Requirements for Undergraduate Admission into Percussion Studies and Scholarship Consideration: A personal audition with the percussion faculty or an audio/video recording is required to determine the student’s ability and acceptance into the studio. A student should be able to demonstrate proficiency in at least two of the following four main areas of percussion performance for entrance into the Percussion Studio and in at least three of the areas to be considered for scholarship. Scholarships in the Percussion Studio are based on ability and future potential.

1. SNARE DRUM
   • Concert-style: A published concert-style solo or etude from Anthony Cirone’s Portraits in Rhythm, Jacques Delecluse’s Twelve Etudes for Snare Drum (Douze Etudes pour Caisse-Claire), Vic Firth’s The Solo Snare Drummer, or equivalent. Select material that best represents your musical and technical development such as control of rhythm, dynamics, expression, rolls, ornaments, and touch.
   • Rudimental-style: A published rudimental-style solo or etude from Charles Wilcoxon’s The All American Drummer, John Pratt’s Fourteen Rudimental Contest Solos, Edward Freytag’s Rudimental Cookbook, Scott Johnson’s Progression, or equivalent. Select material that best represents your musical and technical development such as control of a wide variety and style of rudiments and rolls, control of dynamics, physical dexterity, expression, accuracy of rhythm, and touch.
2. KEYBOARD PERCUSSION (Marimba, Vibraphone, Xylophone)
   • Two Mallets: A published two-mallet solo or etude from Morris Goldenberg’s Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone, Garwood Waley’s Recital Pieces for Mallets, Thomas McMillan’s Fundamental Studies for Mallets or equivalent. Select material that best represents your musical and technical development such as control of rhythm, dynamics, expression, rolls, tone quality, and touch.
   • Four Mallets: A published four-mallet solo or etude from James Moyer’s Four-Mallet Method for Marimba, Bart Quartier’s Image, Nancy Zeltsman’s Four Mallet Marimba Playing, Mark Ford’s Marimba:Technique Through Music, or equivalent. Select material that best represents your musical and technical development such as control of rhythm, dynamics, expression, rolls, tone quality, and touch.
3. TIMPANI
   • A published solo or etude from Saul Goodman’s Modern Method for Timpani, Garwood Whaley’s Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpanist, Mitchell Peters’ Fundamental Method for Timpani, or equivalent. Select material that best represents your musical and technical development such as control of rhythm, dynamics, expression, rolls, tuning skills, tone quality, and touch.
4. DRUM SET
   • A published solo or a demonstation of musical styles including jazz, rock, and contemporary world-music styles (Afro-Cuban, Braziian, etc.) This demonstration should include the ability to play time, improvising fills and solos, and chart reading.

Requirements for Graduate Admission into Percussion Studies: Graduate students must audition to be accepted into the Percussion Studio. Audition repertoire is left to the discretion of the student, but should demonstrate the student’s musical and technical development. Repertoire may include solo literature, chamber literature, orchestral excerpts, or advanced etudes. Graduate students must perform on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani. If the student has the appropriate skills, performance on drum set, hand drums, ethnic instruments, and percussion accessories is highly encouraged. If you have any questions concerning graduate-level audition repertoire, please contact Dr. Morris Palter, Director of Percussion Studies at mspalter@email.arizona.edu

Auditions are required of all undergraduate percussionists who are enrolled, or are wishing to enroll in applied lessons. As required by the School of Music, all students enrolled in private lessons must perform in one of the large conducted ensembles. To be clear: Unless you are excused by the Director of the School of Music, you will be playing in a large ensemble if you are enrolled in lessons. This means that you MUST take this audition. Further to this, you MUST perform in a large ensemble in the area of the degree you are seeking (i.e. jazz majors must play in one of the two jazz large ensembles, non-jazz majors must perform in one of the orchestral/wind band large ensembles. Please contact Dr. Morris Palter at mspalter@email.arizona.edu with any questions or concerns. 

The audition will help determine personnel best qualified for these ensembles as well as give all auditionees the experience of preparing and taking a professional audition. The audition will consist of only the prepared orchestral excerpts as specified in the audition list and highlighted.

If you are a new student, or have not formally studied excerpts, you will need to prepare yourself as best you can on the excerpts. Apply your own good musical sense about rhythm and technique, get a score and study the excerpts for musical context, and listen to several recordings for style, tempo and phrasing. Do your best for your ability and experience.

Auditions will be held Saturday, August 24th, 2019 starting at 9:00 a.m. in room 170 with Dr. Palter and the Graduate TA’s. Auditions will be screened. All instruments will be provided at the audition site. Players may bring their own instruments if preferred but must be set up before their playing time. (Room 170 is reserved for percussionists starting at 8:00 a.m. on August 24th.) Persons auditioning found to be less than prepared will be dismissed from the audition.

Individuals will be ranked in order of playing ability. Individuals will be allowed to pick the large ensemble they would like to perform, going in order of audition placement/rank. IMPORTANT NOTE – there is no guarantee you will be awarded your top choice. This may be due a number of reasons including too many/too little percussionists in any one ensemble, or non-music related class conflicts. That said, every attempt will be made to place you in your ensemble of choice. Please review the hours that these ensembles meet in order to avoid class conflicts.

A PDF file of all the required audition excerpts can be found here. Download Large Ensemble Audition Material PDF

AUDITION HINTS

Find some good recordings (i.e., major orchestras, well known conductors, great percussionists), listen to as many recordings of the same excerpt as possible for the phrasing, tempo, style, texture (blend or soloistic), musical context, etc. Make study files/CDs and play alongs and practice with them. Online music sites such as Spotify and even YouTube can be great sources of recordings.

Get a score for the excerpt and study the musical context of the part in relation to the full ensemble (i.e., nature of the passage, phrasing, balance – is the part solo or accompaniment, how can you best enhance the music?)

Master the “mechanics” of the ink – rhythm, notes, dynamics, technical issues, etc. with a metronome. Decide on stickings or specialized performing techniques for the best phrasing and accuracy. Then “go beyond the ink” and make music with a beautiful sound and musical phrasing played with finesse and a refined touch.

Consider instrument selection, tuning (heads/snares), sticks, etc. (Summer is a good time to buy tambourines and triangles…!)