Beatin' Path Publications, LLC
302 East College Street
Bridgewater, VA 22812
540-478-4833
fax: 540-828-6903

beatinpath@mac.com

Jon Madin is a trained classroom music teacher with a background in a wide variety of music-making. His experience includes playing in folk/rock bands, multi cultural bands, an orchestra and early music consorts. He also leads family music workshops and bush dances.

He has also worked extensively in musical instrument design — marimbas in particular, as well as many other experimental musical instruments.

Jon has worked with marimbas in all states of Australia as well as in Japan, Indonesia, Austria, USA, Germany, New Zealand, Hong Kong and East Timor.
Recent work includes writing an extended piece for community musicians playing marimbas, percussion and found objects together with an orchestra. The project was organized by the Arts Concert of Wangaratta, Victoria.

Jon also worked on a music installation and performance that was set in the Bundaleer forest in South Australia.

A typical international visit includes making a number of marimbas for the school or organization in the lead up to a conference. The marimbas remain with the school. Jon also teaches playing styles on the marimbas and associated instruments. In workshops he demonstrates the making of a variety of other "wacky instruments."

(editor's note: Jon presented a workshop with Christoph Maubach at the Seattle AOSA conference in 1997 that was my first contact with his work with marimbas and wacky instruments. His presentation inspired the work of many music teachers around the country and has caused a boomlet in the construction of homemade marimbas. I have made 16 Madin-style Aussie marimbas since then, many of them for my home school district but several more around the state of Virginia. In 2008, Jon again led several sessions for the national AOSA conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had the pleasure of helping him during those sessions and had the distinct pleasure of working with Jon in Australia at the Marimba Camp in Healsville, Victoria during the summer (their winter) of 2010. Beatin' Path Publications is delighted to be able to bring his music to the USA for distribution. All of these volumes will inspire you and your students with fun and learning. - Brent Holl, ed.)

Available May 14!

Marimba Music 1 (Book/CD) ($34.95)

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Listen to Grace and Favour

Marimba Music 1 is a collection of easy pieces for diatonic marimbas, xylophones and other instruments. Each piece has simple and more challenging parts. All pieces have been extensively classroom tested and are suitable for children aged 8 to adults.

Example - Grace and Favour. This piece is easy to teach aurally as it is based on 5 note scale passages and a simple descending bass line.

Available NOW!

Marimba Songs (Book/2 CDs)($44.95)

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Listen to The Crocadile Opera

Marimba Songs is a collection of songs for children with easy arrangements for marimbas and xylophones. It is designed mainly for middle and upper primary school children.

Example - The Crocodile Opera: Is from Marimba Songs.

Available May 14!

Marimba Music for Little Kids (Book/CD) ($34.95)

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Listen to I Wanna CCC

Marimba Music for Little Kids is a collection of songs and pieces of music for diatonic marimbas, xylophones and other instruments. These songs are suitable for children ages 5-10 (some can easily be adapted for older children too). The songs for the youngest children have actions and only a few notes to find.

I Wanna CCC. This is an example of a joining in, listen well and have fun piece of music. The instructions for what to play are in the song.

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Make Your Own Marimbas ($29.95)

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Make Your Own Marimbas contains illustrated instructions for making your own marimbas. It includes instructions for these instruments: Box-resonated diatonic marimba for 3 players; Pipe-resonated diatonic marimba for 3 players; Bass marimba for 2 players; Minimarimba.

Call or email for School Discounts

Available NOW!

Make Your Own Wacky Instruments ($34.95)

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Make Your Own Wacky Instruments is a book of illustrated instructions for making musical instruments for schools, parades and just for fun. About 50 instruments are described in detail, ranging from the very popular 'rubber glove bassoons' and easily constructed 'parade J-pipes' to the more technical 'bass multiboing' and 'dingbox'.