Inspired by the common grounds shared with the ethnic idiophones, the first purpose of the research is to transcribe and arrange ethnic idiophone music to the modern marimba.
Besides, the instrument has a doubtful origin, due to the builder's design concepts are undisclosed. It is still under debate that either the African, Mexican and Indonesian idiophone is the ancestor of the first prototype. But what if the builder was inspired by all of these idiophones, giving the modern instrument a multi-cultural identity? We shouldn't neglect the frequent regional musical exchanges between musicians and amateurs.
Therefore, the transcriptions and arrangements and the investigation of the first instrument are two trajectories to conceptualize the multi-cultural identity found in the modern marimba.
A ‘Re-Communion’ of the Modern Marimba with Ethnic Idiophone Music—through transcribing and arranging ethnic idiophone music to the modern marimba and revealing the design secrets of its first prototype in 1918; hence a realization of the multi-cultural identity of the modern instrument.