Waters-Shhh...Don't Wake the Baby (SP)-M/DS/P

Shhh...Don't Wake the Baby by Sarah Waters is a duo for drum set and marimba, in which the marimbist and drum set player have playful conversations. The composition ends with a nerve-racking, tension-building moment with the drummer improvising around the marimba's accented pattern.

Number of players: 2
Difficulty: Intermediate

Instrumentation
Player 1: Marimba (4.3 octave), temple blocks
Player 2: Drum Set

Program Notes
Shhh...Don't Wake the Baby is a piece for percussion duo and was inspired by the composer's experiences in trying to get their children to sleep. The composition depicts the parents' efforts to keep quiet while still trying to have a meaningful conversation at the end of the day. In the composition, the marimbist and drum set player have playful conversations, each taking a turn shushing the other. The composition ends with a nerve-racking, tension building moment when the baby is finally asleep and the parents can sneak away to celebrate.

While the piece is highly programmatic, the music can stand on its own as a way to feature a marimbist and drum set player in a duo with room for the drummer to improvise.