The marimba history multimedia presentation is a fun event using a constant audio-video montage of vintage videos, recordings, photographs, interviews, sheet music, and more. We will explore the indigenous beginnings of the marimba; the dawn of the industrialized marimba in the 1910s-1920s; and become acquainted with the first generation of modern marimbists up to today’s 5-octave keyboard. Percussionists will come away with a new sense of pride of heritage from this enlightening experience.
David Harvey is a noted authority on the history of the marimba and xylophone. Beginning in the 1970's, Mr. Harvey interviewed many surviving marimbists and xylophonists from the early part of the 20th century. He also has assembled a library including sound recordings dating from the 19th century, sheet music, films, photographs, method books, press releases, books, letters, catalogs, and more. The result of Mr. Harvey's exhaustive scholarship is a profound picture of a rich past never before documented in such a sophisticated level of detail, substance, and accuracy. In 2015, he founded the Facebook Marimba and Xylophone History group, with 7,000 members worldwide. His marimba history research has been published by Percussive Notes, VAP Media, MostlyMarimba, and Heartland Marimba.
