The Nuts and Bolts of Auditioning

By Stacy Loggins

T
HE AUDITION PROCESS HAS It is also an asset to have a teacher help instruments. Play the xylophone parts on a
tortured many musicians through with the music. Hopefully, you will be different xylophone or a marimba. Play the
the years. The process is even studying with a teacher already, but if not, snare drum parts on other snare drums.
more grueling for percussionists taking lessons with someone can greatly This will help ease the problem of playing on
due to the vast number of instruments in help your playing. Remember, time must unfamiliar instruments.
the percussion family. There are countless be allowed to learn and make changes in For timpani parts you need to make
questions about the audition process that the music. Don’t wait until a week before sure you know what drums are going to be
can only be answered by someone who has the audition to take a lesson; you have to available at the audition. Are they profes-
taken an audition. In this article, I will have time to apply what you have learned. sional-model timpani such as Ringers,
concentrate primarily on two different au- It is very important to study the audi- Hingers or Walter Lights, or are they stu-
dition areas: auditions for professional en- tion list carefully. Many lists indicate what dent-model drums? If at all possible, prac-
sembles and collegiate auditions. measure numbers they want to hear in tice on drums similar to the drums at the
certain pieces. If measure numbers are audition. If you have no access to them,
ENSEMBLES not indicated, the whole piece must be take some lessons from a teacher who owns
The first topic of concern is the audition learned, not just the most popular excerpts some. Find a way! This may seem trivial,
for the ensemble. The ensembles that will from the piece. A good example is the xylo- but it is important, especially if there are
be discussed here include professional or- phone part from Porgy and Bess by George tuning changes.
chestras, bands and chamber groups. Two Gershwin. The excerpt from this piece that
questions must be answered in the begin- appears in Morris Goldenberg’s Modern COLLEGIATE AUDITIONS
ning: When is the audition and what is School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibra- In this section I’ll comment on undergradu-
required to audition? phone is popular, but there are other diffi- ate and graduate-level admission audi-
Many professional orchestras require cult passages throughout the piece that tions, and auditions for scholarships and
correspondence by letter in order to get could also be required at the audition. teaching assistantships. Most admission
audition requirements. Once you have writ- For some auditions, you may be asked auditions will also be used for scholarship
ten to the ensemble, they will send the to play a prepared mallet piece of your consideration and/or teaching assistant-
audition list and other details. Many re- own. This mallet piece should not only ships. Though many of the principles from
quire a resume and an audition tape. If so, show off your talents, but it should re- the previous section can and should be
they will be specific about what must be late to the job for which you are audi- applied to this section, there are differ-
on the tape and when it has to be received tioning. For example, playing a difficult ences in some approaches to collegiate au-
in order to be considered. This is when four-mallet marimba piece for a band or ditions.
decisions should be made about prepara- orchestra audition may not be as effec- The first order of business is to contact
tion time. Is there enough time to pre- tive as an advanced two-mallet piece, the school and inquire about audition in-
pare? You have to set realistic goals and because there are few four-mallet parts formation. Like ensemble auditions, some
know your limitations. in the literature. On the other hand, play- schools have repertoire lists and some
You need to learn everything you can ing a four-mallet piece for a percussion schools do not. In either case, there are
about the specific group you are audition- ensemble audition is appropriate. Choos- choices to be made. What pieces should be
ing for. Once you have the audition list, ing a xylophone rag, a movement from a played? How long should they be? What
get the music. Some groups will send you concerto or even an etude could also be a instruments should be used?
copies of the music with the list or tell you good choice for a percussion ensemble Generally, solo auditions need not be
where to find it, but many will not. Most audition. Remember, the selected music lengthy. The applicant should demonstrate
orchestral excerpts can be ordered from a should be advanced enough to show tal- an advanced ability in the three basic areas
music store. If the job is for a professional ent, but never so advanced that the piece of percussion: snare drum, mallets and tim-
band, the music is usually made acces- cannot be performed well. pani, though in many instances, a strong
sible by the group; i.e., they will send cop- While learning the pieces before the au- foundation in drumset is required as well. A
ies or say on what pages excerpts can be dition, you need to decide what instru- minimum of two snare drum pieces, one
found in certain percussion books. ments you are going to use. Instruments mallet solo and one timpani piece should be
Listen to recordings of the music on the are usually provided, but personal instru- performed. However, I suggest that two key-
list. Get recordings by the group you want ments are encouraged if possible. Obvi- board and timpani solos be learned in case
to be a part of as well as recordings by ously, it is almost impossible to bring a more material is necessary. The pieces should
other groups. If the audition is for the marimba on a plane, so you have to be be musically and technically challenging,
Chicago Symphony or a particular U.S. realistic. Snare drums, tambourines and but not beyond the player’s ability to per-
military band, get their recordings. Study triangles are the easiest to bring. If you do form them well. For scholarship and teach-
the percussion excerpts, phrasing, inter- not possess these instruments, you will ing assistantship consideration, the pieces
pretations and nuances that stylistically have to use the ones provided. should be advanced. It should be noted that
and musically set the percussion section Some groups would rather hear the audi- advanced is a subjective term, and what is
apart from other sections. If recordings tion played on their own instruments. In order advanced to a senior in high school is not
are not available, study recordings by other to gain confidence playing on instruments other advanced to a senior in college or a graduate
noteworthy groups. than your own, practice the music on different student. Therefore, pieces should be chosen

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996 45

depending on the applicant’s level of ability. mallet piece is to be played, one should be for as many drums as the player can handle
For snare drum, one rudimental solo on marimba and the other may be on xylo- sufficiently and must be musically reward-
and one concert (orchestral) solo should be phone or vibraphone. A performance on a ing, containing such traits as dynamic vari-
learned. A command of both styles should mallet instrument other than a marimba ance, good form and a sense of direction. A
be demonstrated. The rudimental solo can be used to show versatility. Again, good piece written for five drums may not be
should contain open rolls, syncopated choices for the two-mallet solos are rags or appropriate because the audition site may
rhythms, accents and an assortment of mallet concertos. These pieces, however, not have five drums. The school should be
rudiments: flams, drags, diddles, etc. Con- require an accompanist, and this may consulted about instrument availability,
cert solos should contain varying degrees present a problem for a live audition. Ei- and the player should know what type of
of dynamics and closed rolls. Both pieces ther the accompanist must come with the drums will be at the audition. The piece
must be musical, not simply notes and applicant, or one will have to be provided. should be of a moderate length (just a few
rhythms. The pieces need not be lengthy, A private teacher should be consulted in minutes), and the player should show good
only long enough to show a command of choosing audition music. technical and musical ability on the in-
the instrument; between one and three There are a few guidelines for the length strument. Again, a teacher should be con-
minutes per piece is plenty. of a mallet solo. If it is too short, the panel sulted for specific pieces to play.
Choosing a mallet solo can be a difficult will want to hear another, and if it is too For other instruments such as drumset,
task for many. Applicants for undergradu- long, the panel will stop the applicant at the applicant should be prepared to play a
ate admission may choose a two-mallet an appropriate place in the music to save variety of styles. They could include vari-
solo or a four-mallet solo to perform. This time. The whole piece should probably not ous Latin styles: samba, cha-cha, bossa
will depend on the level of the player and take more than ten minutes, even if there nova and rumba. Additionally, rock and
both are acceptable. However, an audition are movements. If more material is neces- jazz styles should be prepared. In most
for graduate school, scholarship or teach- sary, then an additional solo may be ap- cases drumset will not have to be played,
ing assistantship usually includes at least propriate. Regardless of the selection, the and this will be known if the school has
one four-mallet solo. piece should show superior musicianship. been consulted about the audition. Mul-
If only one mallet piece is performed, it Care must be taken when selecting a tiple percussion pieces are usually poor
is usually on marimba. If more than one timpani piece. The piece should be written choices for auditions because of the instru-

1996
For further information, contact: VIBRAPHONE SOLO CONTEST
PAS, P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK 73502 sponsored by the Percussive Arts Society

PURPOSE: To encourage a higher level of artistic expression for Vibraphone performance practice. The contest is de-
signed to select four finalists to perform at the 1996 PASICPAS
in Nashville, Tennessee.
AWARDS: All four finalists will receive freeVibraphone Solo
PASIC registration, Contest
and all participants must be members of PAS.
PROCEDURES: The contest is for students who are 16-25 years of age on April 1, 1996. Each soloist is to present a pro-
gram of no longer than 20 minutes in length. The solo(s) must be selected from the following:
1. Six Poems (mvt. 4-5) ...................... Robert Stright 5. The Beach Street Years ................... Bill Molenhof
2. Trilogy .......................................... Tim Huesgen 6. Morning Dove Sonnet .................... Christopher Deane
3. Mirror from Another ...................... David Friedman 7. Reflections .................................... Lynn Glassock
4. Solace .......................................... Ed Saindon
Each student is to furnish scores of the music for judging purposes. Photo copies will be accepted only with a letter of ap-
proval from the publisher. Scores will be returned with a pre-stamped mail packet. Each contestant will forward a non-ed-
ited cassette to PAS (see address above). Tapes and scores will be numbered to insure anonymity. The Contest and Audi-
tion Procedures Committee will have the responsibility of selecting the finalists to be invited to PASIC 1996 for a live per-
formance contest. Each contestant will be expected to assume all costs pertaining to the event including travel, room-
board, etc.
Application Fee: $15 payable to PAS. Deadline: All entries must be postmarked by April 1, 1996
Name _______________________________________ Address _______________________________________________
City ________________________________ State _______ Zip _______________ Phone __________________________
School ____________________________________________ Age ____________ Check one: ❐ High School ❐ College

46 PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996

ments they require. Some smaller mul- tion is actually taking place and the col-
tiple pieces might work, but most take too league is the panel. This can help with two
much time for set-up. issues: playing in front of someone, if that
For many auditions it is possible to send a is a problem, and practicing as if there is
tape in lieu of traveling to the audition in only one chance to perform each excerpt or
person. Many cannot afford to go to the audi- piece. A mock audition can be performed
tion in person or prior commitments do not alone as well. Simply move from instru-
allow them to leave. If a tape must be sent, it ment to instrument playing each piece only
should contain the same material as a per- once without stopping, again allowing only
sonal audition, or of a recent recital. However, one chance to perform the music. Hope-
it should be noted that if at all possible, an fully, some of these ideas will help the
audition should be taken in person. next time you prepare for an audition.PN

THE AUDITION Stacy Loggins is a per-

Now the time comes for the audition itself. cussionist with the
The audition must be treated like a minia- United States Navy
ture recital. You have to be professional Band in Washington,
and a good appearance is necessary. Even DC. Originally from Las
though most preliminary ensemble audi- Vegas, Nevada, Loggins
tions are behind a screen, finals are usu- has degrees from
ally in the open, and the initial goal is to Cameron University in
get to the finals. A good appearance shows Lawton, Oklahoma and
the audition panel how seriously the audi- East Carolina University in Greenville, North
tion is being treated, and says something Carolina. He is an active performer, adjudica-
about the character of the player. You tor and clinician on the East Coast.
should also be prepared to answer ques-
tions about your background, availability
dates, etc. Applicants for teaching assis-
tantships may also be required to teach a
lesson at the audition.
The order in which the pieces are per-
formed can make a difference at the audi-
tion as well. If given a choice, play the
piece that you are most comfortable with
first. This may help you relax and boost
your confidence. Remember, being musi-
cal is the most important consideration at
the audition. Chris Williams, principle per-
cussionist of the Baltimore Symphony says,
“The technique should be there; I listen
primarily for musicality.” Members of the
panel want to hear something in your play-
ing that will set you apart from the others.
Finally comes the subject of nerves. Many
become so nervous during an audition that
they perform pieces poorly that they other-
wise perform well. Instead of being nervous,
you would rather be anxious. Anxiety is com-
mon and may help give that extra edge to
keep you at the top of your game.
Here are some suggested ways to help
with nervousness. Audition as much as
possible; the experience makes it easier.
Use a tape recorder when preparing. For
many it is difficult to play while being
recorded because the tape is unforgiving.
It catches everything and helps show what
specific areas in the music need the most
work. Have a colleague listen and critique
a mock audition. Pretend that the audi-

PERCUSSIVE NOTES • FEBRUARY 1996 47