Jon Madin, international teacher and inventor of musical instruments, presents songs and activities for homemade marimbas and all sorts of wacky instruments. Each activity has excellent lesson plan suggestions. Perfect for elementary music classes.

If you live outside Canada or the United States  and would like to order a physical book, please go to Jon's website.  


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Classics Simplified by Jon Madin and Heather McGlaughlin
Classics Simplified

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Playing these pieces on homemade marimbas or Orff xylophones is a perfect way to introduce children to the classics. These paraphrases of popular classics include: A Little Night Music, Blue Danube Waltz, Brahms Lullaby, Can Can, and many more. 

Full performance audio tracks in MP3 format performed by Jon, Heather and friends on his own ensemble are included. Played on homemade marimbas, recorders, and other instruments, these tracks are great fun to listen to and a great motivator for kids. Also included are full page print-ready scores for every piece.

Make Your Own Marimbas by Jon Madin
Make Your Own Marimbas

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Marimba Making FAQ 

 

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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.

Making a marimba in class with your students is a perfect way to teach sounds, vibration, and resonance. Children love making and playing instruments and with Jon's expert help, you can easily organize a marimba build at your school.

Be sure to check out Jon's Marimba making FAQ page!

Make Your Own Wacky Instruments by Jon Madin
Make Your Own Wacky Instruments

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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'.
Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin
Marimba Music for Little Kids

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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. The book includes studio recorded full performance versions of each song.
Marimba Songs by Jon Madin
Marimba Songs

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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. 

 With song titles like The Crocodile Opera and My Horse, BADGE you already know that all 21 songs in this great book by Jon will energize and delight your music students. The book includes studio recorded full performance versions of each song as well as Accompaniment only tracks.

Marimba Music 1 by Jon Madin
Marimba Music 1

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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. 

Each song has been professionally recorded as performed by Jon and friends. These recordings are included as Music Downloads.

Marimba Music 2 by Jon Madin
Marimba Music 2

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Marimba Music 2 includes many of the pieces Jon Madin has developed for use in schools in recent years. These pieces are designed to be easy to teach and to be sufficiently catchy and vibrant to keep kids interested. They are the perfect ensemble pieces for your upper elementary and middle school Orff classes. 

Each song has been professionally recorded as performed by Jon and friends. These recordings are included as Music Downloads.

About Jon

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

(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 64 Madin-style marimbas since then, many of them for my home school district but several more around the state of Virginia and as far away as New Mexico. 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.)