During the fall of 2011 while on sabbatical from my teaching at MNU I spent five weeks in Veracruz, Mexico. I stayed at the Language Immersion School located directly across the street from the ocean. In addition to studying Spanish I had multiple opportunities to experience the traditional music of the region. Each night in the zócalo (town square) there was live music: marimba, norteño, mariachi, jarocho, danzón, and guitar trio.

I was also able to observe jarana classes and study zapateado dance–the traditional dance of Veracruz. Through the language school I visited several instrument-making workshops. Because of a relationship between the owners of the language school and the Nandayapa family of Chiapas, Mexico, I was able to purchase a five-octave tenor marimba for my own personal enjoyment and for use with the MNU marimba ensemble. The Nandayapa family is considered the #1 family of Mexican marimba and their instruments are considered to be the best. My marimba is pictured below.

Based partially upon this design I made a four-octave marimba with buzzing resonators to use with my university marimba ensemble. The bars are made of padauk, the frame is red oak, and the resonators are PVC pipe. Padauk bars sound brighter than rosewood, but are darker than hormigo, the traditional wood used in Latin America.

The fall of 2014 I made a 4.3 octave marimba with hormigo bars and wooden resonators.