The sounds and vibrations of the marimba’s wooden bars permeate deeply into the body and can function as a passage for emotions. Senses are sharpened and the brain is prepared for a journey through thoughts and experiences.

Since my first acquaintance with the marimba as a 10-year-old, it hasn’t been possible to imagine my life without it. In the many years after that, I have developed myself as a percussionist who specializes in marimba, chamber music and percussion education, including a bachelor and master's degree at the conservatory of Amsterdam.

I like to connect different styles and I love to develop programs that merge these musical worlds and complement each other into one strong entity. In addition, I always look for a good balance between original marimba music, arrangements and own compositions. I like to get inspired by special events, moods, nature, natural phenomena and personal relationships.

The marimba challenges me to draw my own plan, to find my path and to walk it with utmost conviction. The strong connections with African, South American and Asian music and the many opportunities in contemporary and old western music motivate me to constantly search for the immense possibilities that the marimba still has hidden.

Canto Ostinato – Simeon ten Holt

Canto Ostinato is a tonal composition of variable length by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012). Nowadays it is one of the most popular minimal music compositions in the Netherlands. Pianist Ivo Janssen and Mallet Collective Amsterdam developed a unique, own version of this masterpiece and made a live recording in the main hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Canto Ostinato was written for one or more keyboard instruments, so the number of performers and the combination of instruments can vary between different performances. In addition, the choice for the number of repetitions of sections and the use of dynamics, articulation, timbre and partition is left to the players during the performance. It is remarkable that as little as possible is determined in advance while it is quite natural to do so with other pieces of music. The choices are made during the performance so that the piece can completely adapt to the situation and the atmosphere of the moment. This is one of the most important aspects behind the success of Canto Ostinato. It gives the musicians the opportunity to influence the listener’s experience accurately and directly. Canto Ostinato is often described as meditative, hypnotic and enchanting.

I have been playing Canto Ostinato since 2013 with Ivo Janssen as a member of Mallet Collective Amsterdam. In July 2016 we made a live recording at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. One piano, two marimbas and two vibraphones is seen by us as the ideal instrumentation. The combination of marimbas, vibraphones and piano can create a wide spectrum of timbres, with the instruments contrasting or complementing each other. The marimbas and vibraphones can significantly influence the overall sound by using different mallets and playing techniques and they have almost infinitely many dynamic possibilities. This makes it possible to completely change the atmosphere from one moment to the next, or to spread this change over a longer timescale. In addition, the marimba and vibraphone players’ actions are clearly visible to the audience, which makes it an even better experience. Of course, depending on the situation, other instrumentations are possible with more or less musicians and other combinations of instruments.

Mallet Collective Amsterdam consists of:

Maikel Claessens – marimba
Ramon Lormans – marimba
Vincent Houdijk – vibraphone
Dominique Vleeshouwers - vibraphone

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