums
• drummer

[laurajpercussion]

Thank you so much! It's easy with my Marimba One, the keyboard really sings the best of any marimba I've played. It's their 3% select grade quality keyboard.

[JasonDeCristofaro]

You play beautifully - you really make the instrument sing!

[thecmonster]

sublime -_-

[contorture]

@wolfdemon656

Honeyrock has the piece, and they say it's written for five octaves, but can be readily adapted to 4.5 or 4.3

[wolfdemon656]

Is the five octave (i think you are using) needed for this piece?

[funkysnareplayer1993]

good job!!! I love this piece