The bars of the marimba are traditionally made from Honduran rosewood, a rare and expensive resource. Credit: Amartya Bhattacharya The pleasant, earthy sound of a marimba is a key component in the modern orchestra, but their high prices, ranging from $1,000 to over $25,000, sometimes make them cost-prohibitive for schools and students. "To me, the marimba's beauty lies in its place as the most expressive of all the mallet instruments," said Amartya Bhattacharya, a student at Northeastern University. "Its high ranges have the articulation and pointed sound of the xylophone, while the low ends of the instruments reach beautiful, deep bass tones unrivaled by any other mallet percussion instruments." Bhattacharya grew up surrounded by music, and because he loves the marimba, he was motivated to find ways to make the instrument more accessible to all so more could have the same opportunity.…