MM
Matt Moore
Percussion
Written for my daughter born in 2016, More of Us is sweet, spunky, and a little off balance - just like her!
Instrumentation
Marimba (4.0 Octave)
Percussive Notes Review
This highly accessible, easy four-mallet marimba solo is largely in 7/8, which for
younger players may be the most difficult musical problem to confront. The composer
says that “More of Us” is “dedicated to our baby daughter, born in spring 2016. The piece
is sweet, spunky, and a little off-balance, just like her!” I don’t know the piece’s
namesake, but I think he is right about the short tune he’s written.
If you want something older to compare it with, this “children’s song” would fit right in
with Bart Quartier’s Images collection. There are just a few techniques to master, and
then you’re on your way. The A section features right-hand double stops firmly planted
in A-flat major, while the left hand spells out the diatonic tune. The music then moves
through an arpeggiated section in seven, the melody still present on top, with broken
countermelody underneath. The mallet permutation remains consistent throughout this B
section. The next section is similar to A, with the double stops and the left hand in a
lower octave than before. The B section then repeats, leading to a Coda, which is similar
to the A section, but transposed to B major. The form then is a very loose rondo, with the
final statement of A in a different key. It concludes with a very interesting final cadence
on the IV chord. It ends with a question mark rather than a period. Perhaps Moore is
asking, “What does the future hold for us...?” At three minutes, this work is perfectly
appropriate as a beginning four-mallet piece for the novice. Like a baby’s bottle, the tune
goes down smoothly and should leave the listener satisfied—at least for a little while.
—Philip O'Banion
Percussive Notes
Vol. 56, No. 2, March 2018
Solo Marimba | Grade 3 | 3'00"