04/07/2026
Thrilled! Just checked the proofs of my two books! They’ll be printed by Friday!
Joel Laviolette is an Austin-based composer, instrument builder, and educator whose roots are based in Zimbabwean mbira traditions.
04/07/2026
Thrilled! Just checked the proofs of my two books! They’ll be printed by Friday!
03/21/2026
My little brother, Liko, passed away in 1995. In 2000 his spirit came to me on a stormy night in Mozambique. He taught me this song on the mbira and told me it was the song to play to remember him. I'm really honored to share this version written for prepared harp played by the amazing Dr. Mallory McHenry and Natalie Rochen. The recording was engineered by Elise Etherton at the Butler School of Music recording studio, videography by Andrew Stoltz, and mastered by Nick Landis. I'm so happy that this song for Liko is going out in to the world!
https://youtu.be/ZbjdYUFHMjI?si=0oxVy7b7rDsaBkAt
If you are a harp player, please get in touch if you interested in performing this piece, and share widely! The piece itself is quite challenging as each performer is feeling their own independent shifting time signature throughout-resulting in offset barlines between players, and no shared "one". This piece is an expression of what I call multivalent rhythmic orientation.
03/09/2026
Spent the day mixing my solo piano piece “Winter”. Coming soon! Thank you to Michael Lenahan for his wonderful performance!
12/20/2025
A beautiful dusk at Makena Landing
12/16/2025
Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉
Doreen Chinamora, Munya Ronald Agron, Evolution Toto, Obert Maphosah, Leo Zango
12/14/2025
The best medicine.
12/13/2025
I’m very much looking forward to sitting in with Marimba Komborera on this New Years Eve show! If you are in Maui, get your tickets now!
12/11/2025
Putting together video for a grant and found this fun old one from 14 years ago. When we played Blood Red by Feed Me on the marimbas. That was a good party!
Rattletree mixing Electronica and Marimbas - Blood Red by Feed Me Rattletree mixing Electronica and Marimbas - Blood Red by Feed Mehttp://www.rattletree.comCredit to the original creator: Feed Me:http://www.facebook.com/you...
12/02/2025
Landing in beautiful Maui! Aloha!
Great time in electric band rehearsal today!
11/27/2025
Happy thanksgiving! I am grateful for all the love and support that enables me to continue with this creative life!
Poster that’s hanging in our studio for the algorithm….
This is interesting…I’m working on this grant and one of the questions seems simple enough “what streaming service represents the highest percentage of your streams”….i assumed Spotify or YouTube, but nope-it’s Facebook (Instagram) by a whopping 50%!