Percussion/Drumset Repertoire
Please prepare a single etude, excerpt, or solo on the following three instruments: snare drum, a mallet keyboard instrument (marimba, vibes, or xylophone), and timpani.
You are encouraged to prepare additional repertoire/instruments for full music scholarship eligibility. Due to the nature of instrument access and other potential factors, we understand how an applicant may require some flexibility with these requirements. Auditions on one or two instrument areas are satisfactory in these circumstances.
Applicants may be asked to sight read if comfortable as well. Please reach out to percussion faculty Kramer Milan at kramermilan@boisestate.edu with any questions.
Suggested/Sample Audition Repertoire
Snare Drum
1 Concert Etude/Solo
Examples:
- Portraits in Rhythm, Cirone
- Douze Etudes, Delecluse
- Intermediate Snare Drum Studies, Peters
1 Rudimental Etude/Solo
Examples:
- The All-American Drummer or Modern Rudimental Swing Solos, C.H. Wilcoxon
- 14 Modern Contest Solos, Pratt (Choose a solo similar to “Drum Corps on Parade”)
- Nine French-American Rudimental Solos, Tompkins
Timpani
Examples:
Sonata for Timpani, John Beck
Etudes from Modern Method for Timpani, Goodman
Etudes from Etuden fur Timpani Volume 1 or 2, Hochrainer
Mallets
1 Two-mallet Solo
Examples:
- Any Solos/etudes by Green, Goldenberg, Peters, Hatch, McMillan, Gottlieb
- Modern School for Xylophone by Goldenberg
- Fundamental Method for Mallets, Peters
- Funny Mallets, Zivkovic
- Xylophone Rags of George Hamilton Green
1 Four-mallet Solo (or excerpt approximately 2-3 minutes in length)
Examples:
- Rain Dance, Mbira Song- Alice Gomez
- Yellow After the Rain- Mitchell Peters
- Frogs, Michi, Dream of the Cherry Blossoms, Wind in the Bamboo Grove- Keiko Abe
- Etudes/Solos from “Image- 20 Children’s Songs for Marimba”, Bart Quartier
- Rhythm Song, Virginia Tate, Etude 1- Smadbeck
Drumset
Please prepare as many of the suggested groove demonstrations below as you are comfortable with. (While playing drumset as part of your audition is encouraged, it is not required)
- Medium tempo swing (Q=132), alternating 4 measures of time with 4 bars of solo, for 32 measures
- Up tempo swing (Q=200), alternating 4 measures of time with 4 bars of solo, for 32 measures
- Jazz waltz, 32 measures of interactive timekeeping
- Bossa Nova, 32 measures of interactive timekeeping
- Samba, 32 measures of interactive timekeeping
- 12/8 Afro-Cuban, 32 measures of interactive timekeeping
- Mambo or other Cuban groove, 32 measures
Brushes
- Medium tempo swing (Q=132), 16 measures
- Up tempo swing (Q=200), 16 measures
- Ballad tempo (Q=60), 4 measures, doubling up to medium swing (Q=120) for 8 measures
Back to Sticks
- Play a form that consists of 10 measures of 4/4 Latin (bossa nova or similar), followed by 8 bars of swing. Repeat this form 3 times without stopping.
Graduate Percussion Audition Requirements:
- 4 mallet marimba solo
- 2 or 4 mallet marimba solo by Bach
- Timpani solo (such as one of Carter’s 8 Pieces for Timpani or an equivalent)
- Concert snare drum solo like an advanced Delecluse Etude or equivalent
- Sight reading on marimba
- Demonstration of soft to loud to soft roll on snare drum over 30 seconds
Plus one of the following:
- A multiple percussion solo submitted as a video (unlisted YouTube link preferred)
- A demonstration of ability on a world percussion instrument
- A demonstration of drumset technique and abilities (play a jazz chart and/or transcription, demonstrate styles, etc.)
- Play 2 contrasting orchestral excerpts on your choice of snare drum, xylophone or timpani