Scenes from the Countryside

Brian Mueller

General Info

Year of Published: 2026
Publisher: Row-Loff Productions
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Duration: c.
Cost: Score and Parts - $25.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Song List

1. Gentle Breeze, Swaying Trees
2. What Once Was Home
3. A Jaunt Through the Garden
4. Journey to the Creek
5. As Far as the Eye Can See
6. In the Shadow of a Windmill
7. The Old Barn at Daybreak
8. Golden Light in the Early Spring

Instrumentation

Marimba

Program Notes

In 1971, my grandfather purchased a small farm in Peck, KS. This farm was his hobby for the next 50 years. He grew vegetables, maintained a fruit orchard, and harvested wheat in the summertime. When I was young, trips to “the farm” were fairly common, but the most memorable of these were the annual trips on the Monday of spring break during elementary school. He would pick me up early in the morning, and we would spend half a day planting potatoes, corn, and various other vegetables. After lunch (which, to my delight, usually consisted of hot dogs cooked over an open fire), we walked the pasture, making our way west to the creek. In the afternoon, we sat in the shade of a large tree by the windmill and looked out over the fields.

For many years I had envisioned writing a series of marimba pieces inspired by these memories. In the fall of 2024, Chris Crockarell asked me if I would be willing to write a book of intermediate level marimba solos in the coming year for the Row-Loff catalogue, and I gladly accepted the invitation. Almost immediately, I realized that this was a chance to bring my old vision to life. During the spring of 2025, I explored ideas, thought about piece titles, and considered what technical and musical challenges to emphasize in the solos. In May and July of that year, I wrote and recorded all eight solos for the collection.

I decided early on that my overarching goal for the book was to compose pieces that were approachable by younger players, but would be musically satisfying for more experienced players as well. I wanted to write relatively simple music that I would personally enjoy performing. I believe I have attained this goal. The solos in this collection range from medium-easy difficulty through medium-advanced, with one advanced piece at the end of the book. All eight pieces fit on a 4.3-octave (low A) marimba. The pieces are written as stand-alone solos, but could easily be combined in many ways to create suites of various lengths. It is also conceivable to perform the entire book as one extended presentation.

I have provided some notes and suggestions for each piece, which should aid in understanding the technical and emotional content of the music. Stickings are included in many of the pieces, and I recommend applying the written stickings at first. However, feel free to alter the stickings as necessary to fit your playing style.

Recent Performances

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Books for Percussion by this Composer

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