Max Hiske鈥檚 abilities on the marimba earned him acclaim during the Estevan and District Music Festival earlier this year.
It helped him win the Murray GM Award for Outstanding Performance in Multiple Disciplines, and it punched his ticket to the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association鈥檚 provincial finals.
Now it鈥檚 the provincial music festival recognizing his talents on the percussive instrument.
Hiske took top spot in the intermediate percussion division at the provincial finals held from June 2 to 4 in Saskatoon.
鈥淭he judges said my technique is pretty good, and I had balanced mallets,鈥� said Hiske. 鈥淭hey said my voicing was really good with the marimba, that each note was good. My louds and softs were good and my rolls on the marimba were good.鈥�
There were five people in his division at provincials. The level of competition was really tough, which he expected. Hiske was the only one who wasn鈥檛 in Grade 12, and he was competing at provincials for the first time.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going there expecting to win,鈥� said Hiske. 鈥淚 wanted to see what the experience was like to be at provincials, and I guess it turned out pretty well.鈥�
Hiske had been to provincials a couple of years ago when his sister Morgan Jones was entered in the piano division, and he believes the experience was beneficial.
鈥淭hey have tonnes and tonnes of different classes,鈥� said Hiske. 鈥淭he biggest thing there is piano. They have a gazillion different classes there. They also have vocal classes, guitar, brass and musical theatre, too.鈥�
He said he was able to take the feedback he received at the local music festival in April and use that at provincials. He noted Dr. Aaron Wilson from Brandon University helped out with the feedback he provided.
The marimba is a large, wooden instrument similar to a xylophone. It has wooden keys that Hiske strikes with a mallet. He noted there are also similarities is design to a keyboard.
A Grade 10 student at Estevan Comprehensive School, Hiske played the instrument for the first time last year. He knew school had a marimba and he never played it before, so he thought he would try it out.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 cool to start a new instrument,鈥� said Hiske. 鈥淚 played piano before, and it鈥檚 kind of related to that, but it鈥檚 easier.鈥�
It鈥檚 a rare instrument, too, as he was the only one playing the instrument in his division at provincials.
Hiske expects he will continue to play the marimba for some time. He plays other percussive instruments as well, and he wonders if maybe he鈥檒l switch to a different instrument for next year. He also remains passionate about the piano and the guitar.
Several other local youths were at provincials. Abbie Brokenshire and Levi Stepp were entered in musical theatre, and Hunter Ruel was in band for the clarinet.
