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Your ensemble placement will be determined by the Percussion Ensemble Conductor. Your audition will be assessed on:

• the difficulty of the selections you choose

• your rhythm

• your tone quality

• your musicality
   

Please choose from the levels below to prepare for your audition:

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Level one – suggested for 6th Grade

• one short snare drum piece

• one mallet piece

• no sight reading required
   

Suggested source material for solo/etude:

Snare Drum

Whaley's Fundamentals for Snare Drum
Whaley's Intermediate Studies for Snare Drum

Mallets

Peter's Fundamental Method for Mallets Vol. 1/2
Fundamental Studies for Mallets

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Level two – suggested for 7th-8th Grade

• one short snare drum piece

• one mallet piece

• sight reading required on both snare drum and mallets

• Bb scale 2 octaves on mallets

• basic demonstration of snare drum rudiments and technique.
   

Suggested source material for solo/etude:

Snare Drum

Whaley's Intermediate Studies for Snare Drum
Peter's Intermediate Snare Drum Studies

Mallets

Peter's Fundamental Method for Mallets Vol. 1/2
McMillan's Masterpieces for Marimba

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Level three – suggested for 9th-­12th Grade

• one short snare drum piece

• one mallet piece

• sight reading required on both snare drum and mallets

• Bb scale 2 octaves on mallets

• basic demonstration of snare drum rudiments and technique

• timpani piece (required of all applicants who want to be considered for a principal position in either the Symphony or Repertory orchestra)
   

Suggested source material for solo/etude:

Snare Drum

Delecluse's 12 Studies for Snare Drum
Cirone's Portraits in Rhythms
Whaley's Recital Solos for Snare Drum
Peter's Intermediate Snare Drum Studies

Mallets

Goldberg's Modern School for Mallets: etudes at end of the book
McMillan's Masterpieces for Marimba

Marimba

McMillan's Masterpieces for Marimba

Peter's Fundamental Studies for Mallets

Timpani

Firth's Solo Timpanist
Decluse's 20 Studies for Timpani
Peter's Fundamental Method for Timpani
Whaley's Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpani

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Ready to register and pay? Return to the Audition Page.

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