Simple Solos Vol. 1 [Seasons]

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Description +
- Index
  Autumn
  Winter
  Spring
  Summer
  
  I wrote SIMPLE SOLOS to not only give developing students a chance to play interesting pieces that help build their technique and musicality, but also to challenge myself to make complex music while deliberately placing limits on what techniques I am allowed to use.
  
  As they all share a similar underlying style, the four works from SIMPLE SOLOS VOL. 1 [SEASONS] can be performed as standalone pieces, or all four works together in order (Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer) as one continuous multi-movement work.
  
  – Adam Tan
Instrumentation +
- Marimba (3.0 Octave)
Watch+
- Autumn performed by Adam Tan
  
  Winter performed by Adam Tan
  
  Spring performed by Adam Tan
  
  Summer 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 +
- Review (Percussive Notes, February 2025)
  
  Adam Tan’s “Simple Solos” are wonderful new additions to the beginner four-mallet keyboard repertoire. Each of the four solos, named for the four seasons, utilizes one basic stroke type almost exclusively, providing a means for newer players to develop their technique through music learning. “Autumn” consists solely of single alternating strokes (outside, inside) in both hands, save for the final measures, creating a sort of rhythmic chorale. “Winter” focuses on unison double vertical strokes while also introducing some counting challenges, like entering on the “and” of beat 1following a long note. “Spring” is a rolled chorale, while “Summer” presents the challenge of different stroke types in each hand, with double verticals in the right and a syncopated single alternating pattern in the left throughout.
  
  Musically, each tune uses smooth voice leading and is pleasant to the ear. The style is reminiscent of Tan’s other compositions while keeping the difficulty level as low as possible. The composer offers several paragraphs of advice and interpretation for each piece in the score’s introductory pages, providing an additional layer of pedagogical benefit to a young student who may be learning this music without the guidance of a teacher.
  
  Perhaps the most notable characteristic of these pieces is that they all utilize a maximum 3-octave range, meaning they can be performed on nearly any keyboard instrument and are easily transposed by octave. All four pieces are inC-major with very little chromaticism. This makes transposition to other keys easy, which could be a good exercise for a more advanced student who wishes to perform two or more of the pieces as a set.
  
  I sincerely appreciate the efforts within the keyboard percussion community to continue creating works that are musically fulfilling for beginners. I will certainly pull these solos out when working with students who are brand new to four mallets.
  
  —Marco Schirripa

Simple Solos Vol. 1 [Seasons]

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