Dream

Item details

Description +
- Duration: 3½ min.
  
  Dream is my first ever 4.3 octave marimba solo written for two mallets. I find that two mallets takes away the complications of four mallet grips, laterals and other advanced techniques, leaving you to focus on the quality of your sound and the intent of your melodic expression. Dream is spacious and floaty in its construction, allowing you to interpret the directional voices in your own special way.
  
  The title Dream stems from my experience of turning dreams into reality. I have found that some of my most ambitious goals in life, like owning my own 5.0 octave marimba, or making an income from the internet, came from dreams that seemed impossible to ever achieve at the time. Dream reflects on the idea that while many of our dreams and wishes may not work out, continuing to dream big and thinking of a better future will always help us grow and become stronger.
  
  Adam Tan
Instrumentation +
- Marimba 4.3 octave (two mallets)
Watch+
- Performed by Adam Tan
About the composer +
- Adam Tan is a marimba soloist, educator and composer based in Perth, Western Australia. Adam is most known for being a YouTube content creator on THE STUDIO, a self-produced YouTube show uploading weekly episodes for education and entertainment relating to percussion.
  
  Adam has performed and presented in-person in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States, and has also presented online classes in Argentina, Central America and the United Kingdom. Highlights include solo performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), inc. percussion days (Japan), PAS Hong Kong Days of Percussion and Oh! Asian Percussionists Series (Hong Kong), Malaysia Percussion Festival, Chosen Vale Percussion Seminar (USA), Australian Percussion Gathering and masterclass presentations at the 505A Percussion Gathering (Hong Kong), MalletLab Summer Intensive (USA), WA Day of Percussion (Australia) and various universities and schools across Taiwan.
  
  As a composer, Adam's works for percussion are performed regularly as they appear in repertoire lists for auditions, examinations and competitions around the world, such as the UIL Texas Prescribed Music List (PML). Adam’s works can be listened to on all music streaming platforms and stores.
  
  Adam is the founder and director of Marimbafest Australia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of percussive arts in Australia, curating various events including the annual marimba festival and competition Marimbafest, as well as the annual concert series Percussion All-Stars.
  
  Adam has a Master of Music (Research, Percussion) and Bachelor of Music (1st Class Hons) from the University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music.
  
  Adam is a Marimba One Premier Artist and a Signature Artist of Encore Mallets with his own signature series of mallets. Adam's compositions are published by Edition Svitzer.
Reviews +
- Percussive Notes, February 2023
  
  Played with two mallets, “Dream” is a tremendous piece that, as the composer describes, “reflects on the idea that while many of our dreams and wishes may not work out, continuing to dream big and thinking of a better future will always help us grow and become stronger.”
  
  In addition to being a gorgeous composition, “Dream” is a much-needed addition to contemporary marimba pedagogy that will allow younger players to focus on musicality instead of technique. The composer insists on this being performed with two mallets to “take away the complications of four-mallet grips, laterals, and other advanced techniques, leaving you to focus on the quality of your sound and the intent of your melodic expression.” This allows the performer to focus on being musical, which is often sorely lacking in the current repertoire.
  
  I highly recommend “Dream” as a pedagogical tool for learning musicality, but also because it is simply an excellent composition for the marimba. There is nary an audience alive who won’t enjoy this gem by Adam Tan.
  
  —Joe Millea
Credits +
- Front Cover graphics and layout: Adam Tan
  Photo: Adam Tan
  Engraving: Adam Tan & Johan Svitzer
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright ©Adam Tan

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