Percussion Audition Requirements

Please choose material from the following list, or material of comparable difficulty, to best demonstrate your abilities. Potential percussion majors are encouraged to prepare audition material in all areas in which they feel comfortable (snare, keyboards, timpani, set). Because keyboard skills are important for all music majors, applicants with demonstrated keyboard percussion abilities will be given first consideration.

Please provide advance notice if you need instruments to be provided for your scheduled audition.

Suggested Audition Material

These are only suggestions- you may choose any material you wish.

All Instruments

Selection(s) from the Missouri All-State Audition List
Selection(s) from the Missouri Percussion Solo List (‘A’ level preferable)

Snare

A concert solo is preferable to a rudimental solo, although you may play both.

Concert

• Anthony Cirone - Portraits in Rhythm
• Jacques Delécluse - selection(s) from Keiskleiriana 1 or 2; 12 Studies for Snare Drum
• Colgrass - Six Unaccompanied Solos

Rudimental

• Freytag - Rudimental Cookbook (choose one)
• Freytag - Just Desserts (choose one)
• Ziggadabuzz

Other

• Basic rudiments and orchestra-style rolls at various dynamic levels
• Sight-reading in concert and/or rudimental style

Timpani

Solos/etudes- select from:

• Vic Firth - Solo Timpanist
• Saul Goodman - Modern Method for Timpani
• Raynor Carroll - Exercises, Etudes and Solos for the Timpani
• Fred Hinger - Technique for the Virtuoso Tympanist
  • Other
    • Demonstrate ability to tune four drums, preferably from a single pitch.
    • Rolls at various dynamic levels
    • Sight-reading 

Keyboard

Solos/etudes- select from:

• Two-mallet
  • Goldenberg - Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone
  • Andrew Reamer - Reamer’s Elixirs (pick two)
  • Four-mallet
    • Bart Quartier - Image (pick two)
    • Peters - Yellow After the Rain
    • Gomez - "Mbira Song," "Etude in D Minor," "Marimba Flamenca"

Other

• All major scales, minimum of two octaves, plus all major arpeggios, minimum of two octaves

Set

• Demonstration of basic styles: medium swing, up-tempo swing, rock, bossa nova, and samba. Time keeping and soloing in each style.
• Sight-reading