Audition - Percussion
SELECTING AND PREPARING FOR YOUR AUDITION.
Your ensemble placement will be determined by the Percussion Ensemble Conductor.
Your audition will be assessed on:
the difficulty of the selections you choose
your rhythm
your tone quality
your musicality
Please choose from the levels below to prepare for your audition:
Level one – suggested for 6th Grade
one short snare drum piece
one mallet piece
no sight reading required
Suggested source material for solo/etude:
Snare Drum
Whaley’s Fundamentals for Snare Drum
Whaley’s Intermediate Studies for Snare Drum
Mallets
Peter’s Fundamental Method for Mallets Vol. 1/2
Fundamental Studies for Mallets
Level two – suggested for 7th-8th Grade
one short snare drum piece
one mallet piece
sight reading required on both snare drum and mallets
Bb scale 2 octaves on mallets
basic demonstration of snare drum rudiments and technique.
Suggested source material for solo/etude:
Snare Drum
Whaley’s Intermediate Studies for Snare Drum
Peter’s Intermediate Snare Drum Studies
Mallets
Peter’s Fundamental Method for Mallets Vol. 1/2
McMillan’s Masterpieces for Marimba
Level three – suggested for 9th-12th Grade
one short snare drum piece
one mallet piece
sight reading required on both snare drum and mallets
Bb scale 2 octaves on mallets
basic demonstration of snare drum rudiments and technique
timpani piece (required of all applicants who want to be considered for a principal position in either the Symphony or Repertory orchestra)
Suggested source material for solo/etude:
Snare Drum
Delecluse’s 12 Studies for Snare Drum
Cirone’s Portraits in Rhythms
Whaley’s Recital Solos for Snare Drum
Peter’s Intermediate Snare Drum Studies
Mallets
Goldberg’s Modern School for Mallets: etudes at end of the book
McMillan’s Masterpieces for Marimba
Marimba
McMillan’s Masterpieces for Marimba
Peter’s Fundamental Studies for Mallets
Timpani
Firth’s Solo Timpanist
Decluse’s 20 Studies for Timpani
Peter’s Fundamental Method for Timpani
Whaley’s Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpani
