The Mountains Tremble

by Tracy Thomas

Medium Marimba Solo

Instrumentation:

• Marimba (low A)

The Mountains Tremble by Tracy Thomas is a medium-level marimba solo that explores contrasting four-mallet techniques through a series of distinct musical sections, and challenges performers to shift seamlessly between strength, control, and lyricism.

The solo features sections built on double vertical strokes as well as passages that combine double lateral and independent strokes in a smooth, legato style. An expressive chorale section invites greater musical freedom, encouraging performers to shape phrases, highlight an emerging melodic line, and explore subtle variations in tempo and dynamics.

Throughout the work, careful attention to tone quality and musical contrast is rewarded, making the piece valuable for both technical and artistic development.

This solo also appears in Sequential Studies for Four-Mallet Marimba Book 3 by Julia Gaines-Montag. It ships as a fully bound score.