PIPERvibe

Unique World-class performance and an interesting presentation you can't get anywhere else.

John Mark Piper is an internationally known vibraphonist living in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Piper is best known for his accomplishments as a solo vibraphonist, his design of the patented state-of-the-art Musser/Piper Vibraphone and critically acclaimed solo and ensemble original vibraphone music, recordings and educational magazine articles. Piper is also author/composer of “The Shapes and Patterns of Music” – Volume I and II and “The Shapes and Patterns of Rhythm”. Piper has authored numerous articles and essays for the Percussive Arts Society and The Instrumentalist magazines. Piper has performed and conducted master classes, clinics and performed internationally at most of the top universities under the sponsorship of Musser/Ludwig, Mike Balter Mallets, AKG Microphones and Steve Weiss Music.

Depending on my audience and type of venue, I have many options to draw upon to offer a very interesting presentation. Since I am a designer and own three world patents for the instruments I've built, my audiences often find it interesting to delve into the science of resonators, music and the overall instrument - the vibraphone. I can touch on my experiences as rescue paramedic and firefighter from Antarctica to the Metroplex. These topics often take shape spontaneously and segue from other topics that have to do with dedication of an artist and how I find the inspiration and time to write and practice - tenacity of the individual artist. I also like to bring up someone from the audience and teach them how to play a simple blues on the vibraphone. This is very entertaining for and my audiences love it. I have a piece I play called the Dolphin Dance that I begin with a reading of text I've written that sets the stage for a very surreal musical adventure of the dolphin's day with echoes, deep sea to surface dives that offers a score for the individual audience member's imagination.