Percussion Studies Audition Guide

Undergraduate - Classical | Graduate - Classical | Undergraduate - Jazz | Graduate - Jazz

UNDERGRADUATE - CLASSICAL PERCUSSION

BM Percussion Performance or BE Music Education

YOU MUST PREPARE AREA 1 & 2, THEN SELECT FROM AREA 3, 4 or 5 (you may choose one or more)

AREA 1 - SNARE DRUM

1. A concert-style etude or solo (Cirone/ Delecluse/ Peters, etc.) that demonstrates your highest level of musicianship. Solo or etude should include orchestral ornaments (flams/ ruffs) in a closed style as well as concert buzz rolls at a variety of dynamics.
2. A rudimental solo (Pratt/ Wilcoxon/ Freytag, etc.) that demonstrates you highest level of achievement in the areas of accent-tap patterns, paradiddle rudiments, flam rudiments and open rolls.
3. Orchestral Excerpts** Select Any (2) from this following list:
  1. Rimsky-Korsakov – Cappriccio Espangol (Mvt 3-Alborada)
  2. W. Schuman – Symphony no. 3 (2 before 145 – 165)
4. SIGHT READING

**optional

AREA 2 - MALLETS

1. Demonstrate knowledge of all 12 major/ natural minor scales and arpeggios
2. A mallet solo or etude that demonstrates your highest level of musicianship.
3. A ragtime xylophone solo** (Green/ Breuer, etc.) OR the following xylophone orchestral excerpts**
  1. Gershwin – Porgy and Bess (opening passage)
  2. Kodaly – Hary Janos Suite: Mvt. VI (7-8)
  3. Stravinsky – Firebird (1910) (T- U)
4. SIGHT READING

**optional

AREA 3 - TIMPANI

1. Please be prepared to tune selected pitches on various drums
2. A timpani solo or etude that demonstrates your highest level of musicianship. Solo or etude should demonstrate basic legato tone production, drum-to-drum movement, and rolls. (Carter – March or Improvisation/ Firth/ Hochreiner/Lepak/Goodman/Peters etudes or solos, etc.)
3. Orchestral Excerpts**
4. Select any two excerpts of your choice

**optional

AREA 4 - MULTIPLE PERCUSSION

Prepare a short solo piece or a movement from a longer work that demonstrates your highest level of musicianship in this area.

AREA 5 – DRUMSET (classical audition)

Demonstrate time-playing in a variety of styles and /or a prepared solo.

GRADUATE – CLASSICAL

MM Percussion Performance

Prepare recital literature from the solo repertoire and selected excerpts from the orchestral repertoire which demonstrate your highest level of achievement in the areas of: 2 and 4-mallet playing, concert and rudimental snare drum, timpani, and multiple percussion or drum set. If you have additional skills in other areas (hand drums/ world percussion) you are encouraged to demonstrate those as well.

UNDERGRADUATE – JAZZ STUDIES

BM Jazz Studies or BE Music Education (with Jazz emphasis) major

PLEASE SELECT FROM A or B (or both) DEPENDING ON YOUR CHOICE OF CONCENTRATION

DRUMSET

1. Demonstrate time-playing (and soloing) in as many of the following styles as possible. When preparing, choose only those which illustrate your highest level of musicianship
  1. Rock
  2. Funk (straight 16ths)
  3. Swung 16ths pocket groove - Funk/ Hip-hop
  4. Bossa Nova
  5. Samba
  6. Medium Swing (w/ brushes also, if possible)
  7. ¾Swing
  8. Up-Tempo Swing (q=280+)
  9. Songo
  10. Mambo
  11. 12/8 Afro-Cuban
2. Please prepare a short SD solo or etude - rudimental or concert** (Cirone/ Delecluse/ Peters/Pratt/Wilcoxon/Freytag, etc)
3. SIGHT READING (rhythmic reading and drum chart reading)

**optional (but encouraged)

VIBRAPHONE

1. Demonstrate knowledge of all 12 major/ natural minor scales and arpeggios (2 octaves)
2. Prepare 2 contrasting tunes (one swing, one Latin) selected from the standard jazz repertoire that demonstrate your highest level of musical achievement. Be prepared to play the melody, comp chords, and improvise over both of your selections. Please provide enough copies of your selections for a 4-piece rhythm section.
3. Prepare a ballad selected from the standard jazz repertoire arranged for solo vibraphone. **
4. SIGHTREADING

**optional (but encouraged)

GRADUATE – JAZZ STUDIES

MM Performance - Jazz Studies TBA

Department of Music