PLEASE NOTE: This purchase is for a downloadable PDF copy of the piece. You will NOT receive a hard copy shipped to your address. Hard copy from Edition Svitzer available soon!
Watch the video of me playing Happiness first:
" Something in the wind has learned my name And it' s tellin' me that things are not the same In the leaves on the trees, and the touch of the breeze T here' s a pleasing sense of happiness for me" -
Top Of The World by the Carpenters (1970)
Happiness continues on the theme set by my previous work for solo marimba, Joy, which is also related to the joyful and grateful feelings of life spent with those close to you. Happiness focuses more on the idea of long-term happiness having its own set of victories and challenges along the way. Although happiness is not a promise of eternal positivity, the challenges faced towards happiness are worth every effort.
Happiness is dedicated to my partner Machi Ishida, who has been a continuous source of warmth and support in my life for the last two years prior to the release of Happiness. We are both huge fans of music by the band Carpenters, and their song Top Of The World mentions a 'pleasing sense of happiness' from being with someone important to you.
Happiness demonstrates this idea with a pleasant main theme that starts in a simple manner, before being continually developed in more complex ways. It is interrupted suddenly by a chorale in a completely different tonal colour, signifying challenges that come along the way whilst in the pursuit of happiness, before culminating in a grand and powerful octave passage that represents the resolution of these challenges. Happiness finishes on a softer note with the original melody, giving light to the bright future ahead.
Happiness is written as the Compulsory Work for the finals of the Marimbafest 2025 OPEN CLASS Solo category, marking my fifth Compulsory Work that I've written for the Marimbafest competitions of 2021-2025 (Hope, Together, Starlight, Joy and now Happiness). With the OPEN CLASS category being the top level of Marimbafest, Happiness places emphasis on bringing out the player's individuality, including some seemingly simple passages, octave runs, and a very busy left hand accompaniment. This is also the first ever 5 octave Compulsory Work by me, accommodating to the high world-class level of our OPEN CLASS participants in 2025.
Happiness was written for Marimbafest 2025's OPEN CLASS Solo Category and was premiered by Marimbafest 2025 OPEN CLASS Solo Finalists Connor Dinneen, Siraphat Chomphupol, Moisés Uziel Ulloa Ramirez and Matt Tashima (winner of Best Interpretation of Happiness) on 16th July 2025.
Happiness requires a 5.0 octave or higher marimba. You will receive one (1) PDF file with the full score.
Studio VIPs / Studio ARTISTs: Discount code available at patreon.com/adamtan! Use that code in checkout to gain 25% off this score (Studio ARTISTs) or 50% off (Studio VIPs)!
Happiness, for solo marimba (5.0 octave)
Four-mallet marimba solo (5.0 octave)
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