The ensemble duo consists of artists, Payton MacDonald, who plays marimba and North Indian dhrupad vocals and Todd Hammes, who plays the tabla. The group performs North Indian marimba music pieces that are composed by Payton MacDonald. When it comes to variety, the …show more content…
Payton MacDonald is a composer, improviser, percussionist, singer and educator from Idaho Falls, Idaho. His music performances and composition are based on his experience with East India tabla drumming and dhrupad singing jazz, classical music and the American experimental tradition. Numerous bands have also performed his compositions including Alarm Will Sound, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Young Voices of Colorado and tabla soloist Shawn Matievsky. Not only has he composed music for musical performances, he has also composed music for dance companies such as the Silken Dance company. In addition, he also tours as a marimba soloist with Super Marimba, among others performing his own music using loop machines and delay pedals. Loop machines are… Delay pedals are..MacDonald has studied dhrupad vocal with the famous Gundecha brothers and made his singing debut in 2012 with Alarm Will Sound on john Cage’s “Raga music.” In 2014, he debuted internationally as a dhrupad singer in India. As amazing of an artist macDonald is, he only performs part time. His other job is teaching as associate professor of music in contemporary music, percussion, improvisation, and Hindustani music at the William Paterson