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When playing together in the duo we are constantly striving to create a unified tone projecting with a single voice. It is the perfect blend of tones we can achieve with our Marimba One marimbas that allows us to connect fully expressing the fullest range of moods and effects. We always feel at home on our marimbas allowing us to play our best whenever and wherever! - Maraca2 |
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Maraca2 Percussion Duo
Maraca2 is Tim Palmer and Jason Huxtable -- a young percussion duo from England with a wide repertoire and a commitment to both performance and education. They met whilst studying at the undergraduate percussion course at the Birmingham Conservatoire, where they each achieved 1st class honours and won many of the college prizes, individually and as a duo. Maraca2 has performed at the many of the UK's finest venues, including Symphony Hall, National Indoor Arena, Fairfield Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, the Barber Institute, Artsfest, the International Convention Centre, Leeds University and the Birmingham Conservatoire at the Annual Convention of European Conservatoires. They were winners of the 2005 Birmingham Music Classical Awards for contribution to music in the region. In addition to traditional recital events, they have played on cruise ships, and at fashion shows and dance clubs. Maraca2 are committed to performing new works not already heard in the UK and have performed many UK and world premiers. They recently visited the Royal Northern College of Music to perform and work with composer Stephen Whibley on his new piece, Blue Motion. They are also heavily involved in music education and frequently perform in schools and colleges, in addition to working regularly with the Southern Sinfonia Orchestra education project. Maraca2 endorse Marimba One marimbas, Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, and Sabian Cymbals, and would like to thank these companies for their continued support.
Tim Palmer At an early age, Tim progressed through the ensembles of the Northamptonshire County Music Service, performing in percussion ensembles, orchestras, and wind and brass bands. In September 2000, he was granted a place at Birmingham Conservatoire. Since then he has performed in master classes with Arthur Lipner, Jim Chapin, Colin Currie, Nebojsa Zivkovic, David Friedman, and Ney Rosauro. Tim has had much success in competitions in and around Birmingham. He was awarded first prize of the Birmingham Conservatoire Percussion Prize. He then went on to win the Doris Newton Music Club Prize for the most outstanding instrumentalist of 2002. Tim was also a prize winner of the John Ludlow Philharmonic Concerto Competition for his performance of Joseph Schwantner's percussion concerto. For this competition he was granted permission by Schott Publications and Joseph Schwantner to commission an arrangement of the concerto for two pianos and solo percussion, which received its World Premiere on February 24th, 2003. Tim plays an active role in music around Birmingham, performing with both the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He is also involved in music education around Northamptonshire, and is employed by the Northamptonshire Performing Arts Service. In June 2004, Tim gained his Bachelor of Music degree with first class honours and was awarded the BMus prize for outstanding achievement. He has also just completed his AdvPgDip (Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Performance) with distinction at Birmingham Conservatoire, where he now holds a visiting tutor position, teaching mallet/solo percussion. In November of 2006, Tim launched a new percussion website dedicated to the research and classification of percussion music. The website now has over 1500 members and is supported by many organisations. Jason Huxtable Jason began playing percussion at sixteen, and gained a place at the Birmingham Conservatoire two years later. He graduated in 2004 with a first class honours degree in undergraduate percussion. He then went on to obtain the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma of Performance, which he passed with distinction in 2006. During his time at the Conservatoire he won many of the college's competitions including the College Percussion Prize, the Rollason Award for Outstanding Musicianship and the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize. He also participated in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition, where he reached the national semi-finals. As a freelance percussionist, Jason has played with many of Midlands' most established ensembles including the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare theatre. He likes to perform in a variety of different genres outside of the classical environment, and plays with groups that vary from heavy rock to bhangra. Band performances have included the Glastonbury Festival, Glasgow International Jazz Festival, Bloodstock heavy-metal fest, Klapedia International Jazz Festival, Geneva Carnival du Monde, and the Henley Festival of Arts. In addition to his performing commitments, Jason is a drum and percussion educator. Freelance workshop sessions compliment his regular teaching posts, which he currently holds at Coventry University, Birmingham Conservatoire, Kingshurst Technology College and Edgbaston High School for Girls. Jason is an examiner for the Rockschool instrumental examination board, and has written academic resources and examinations for the Birmingham Conservatoire BMus undergraduate degree programs. He continues his studies at the Conservatoire towards the PhD award, researching "the perception, communication and education of pulse and rhythm."
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LINKS
Maraca2 Fall 2009 US Tour Maraca2 will be touring the US from mid-September through the November PASIC in Indianapolis. Visit the M1 Calendar for details!
Blue Motion by Stephen Whibley
From the Composer... "The first English performance of my Goldrush Concerto by Maraca2 was one of the best ever, simply stunning! In Holland we would say: the roof came off! My music is very much about energy and ecstasy and search for bliss, and this was so well understood by Jason and Tim. Their musicality and virtuosity is world class." Jacob ter Veldhuis |
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Marimba One PO Box 786; Arcata, CA 95518, USA * Email percussion@marimbaone.com
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