Elements by Kevin Bobo

Elements is a tonal exploration of elements, whether they be the classic earth, wind, fire and water, or those found on the periodic table. The piece opens with a series of alternating dead strokes and open strokes on the marimba representing the collision of particles to form atoms of the elements as we know them. As the piece progresses, these atoms begin to travel more gracefully to combine into more complex forms of matter, eventually becoming the water we drink, the air that we breathe, and ultimately ending with the creation of a mischievous living organism. Elements was commissioned by the James Madison University Percussion Commissioning Project and premiered on April 16, 2012, in Harrisonburg, Virginia