Book Description

Marilynn Mair has enjoyed a long career as a world-renowned mandolinist, esteemed for over a thousand concert performances, more than two dozen recordings and 4 previous Mel Bay books, including the first two volumes of her series, The Complete Mandolinist. In Volume 3, Marilynn steps forward as a composer, presenting over 60 of her own pieces - nearly half written during the pandemic lockdown of 2020-2021 when live music was forced off stage. Creativity didn’t take a break for Marilynn, though, and soon compositions began to sprout from those quiet days: works for solo and duo mandolin, mandolin-guitar duets, and pieces for plucked string ensembles. They fill the pages of this book with fresh ideas, playful melodies, quirky harmonies, and romantic visions. There are scores and parts for her Fantasia, Nocturnes, Études, Choro, and Ensembles, most of the music published here for the first time. Besides sheet music, the book also includes downloads of over an hour-and-a-half of Marilynn’s performances of the music, brand-new recordings of her recent works, some pieces from her earlier CDs, and a few recordings previously made but never released. This book opens the door to a new musical vision, from a musician who has already proven herself a masterful interpreter of classical and Brazilian repertoire. In her own words, “I had friends and students in mind as I wrote, creating pieces to pass on my unique perspective on what makes classical mandolin cool.” Dive in and see what treasures you may find. Includes access to online audio.