Payton MacDonald - Explorations 1 (2021)

This music is entirely improvised and acoustic--no electronics, overdubbing, looping, or editing. A a connecting thread there are three Bach chorales that serve as source material for improvisations. I use Bach chorales to warm up each day and often find myself improvising on them. I have broadened the timbral and expressive palette of the marimba with a variety of home-made mallets. I also throw things at the instrument, rearrange the bars, cover it with various objects, and use my hands. Whatever it takes to get the right sound.