Percussion Audition Requirements

WVU School of Music percussion applicants must follow the following guidelines for their audition.

• 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.
• 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.