Etude for a Quiet Hall was one of Christopher Deane’s first compositions for the marimba. Chris was 19 years old when he wrote this work in 1982 while studying at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Etude for a Quiet Hall won first place in the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest that same year.

This solo requires the player to achieve great independence between the mallets. Throughout the piece, the marimbist plays a long roll on one note with the inner 2 mallets, while the outer mallets play the melody and embellishments. This is a great work for solo marimba that should be studied by all intermediate to advanced players. Also, a great recital or jury piece!