WVU School of Music percussion applicants must follow the following guidelines for their audition.
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Snare drum: Medium to advanced rudimental solo/etude, medium to
advanced concert solo/etude, open and closed rolls to be performed, selected
rudiments to be performed, sight reading.
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Keyboard percussion: All major scales and arpeggios, medium to
advanced 2 mallet solo/etude in a classical or contemporary style, sight reading, 4
mallet solo/etude in a classical or contemporary style (suggested, but not required)
- Timpani: Medium 4 drum solo/etude. Tuning within the piece is not required. Drum tuning will be asked apart from the etude/solo
Percussion Audition for Music Industry multi-instrumental
- 3 different styles on the drum set (rock, jazz, latin, or afro-cuban, etc.). Record 3 different tracks which each lasting approximately 1 minute in length.
- Video should demonstrate good control/timing of the style, and ability to improvise (add fills).
- Record an intermediate snare drum solo. Recommended: Mitchell Peters Intermediate Snare Drum book. (Students may play any solos from Nos. 1 through 15 for the audition)
Jazz Emphasis and Minor Requirements
1. Demonstrate timekeeping and comping in a jazz style at various tempos in 4/4 time with sticks and brushes.
2. Demonstrate timekeeping and fills in at least three of the following styles:
Bossa Nova
- Samba
- Mambo
- Calypso
- Afro-Cuban 6/8
- Funk/Backbeat
- Jazz in 3/4 Time
- Jazz in 5/4 Time
- New Orleans Traditional “Second Line” Rhythm
Soloing and Trading:
1. Alternate between four-measure phrases of timekeeping and four-measure phrases of soloing in a jazz style.
2. Improvise multiple choruses of soloing in a jazz style over the form of a jazz standard of your choice.
Sight Reading:
1. Sight read and interpret a big band chart.
2. Sight read and interpret a lead sheet in a jazz style.