Pale Blue Dot: Concertino for marimba, strings and percussion
- Eat More Art Staff
- Dec 2, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 2, 2025
Alex Stopa has composed and recorded another original piece of music, and Eat More Art Vegas invites everyone to enjoy the incredible creativity of musical talent in Las Vegas.
Click here to view and enjoy.
MUSICIANS:
Marimba & composer - Alex Stopa
Violin – De Ann Letourneau
Violin – James Harvey
Viola – Rob Taylor
Cello – Dena Massaro
Bass – Tyler Williams
Percussion – Jeffery Crowell
Sheet Music available from Tapspace Publications
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Recording Mix Engineer – Samuel Friend
Director – Michael Tushaus
Cinematographer – Tim Harbour
VIDEO LOCATION: The Doyle, DTLV
PROGRAM NOTES:
In 1990, an incredible portrait of planet Earth was captured by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Taken from a distance of four billion miles, the photograph shows our home planet, Earth, as a tiny point of pale light, barely visible in the enormity of space. The image is at once humbling and awe-inspiring, highlighting the fleeting nature of human existence in the vastness of our universe.
Accompanying the image of this “pale blue dot” is an extraordinary quote from American astronomer Carl Sagan (available online). Some thirty years later, as civilization places ever-increasing demands on our planet, Sagan’s message of compassion and preservation resonates with an even greater urgency. — Alex Stopa
THE MUSIC:
The central musical theme is a sextuplet rhythmic motif, almost minimalist in style. It is played by various instruments, alone or accompanied, in different keys and tonalities. I aimed to create a sonic palette of sounds, colors, and textures, which I felt could depict the enormity and solitude of space.
I was especially eager to explore the fusion of percussion and strings in a classical setting. Incorporating violin, viola, cello, and bass with marimba and percussion was both musically inspiring and challenging. There is nothing in our repertoire quite like this and I had to discover creative ways to blend their unique colors and timbre, both solo and in combination.
A REFLECTION OF MUSICAL LIFE IN LAS VEGAS BY ALEX STOPA:
My musical life in Las Vegas is incredibly diverse, one night I’m performing in a concert hall, the next at a jazz club, for rock show, in musical theatre pit, or as part of a large-scale Cirque du Soleil production. My music compositions and arrangements reflect this diversity. Drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, pop, rock, world, and other eclectic styles, I’ve always strived to blur the lines between genres.
Through this project, I wanted to bring together musicians from across Las Vegas to showcase the incredible talent within our community. By featuring musicians from the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Cirque du Soleil, and Broadway, I was able to reflect the range of influences that shape my writing and celebrate the city’s rich and diverse musical landscape. And it just so happens that some of the most talented people I know are also dear friends, so bringing this music to life was a real joy!
Working with recording and mix engineer Sam was a full-circle moment. He was once a percussion student at UNLV, where we now both teach part-time. It was wonderful collaborating with him on this project.
This project is supported in part by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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