Waterfall by Dustin Schulze

Dustin Schulze’s marimba solo, Waterfall, is his attempt to “amplify Mother Nature’s eternal melody” through a “deluge of rhythms and pitches.” Throughout the piece, Schulze uses a constant stream of running sixteenth-notes juxtaposed with undulating dynamics to help create the image of running water. At various points in the piece, the music seems tranquil and placid, at others, the music is tense, loud, and full of motion, just like a rushing waterfall. To help create an even clearer image, Schulze instructs the performer not to “transfer tension into the bars through excessive pressure.” This will help the music maintain a relaxed and uninterrupted sound throughout the piece.