Auditions | College of Music | University of Colorado Boulder

Percussion Audition Information

Audition Requirements

Auditionees are expected to provide their own music, sticks, and mallets. Instruments are provided. Sight reading will be asked on snare drum and marimba.

Snare Drum - REQUIRED*  It has four components: rudiments, a rudimental solo, a concert etude and the concert roll

1. You must play at least 5 rudiments in a slow-fast-slow fashion.    Start at a very slow tempo, then accelerate the rudiment to your fastest speed, hold it for five seconds and then decelerate. Each rudiment lasts for 30 seconds.  Please play at least one paradiddle-type, one flam-type and one roll-type rudiment.  Smoothness and accents are important.
2. A Rudimental solo from The All-American Drummer or Modern Rudimental Swing Solos by C.H. Wilcoxon or similar solos by John Pratt, Mitch Markovitch, Edward Freytag, Joseph Tompkins, Jay Wanamaker, Alan Keown, etc.
3. A Concert snare drum etude, including multiple-bounce rolls & dynamic control.  Choose one from the Jacques Delecluse Etudes pour Caisse Claire or the Anthony  Cirone Portraits in Rhythm or the Mitchell Peters snare drum books, etc.
4. Demonstrate a concert (multiple bounce) roll--start softly, crescendo to forte, then decrescendo to a soft, smooth roll. 

Mallets - REQUIRED*  Marimba and/or vibraphone is fine

1. Play one octave major scales through four flats or sharps. Knowledge of minor scales and basic chords is encouraged. 
2. Play marimba or vibraphone solo(s) of at least three minutes in length which demonstrate your expressive musicianship. 

Ask your teacher for help choosing solos. Consider works by Mitchell Peters, Bill Molenhof, J.S. Bach, Earl Hatch, G. F Handel, G. H. Green, Claude Bolling, Bart Quartier, Noguchi, Dale Anderson or David Friedman.   Steve Weiss music in Pennsylvania has these and other good mallet works.

Either two or four mallet pieces are fine--or both!  We are looking first for your intelligent musical expression. Accompanied or unaccompanied works are also fine.   We will provide a piano accompanist if you ask well beforehand.

Timpani - You must match pitch but the etude is optional

1. Demonstrate ability to match pitch (by singing) and tune a drum correctly.
2. Play a two-drum etude from the Goodman, Delecluse or Peters timpani methods (or similar material).

You may play a three or four drum etude if you have timpani experience.   Please "lift" the tone out of the drums.

Drum Set (Optional)

1. Demonstrate knowledge of styles & tempi (swing, samba, bossa-nova, rock, funk, jazz waltz, church, shuffle, etc.). 
2. In a medium swing style, "trade fours with yourself" (also Optional: A short written-out or transcribed solo.) 

Jazz Vibes (Optional)

1. Demonstrate knowledge of basic jazz scales and 7th chords 
2. Improvise on the blues and other jazz tunes you know.

Hand Drums (Optional)

1. Demonstrate patterns and fills on drums you know – congas, bongos, pandero, timbales, etc. 

Orchestral excerpts (Optional)   

1. If you have studied excerpts on snare drum, timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel, tambourine, bass drum or cymbals, and can play them well, we would be glad to hear them. 

Note: All Auditionees are required to audition on Snare Drum & Mallets, and match pitches by singing.

We do not expect you to be an expert on the MANY instruments but you must demonstrate a strong musical background on both snare drum and mallets.  

However, the more optional instruments you play well, the higher we will rank you.  We want to hear what you do well on any percussion instrument. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail us.

Updated on 08/22/2018