Gratitude by Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith’s Gratitude was written to showcase the beautiful singing quality of the marimba and how, when paired with the human voice, it can create a sense of smoothness and connectivity. The lyrics, melody, and harmonies of the piece all cohere into one beautiful and euphonious experience. Although Nathan encourages using a high falsetto voice, the vocal melody featured in this piece can be taken down an octave if necessary. Nathan also recommends listening to such famous vocalists as Nan MacMillan, Gillian Welch, and Joni Mitchell in order to achieve the particular vocal style he was aiming for.