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2012-2013 Audition Information Percussion - Symphony Orchestra

The document provides information for percussion auditions for a symphony orchestra, including requirements and logistics. Candidates must prepare solo pieces on xylophone, snare drum, and timpani, as well as excerpts. They must also demonstrate technique through scales and a long roll, and sight-reading abilities. Placement will be competitive based on artistic qualities like tone, accuracy, and musicality. Auditions are closed and prior participation is not a guarantee of placement.

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Alan Souza
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51 views8 pages

2012-2013 Audition Information Percussion - Symphony Orchestra

The document provides information for percussion auditions for a symphony orchestra, including requirements and logistics. Candidates must prepare solo pieces on xylophone, snare drum, and timpani, as well as excerpts. They must also demonstrate technique through scales and a long roll, and sight-reading abilities. Placement will be competitive based on artistic qualities like tone, accuracy, and musicality. Auditions are closed and prior participation is not a guarantee of placement.

Uploaded by

Alan Souza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2012-2013 Audition Information

Percussion - Symphony Orchestra


Audition Site Details

What to bring
solo and excerpt music provided in this packet
xylophone mallets, snare sticks, timpani mallets

What not to bring


wood or hard plastic mallets (we are in a small room, so medium-soft or hard rubber mallets
would be best).
personal instruments or stands, including snare drums we are on a very tight schedule, and in
order to move as quickly as possible, we will require all candidates to use the instruments already
in the room

What is provided
extra music; if you have markings in your own music, you should bring your own copy
mallets and sticks, but we encourage you to bring what you are used to using
3-1/2 octave rosewood xylophone (Yamaha)
5x14 aluminum snare drum, cable and wire snares (Pearl)
set of four timpani, copper, balanced action pedals (Ludwig)
music stands
tuning fork (A=440)

Warm-up room
There will be a warm-up room that you will be allowed to use ten minutes prior to your audition.
There will be a 3-1/2 octave kelon xylophone and a 5x14 metal snare drum in the room. Timpani
will NOT be available in the warm-up room.

PERCUSSION AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

1. Solo pieces
You are required to prepare solo pieces on the xylophone and the snare drum (attached). Your
solo piece need not be memorized. For your timpani solo, 29 and 26 timpani will be provided.
You will be given 60 seconds to tune the timpani before you begin playing, using a standard
A=440 pitch tuning fork (provided) for your reference pitch. Pitch-pipes and electronic tuners will
not be allowed. Tuning gauges will be covered at the audition.

With your solo and/or your prepared excerpt(s), you may be asked to play it again in a different
manner (slower, faster, more lyrically, etc.). Please regard this as evidence of your musical
flexibility, which will weigh heavily on the success of your audition.

Required percussion solo repertoire for the Symphony Orchestra level:

Xylophone solo: Etude XV by Goldenberg


Snare drum solo: Etude No. 2 by Delcluse
Timpani solo: Etude No. 59 by Peters
Percussion - Symphony, continued

2. Excerpts
Attached are prepared excerpts on the xylophone and snare drum. If you are unfamiliar with the
excerpts, consult with your private teacher or a coach who is familiar with them. It is recommended
that you also listen to a recording or live performance of the piece in order to give yourself proper
tempo and musical context.

Required excerpts for the Symphony Orchestra level:



Tambourine excerpt: Carnival Overture by Dvorak
Xylophone excerpt: Porgy & Bess by Gershwin

3. Scales & technique


Scales: All required scales must be memorized. Automatically play the corresponding arpeggios
to a scale, if required. You must be able to play the following scales on the xylophone in 2 octaves:
All the major scales in all keys and natural minor scales, as well as the melodic and harmonic minor
scales in the keys of a, d, e, g and b. All scales are to be played from memory. Practice your scales
on an actual xylophone so you will be prepared.

Technique: SNARE LONG ROLL: The long roll tests your ability to sustain an even, concert-style
(buzz) roll with extreme dynamic changes steadily over several seconds and in the appropriate time.
The roll will be directed by one of the judges.

4. Sight-reading
Sight-reading for all orchestras will include complex rhythms relative to the level of the orchestra.
Feel free to tell the conductor which orchestra you are trying out for. Sight-reading for Repertory
will be on both the xylophone and snare drum. Rhythms will consist of standard note values as
small as sixteenth notes and may include triplets or dotted note values. Rolls may be included.

5. Orchestra placement
Student placement is competitive and is ranked in order of artistic quality. Those qualities include
superiority of tone, intonation, vibrato (as appropriate), dynamic range, musicality and general
accuracy. Although a student may be able to perform all the requirements for a particular orchestra,
he or she may still not qualify based on the level of competition in a given year.

6. Auditions are closed to the public, including parents and families.

7. Prior participation in the Minnesota Youth Symphonies is no gaurantee of placement.


Snare drum solo
Snare Drum: Etude No. 2 by Delcluse
Tempo: Quarter Note = 100
Timpani solo
Timpani: Etude No. 59 by Peters
Tempo: Quarter Note = 72
Xylophone solo
Xylophone: Etude XV by Goldenberg
Tempo: Quarter Note = 88
Xylophone excerpt
Porgy & Bess by Gershwin
Tempo: Quarter Note = 116
Tambourine excerpt
Tambourine: Carnival Overture by Dvorak
Tempo: Half Note = 132

(Part 2 of Excerpt is on next page)


Tambourine excerpt Part 2
Tambourine: Carnival Overture by Dvorak

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