<p>I play sax but would really like to play vibes/marimba. I'm already a junior in highschool, so one quesiton is, is it possible to learn them in one year?</p>
<p>Also, is it even possible to major in marimba/vibes or does it have to be part of a percussion major (which I definetly won't be able to do)?</p>
<p>I'd either major in music ed or double major in jazz performance and business.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Does your hs have some for you to play?
You want to major in an instrument you don’t know how to play?
Gutsy.</p>
<p>We know a marimba player. His college degree will be in percussion. YMMV.</p>
<p>Well, no, it was just a thought. If i really got into it and wanted to major in it, if it is possible. And yes we have a vibraphone, marimba, and xylaphone.</p>
<p>My S is going to major in percussion performance, marimba being one of the instruments. You should probably take lessons on marimba on your own time. I’m sure a percussion major would teach you for some cash (my S would). If you know piano that would help</p>
<p>Yea, I do know some piano and I know that marimba is layed out like one. It looks like you can major in marimba at Temple U ( I wonder how competitive that is)</p>
<p>Temple has a highly-respected music school with a fair number of teachers who are members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Your competition will likely have been taking private lessons from very good teachers for several years. I will not say it is impossible, but it will not be easy to get in there. Try to find out what their audition requirements are and, if they include specific pieces rather than something like “your choice of three contrasting pieces,” see if you think you would be able to play any of them just about a year from now.</p>
<p>Edit: I just checked and did not see any marimba-only degrees, but here are the marimba/xylophone audition requirements from the Music Ed program with a concentration in percussion. You would also be expected to audition on snare drum and tympani for this program.</p>
<ol>
<li>Perform (1) one of the following solos or one of your own choice that is of equivalent or greater difficulty.</li>
</ol>
<pre><code>* Sabre Dance - Khatchaturian - Goldenberg (Leeds)
<ol>
<li>Perform scales and arpeggios (2 octaves), in major, through 3 sharps and 3 flats; and in harmonic minor, one sharp and one flat.</li>
</ol>
<p>Undergrad in percussion is an all around degree not just marimba. You can specialize more in graduate school. The requirements for Temple are the lowest level they will accept. Many students will audition there on much higher level of material. Just for your info my son is 15 and playing at a much higher level then that. Temple has a great grad program with Mr. Abel. They are in the process of hiring another percussion teacher to add to the faculty. If they hire Mr. Deviney from Phildelphia Orchestra the applications will most likely double.</p>
<p>Agreed. Also, those are the requirements for a concentration in percussion, not a performance major. The audition for the latter would include a four-mallet marimba solo piece, for example Yellow After the Rain (Mitchell Peters, pub. M. Peters) or Rain Dance (Alice Gomez, pub. Southern). I guess marimbas are to rain as flutes are to birds.</p>
<p>This is under the Instrumental section on Temple - correct me if i’m wrong but i believe this is marimba performance? I don’t see any divisions on their page for performance, ed, etc</p>
<p>Marimba or Xylophone</p>
<ol>
<li>Perform (1) one of the following solos or one of your own choice that is of equivalent or greater difficulty.</li>
</ol>
<p>Sabre Dance - Khatchaturian - Goldenberg (Leeds)</p>
<p>Any solo from Masterpeices for Marimba - McMillan (Pro Art)</p>
<p>Page 66, no. VII - Modern School for Xylophone - Goldenberg (Chappel & Co.)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Perform scales and arpeggios (2 octaves), in major, through 3 sharps and 3 flats; and in harmonic minor, one sharp and one flat.</p></li>
<li><p>Applied (Performance) applicants: All of the above and a four mallet marimba solo (Examples below).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Yellow After the Rain (Mitchell Peters, pub. M. Peters)</p>
<p>Rain Dance (Alice Gomez, pub. Southern)</p>
<p>You are correct about that is the material listed under marimba. You need to read above it where it says you are required to audition on snare drum, timpani and mallets. Also, as I stated those are the minimum requirements and people will walk through the door playing much higher levels then that. Depending on who’s teaching there my son may audition in two years. There is no marimba major. Believe me my son would definately consider that.</p>
<p>adimi24,</p>
<p>The top of the page explains the difference between the audition required of a performance major and the one required for someone interested in a concentration in a particular field as part of a degree program other than performance. It is not unusual for schools to have different standards at auditions for performance majors and music ed or musicology majors who want a concentration in an instrument.</p>
<p>As bigdjp points out, what you have quoted is only one part of the audition for percussion. You would also need to play snare and tympani at some level, even for the concentration level audition. The difference is that on the mallet portion of the audition, only performance majors are required to play item 3.</p>
<p>I am not aware of any schools that offer a marimba-only undergrad degree. If you just like playing the instrument, you could probably take private lessons at many schools, maybe at first from a grad student and later from a faculty member. If you are not a music major (or at some schools at least a music minor), those lessons will very likely cost extra.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help.</p>