Percussion took the spotlight during the semesterly Mallet Music performance on Wednesday, March 1, with a focus on various genres of music.

Freshman music education major Hannah Pritchett, who is part of the Mallet Music ensemble, gave some insight on the diverse musical styles that were on full display during the performance.

“We’re playing music that ranges from rags to pieces that were originally composed for a guitar ensemble but is being played on marimbas,” she said.

The Mallet Music ensemble is one of many chamber ensembles, which consist of smaller groups, and each covers a specific musical niche. The Mallet Music concert emphasizes the marimba and the vibraphone.

This semester, the ensemble consisted of five students, a smaller number compared to past years. Despite this, there are some benefits to the smaller ensemble. Spencer Osbourne, a junior music education major, shared their thoughts on the changes in the rehearsal atmosphere.

“While this limits the pieces we can play, I feel like we are a closer knit group than in the past,” Osbourne said. “This means we have more time rehearsing together as a unit and makes us feel closer than in the past. It does mean more work for all of us, though, but I feel like it is worth it.”

Out of all the songs rehearsed by the group, Osbourne highlighted “Adagio.”

“‘Adagio’ is a slower piece written originally for guitar ensembles, and I play the lead part on this one, meaning I can take some soloistic liberty with it, which is very enjoyable,” Osbourne said.

In preparations for upcoming performances, percussion ensemble director John Hill is normally the one who selects which pieces will be played. This semester, however, students in the group chose two of the pieces.

The concert opened with Russian composer Dimitri Kabalevsky’s “Galloping Comedians,” a marimba piece described by Pritchett as “adrenaline pumping.”

Hill said “Galloping Comedians” was “followed by a ragtime piece featuring senior Nathan Schulte as the xylophone soloist on ‘Log Cabin Blues.’”

He also mentioned the concert would include the debut of an original piece by ensemble member Kape Metker titled “Contrapuntal Hammers.”

In addition to the aforementioned songs, the group also performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on the G String” and “House of the Sun.”

At the end of the concert, the ensemble concluded the performance with an original arrangement of F. Henri Klickmann’s 1917 ragtime piece called “Smiles and Chuckles.”

The music department will host a jazz concert at 7:30 p.m. on March 14 in Lovett Auditorium. All types of jazz will be explored, including swing, Latin and rock styles. The bands consist of five saxophones, four to five trumpets, four to five trombones, piano, guitar, bass, drums and Latin percussion.

The 15th Murray State University Jamey Aebersold Jazz Festival on March 31 will include two middle school jazz bands, one combined middle and high school group, seven high school jazz bands and one visiting college group from Tennessee. The festival will be in the Performing Arts Hall.

Finally, the concert choir and Vox Lumina, a non-auditioned treble choir, will sing at 7:30 p.m. on March 31 at First Presbyterian Church on 1601 Main St.

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