This is the second piece I've composed for marimbist Brenton Dunnington. He asked for a flashy encore piece that called for piano and marimba. I chose to use Joplin as the subject of the work as so much mallet repertoire is derived from ragtime. Plus, many pianists who play Joplin's music seemed obsessed with using at a showcase for their prowess and technique.
What is scurrilously called ragtime is an invention that is here to stay. That is now conceded by all classes of musicians. That all publications masquerading under the name of ragtime are not the genuine article will be better known when these exercises are studied. That real ragtime of the higher class is rather difficult to play is a painful truth which most pianists have discovered. – Scott Joplin, “School of Ragtime”
fet•ish – any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence or devotion
