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Biography
"the marimba belles, and beaus" are young children aged between nine and twelve and love playing marimbas and vibes. While other rhythm percussion is used, their prime love is the melody instruments, such as marimbas, vibraphones and xylophones.
We, the producers and teachers believe our program in the state or public school system in the land down under is unique. Often, the children may never play these instruments again, as Secondary Colleges don't recognize necessarily the specialization of ensembles such as these, and children are lumped together as being percussionists. WE believe that they are not generic percussionists, but rather ensemble players who play arrangements on keyboard percussion instruments: likened to a giant piano.
The pieces for the album and showcase have been gleaned over 16 years. Some solos, being so good, were overlaied by adults playing cello, bass, guitar, synth, violin etc. All of the keyboard percussion is played by children and there are no corrections. The current state is that each mature ensemble, say at the end of grade six, can perform a live concert lasting up to an hour, i.e 15 to 20 pieces of music. Usually, the only accompaniment is an acoustic guitar, mainly to give rhythm cues as the instruments are quite loud and we cannot afford or transport fold back equipment.
Unfortunately, due to the uncordinated education system in Australia, these children, once leaving primary school, rarely ever play "marimba" again, as the system insists that they are percussion instruments, and children reluctantly join stage bands, not playing melody instruments, but usually accompanying percussion. They soon get disillusioned and eventually abandon any idea of becoming excellent vibes or marimba players.
Hopefully, with a growing interest in community music involving marimbas and the like, an awareness will grow within the psyche of the Australian culture, such as it has in African and West indies nations and recognizing that fully percussion ensembles are not an anomaly but an alternative way of presenting music.
Graham and Adrian.
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