Welcome to Turner Marimbas. On the next few pages, you will find marimbas that are perfect for the Orff and elementary music classroom. I also build marimbas for music therapists and community marimba ensembles.
August 2023
FYI, AS most of you know I am working towards retirement, but having a hard time saying no to those asking me to build for them. I do have a few in the works. I still don’t know at what point I will stop building.
In the meantime, shoot me an email if you’re interested.
Also, I currently have a beautiful 2 octave Baritone that I built this last Spring that is just waiting for a home. Usually, I’m backed up for several months, but if you’re interested, all I need to do is box this one up and ship it off. You could have it in your classroom in a couple of weeks!
March 2022
FYI, it has been 3 years since I did anything with my website. Covid really slowed things down! Plus, after building 30 marimbas for Snoqualmie, I was ready for a break!
I have recently stared getting inquiries and marimba orders. I have been taking orders, but looking seriously at retiring. I actually retired from teaching last May, after 38 years in the classroom, and it has been wonderful! I have been telling clients that I am going to get out of the marimba building business. However, as I begin getting orders, I hate to just let the business die, so if you’re interested, I am willing. I am hoping to bring on board one or two others to help me build, so I am not in the shop full time. Feel free to contact me if interested in ordering.
August 2019
It’s been awhile since I posted on my website. I’ve been busier than busy building marimbas. About 10 months ago I got a request for a huge order for a school district. 29 marimbas! This is by far the largest order I have ever received. Thank you to Snoqualmie School District for having faith in me. I told them that I thought I could have them done in a year or year and a half. I recruited some help and we got ‘er done in just under 10 months! Below are a couple of pictures.
Here we are in my shop with 29 marimbas; 5 basses, 5 baris, 3 3.5 octaves, 9 sopranos w/wheels and 7 minis. This was taken before I went through and did a final cleaning and tuning, so some of the bars look a little dirty, from sitting in a dusty shop!
Now that this project is finished, I have 3 to build that will go to Manhatten. If you are interested, I have room in my schedule to build. In the past 3 years, there has not been a moment when I didn’t have at least one marimba to build, so actually, it is nice at the moment to not be rushed.
Shoot me an email if you’re interested. Also, I can give you advice on how to build your own. If you like to work with wood and have access to some tools and a shop, this just might be for you.
May 2018
Here is a video of DC Sticks and Bars performing on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in May of 2018. Premila Mistry is their director and does an amazing job as you can see from this video. She is truly an amazing teacher and has an awesome group of kids.
Most of the marimbas you see here are from Turner Marimbas. I know I’m biased, but I think they sound pretty good.
November 2017
Exciting news! This past summer we were able to build a new workshop. It is just a few yards from my home, making it easier to build. Along with a new shop, I was able to add a few new tools that make the building process faster. Here are a few pictures.
Below you can see some of the marimbas I have built, or that I am currently working on.
Since I started using marimbas in my own classroom, my students can’t wait to get to music. Although I plan on building more for my room, this is a great start. The bass and baritone really fill out the ensemble. We are currently working on pieces that include vocals. I have anywhere from 20-30 students per class, so we trade off on accompanying on the marimbas and singing. Everybody gets a chance to play and sing.
Use the menus above to look at the different models and prices. If you have questions, you can email me at turnermarimbas@gmail.com, or my cell # is 208-219-2587. Since I teach during the day, you might need to leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks for looking.