South African Marimba Classes (7 Week Series)

JOIN THE FUN! Group South African Marimba Classes Weekly on Tuesday & Thursday evenings starting at 6pm at my beautiful Beauty Hill Music Studios in Barrington. Classes run from May 4 -June 17, 2021.

Want to pick your own day and time? Get a group of 4 to five friends to create your own class playing on my handmade South African Marimbas and Trinidad/Tabago Steel Pans are in the mix, too. No music experience necessary. Just the desire to learn and experience the joys of ensemble playing. Here is more info:

Marimba Bands can be heard and experienced throughout South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Southern Africa. Even in the United States you can find Marimba Bands from the Pacific Northwest to New England inspired by many African musicians who have taught the tradition and instruments at Universities and Cultural Institutions in the U.S. for decades.

Randy has been a performer, teacher and student of the balafon which is the West Africa marimba/xylophone style instrument similar to the South African marimbas for over four decades. While on tour in South Africa as an accompanist for the women’s chorus, Voices From The Heart in the summer of 2018, Randy experienced the dynamic and joyous music of Marimba Bands at concert halls, churches, schools and street performances.

At a concert Voices From The Heart performed with Desmond Tutu and his family in attendance, a young group of talented and energetic South African Marimba players performed traditional songs and pop tunes that had the entire audience singing and dancing together. Even Papa Tutu got up to dance to the song, PATA PATA made famous by South African singer, Miriam Makeba and played brilliantly by the Marimba Band. At that moment, Randy was inspired to commission a set of South African Marimbas handcrafted by ethnomusicologist, Gavin Coppenhall—African Ethos Instruments in Cape Town. The Marimbas arrived at the Port of New York on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018 and the journey begins.

“Music is a great blessing. It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream. It can unite us to sing with one voice.” — Nelson Mandela