My experience as an Undergraduate musician has been one of many experiences that i like to look at as  "Stepping Stones". One of my first was practicing Technique exercises my first semester, then finally having a short marimba piece to work on second semester.  Then Moving on from snare drum Etudes, to actually playing snare drum pieces and multiple percussion chamber trio's and quartets. There are many things in our lives, as well as our undergraduate careers that make us feel that we have, and are continuing to mature as musicians, future educators, and as people. 

As I am about to enter my second semester of my Junior year, i have picked, and i am beginning to prepare repertoire for my next step, My Junior recital. As i prepare and practice my rep, as a tool to further understand the music on a deeper level as well as give you all insight on to what i'm playing. I am going to Do a separate Post on each piece i am Playing. The first of which being my Marimba Solo... 

Variations on Lost Love, By David Maslanka-  

Variations on Lost love in a Muli-Movement work for solo marimba composed by David Maslanka. Although he has spent some time as a faculty member at a few colleges and universities, David Maslanka is a composer who has been working soley off commission since 1990. Currently living in Missoula Montana Maslanka is best known for his compositions for wind ensemble, as well as his eight symphonies and one full mass. 

When interviewed about his composition style, Maslanka had this to say. 

You ask about the soul nature of music, and are music and soul the same thing. Music is one of the expressions of soul. A person does not have to be consciously aware of soul connection for soul force to be expressed through that person. The conscious mind and the deep unconscious are two different things, but everyone has both of them. The unconscious can push its way into consciousness unbidden. Often this makes people do neurotic or crazy things – compulsive behavior of one kind or another. If a person is prepared artistically, then a sudden eruption of soul force might appear as a composition or a powerful performance. The person may have no idea where the force came from. This was my experience as a young composer. As I gained technical skill there would be sudden bursts of music that 'appeared.' There was always the hard work of getting it composed properly, but fairly early on I learned to follow my instincts when something powerful began to happen. The impulse to write, having a 'true voice', and having the necessary technical equipment are all different issues. There are fine technicians who have no true voice, and people with true voice who have struggled with technique.

—(Maslanka 2005

My first experience with variations on lost love was hearing it at a Percussion master-class at school. A fellow student at the time performed it extremely well and i was immediately inspired to be able to play it at some point. It had many challenging technical aspects, as well as a hauntingly beautiful and mysterious melodies. Starting slow, a melody is introduced and then there are many variations on it (Hence the title). 

After some further research, i was able to find out this piece is based off of the poem, "Lost Love" by Mr. Robert Graves. As i read the poem I found that this piece is actually very fitting to my life. I will spare you the details, but i went through a tough break up this summer, and i cant think of a better way to express myself musically than to add real emotion to a piece of music i am performing. The Poem, (Listed Below) speaks of a man who is on a forever long search for "Lost Love." 

His eyes are quickened so with grief, 
He can watch a grass or leaf 
Every instant grow; he can 
Clearly through a flint wall see, 
Or watch the startled spirit flee 
From the throat of a dead man. 
Across two counties he can hear 
And catch your words before you speak. 
The woodlouse or the maggot's weak 
Clamour rings in his sad ear, 
And noise so slight it would surpass 
Credence--drinking sound of grass, 
Worm talk, clashing jaws of moth 
Chumbling holes in cloth; 
The groan of ants who undertake 
Gigantic loads for honour's sake 
(Their sinews creak, their breath comes thin); 
Whir of spiders when they spin, 
And minute whispering, mumbling, sighs 
Of idle grubs and flies. 
This man is quickened so with grief, 
He wanders god-like or like thief 
Inside and out, below, above, 
Without relief seeking lost love. 

The Second Movement, which ive been working the most on lately, can be listened to here. 

Enjoy! 

MB