Auditions | College of Music | University of Colorado Boulder

Percussion Audition Information

Pre-Screening Recording

A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate percussion applicants. Recordings will not be reviewed until the online application and supporting materials have been received. Live auditions will be scheduled for applicants chosen from the pre-screening recordings.

MM Required Repertoire

1. 4-8 minutes of music by J. S. Bach on marimba or vibraphone
2. A Jacques Delécluse étude for snare drum
3. Either 4 orchestra excerpts (percussion and/or timpani) or 4-8 minutes of jazz vibraphone or drum set

A cumulative 3.0 GPA in undergraduate work is required for Merit Based Aid consideration for MM Percussion applicants

DMA Required Repertoire

1. 4-8 minutes of music by J. S. Bach on marimba or vibraphone
2. 4-8 minutes of a contemporary work for marimba or vibraphone
3. A Jacques Delécluse étude and a rudimental solo for snare drum
4. 4-8 minutes of jazz vibraphone or drum set
5. Either 6 orchestra excerpts (percussion and timpani) OR a demonstration of Afro-Cuban, Brazilian or African, etc. hand drumming           

A cumulative 3.4 GPA in all previous college courses is required for Merit Based Aid consideration for DMA percussion applicants

Live Auditions

Students invited to the in-person auditions will be notified of their acceptance to the auditions on or before Jan. 15. Auditions are held in 30-minute time slots, accommodating time for the formal audition, a follow-up interview and a mini-lesson. 

Because the audition time is short, you should prepare your selections extremely well, rather than prepare a complete recital program. Memorization is encouraged, but auditions include sight-reading.

We want to see how musically and confidently you can play. The live auditions do not have specific repertoire requirements. Please play snare drum, mallets (mar. vibes, and/or xylo.) and more. Show us your best performance of music to your taste. You may play drum set, jazz improv., orchestral excerpts, multi-perc. set-ups, timpani, hand drums, and jazz or classical transcriptions, etc.  

Recorded Auditions

Live auditions are strongly preferred. A high quality DVD recording may be substituted if travel distance/cost is prohibitive. Please announce at the beginning of the recording your name and repertoire selections. Please see the Recorded Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.      

A live audition is required to qualify for Merit Based Aid.

Requirements for a recorded audition are identical to a live audition. Editing within a movement is prohibited. Any indication of editing may disqualify the candidate from admission. The recording must be in a digital format with high quality audio. Please note that while recorded auditions will be given full consideration, the best demonstration of your musical ability is through a live audition.

​

Updated on 08/23/2018