There is a magnificent tree deep in the rainforest that drips sparkling water for several days after every rainfall. Each of the tree’s tiny leaves glisten as the drop slides along the waxy surface.

Using the melodies of his marimba, visiting young concert artist Makoto Nakura painted that picture at Iowa State during a free concert Thursday in Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall of the Music Hall.

The concert was the premier performance in the series of outreach events sponsored by Iowa State Center’s Martha-Ellen Tye Performing Arts Institute.

The performance concluded Nakura’s five-day residency, which included involvement with over 350 Story County students and community members.

Nakura first fell in love with the sound of the marimba when he played the recorder in his school band as an 8 year-old.

The young and talented native of Kobe, Japan, studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he honed his musical abilities.

“[Royal Academy of Music] treated me like a musician, not like a student,” Nakura remembered.

The marimba originated in Guatemala and is often compared to the xylophone. It’s a giant instrument that provides more than just the sound component of a concert.

In Ames, Nakura performed four solo works, ranging from Bach to contemporary composers Jason Eckardt and Kevin Putz.

“It’s not like a piano recital. It is very visual as well,” Nakura said.

Two works, Takemitsu’s “Rain Tree” and Miki’s “Marimba Spiritual,” included Barry Larkin, director of percussion activities and three select ISU music students.

“The only two pieces he suggested were some of my favorites,” Larkin said.

He added that marimbists and percussionists have only started to emerge in the last quarter century.

“The marimba is to percussion as the grand piano is to a pianist,” Larkin noted.

Larkin was also responsible for choosing Iowa State musicians to join Nakura’s ensemble.

“I picked the people individually for each piece, based on their individual strengths and abilities,” he said.

The students agree that performing on the same stage as someone as established as Nakura is a wonderful experience.

Matt Good, senior in music and computer science from Ogden played on “Marimba Spiritual.”

“It’s always fun to play with someone that good,” Good said. “It tells you how much you need to work in order to bring the best out of your abilities.”

Good said the music has an Asian flavor and the concert was unique because percussion ensembles are not something you see very often.

Rachel Hollrah, freshman in music and civil engineering from Denison will perform on “Rain Tree.”

“It’s an excellent chance to hear music that we’re not accustomed to,” Hollrah said. “I was able to play music from a different genre than I had before — it’s a lot more modern.”