Programs Notes

Strive to be Happy: “a marimba solo dedicated to Aaron Staebell, one of my best friends and favorite musical collaborators, and is written for 4.3 octave marimba. Aaron introduced me to ‘Desiderata’, a prose poem written by American writer Max Ehrmann in 1927. The poem is a simple and positive credo for living life, and one that both Aaron and I cherish and take to heart. The poem ends with the simple phrase, ‘Strive to be happy.’” -Ivan Trevino

Big Adventure was written during the summer of 2017 for the Middle Tennessee State University front ensemble. It was intended to be a fun “lot tune” that drills common keyboard percussion techniques and requires tight ensemble coordination. The piece begins with a cha-cha feel, and the piano, bass guitar, marimba, and vibraphone parts set up the chord structure. The vibraphone and glockenspiel parts hold the primary melody soon after, which is echoed by the vibraphone. The middle section includes moving eighth- and sixteenth-note passages in all keyboard parts. This leads to a return to the theme and a short coda.

Rhapsody Op. 79 No. 2: Composed in the summer of 1879, this piece is inspired by the countryside of Pörtschach am See, Austria- a place known to frequently spark Brahms’s creativity. The term “rhapsody” refers to a a free-form, intensely enthusiastic and highly emotional piece of music. This is evident in the bold arpeggiated motif running throughout the piece, marked by the contrasting lyrically enchantment of the middle section. Brahms is respected within piano literature for his ambitious curiosity and adventurous exploration of the entire range of the keyboard both physically and dynamically. Having German ancestry, Johnny feels a deep connection with the compositions of Brahms who was also German. Johnny will be performing this piece at Carnegie Hall in NYC this summer in addition to accompanying some private students from Post Falls Music Academy to celebrate the academy’s 15th year in business.

Raindrops is a pop-style work for chamber ensemble featuring three woodwinds and a marimba. The dry, percussive nature of the marimba part helps create the image of raindrops and provides a steady rhythmic backdrop for the woodwinds’ melodic content.

Still Life: Composed by Dr. Michael Waldrop from his album Origin Suite

Birdfrog: If you wander Austin late at night, you will often hear a quiet, subtle chirping emanate from tall grass. It sounds like baby birds, and it’s always been in the background ever since I moved here. Sometimes I’d look for these “birds”, but I could never find anything. It was odd to me. Maybe it was mice? I kept searching, until one day I finally found what was chirping. Tiny frogs, woven within the grass, each the size of a U.S. quarter. Singing away, late at night. When I first moved to Austin and started my undergrad, I made a few friends in the percussion studio. They were older than me, so they graduated and went off to do their own projects, while I continued my undergrad. From afar, I have watched them do so many wonderful things and musical pursuits of their own. I grateful to have shared memories with you all, even if only for a short while. This piece was written for you. Thank you. Musically, birdfrog draws upon math rock, gentle acoustic covers of rock music, and minimalism.

Dem Dakar: Composed by Dr. Michael Waldrop from his album Time Frames. Marimba and track sequence by Michael Waldrop, percussion by Jose Rossy

Dance of the Drums is the second movement of a larger work entitled Song and Dance, which is scored for percussion duo. “Dance of the Drums” features active and primal drumming with interlocking groove-oriented patterns that permeate throughout the movement. A conch shell is used as a single-pitched melodic instrument. Other instruments called for include claves, cymbal, and tom-toms.

Forgiveness: “I decided to write a new piece each school year that focuses on access and affordability. Specifically, to write music for instruments that are more available to students and schools, and to make those pieces more affordable. This year’s piece is “Forgiveness” for solo vibraphone (2019). I want this simple piece to invoke reflection on forgiveness, a concept that is meaningful to me and so many.” -Ivan Trevino

Catching Shadows: Award-winning composer Ivan Trevino's music has quickly become some of the most popular in the percussion repertoire. He has a unique voice that blends rock, alternative, metal, and other popular styles into classical percussion. Catching Shadows (2013) is a marimba duet commissioned by Michael Burritt. About this piece, Ivan writes, "Michael Burritt and I have become good friends and collaborators over the years, and on a recent road trip to a gig, he said 'I'm in charge of the tunes!' Honestly, I didn't know what to expect! He plugged in his iPod, and the first thing to play: Radiohead, then Dave Matthews, then Earth, Wind & Fire. That's when I discovered something cool about Mike: he's as much rock musician as classical musician. It just so happens he plays marimba. Sometimes, I feel the same way. With Catching Shadows, I thought about our road trip and decided to write a rock tune inspired by Mike's playlist."