Percussion Audition Requirements
A personal audition with the percussion instructor or audition tape recording will determine the student's ability and appropriate placement level. Proficiency in at least one of the following main areas and a working knowledge in any one of the other listed areas is required for entrance into percussion studies.

The first four areas represent the "main" areas.

1. Snare Drum
A strong rudimental background in snare drumming as demonstrated by performance of solos by Wilcoxon, Markovich, or equivalent; and/or concert style snare drum performance from Cirone, Albright, Firth, Peters or Goldenberg books or the equivalent. If concert style snare drum solos are chosen exclusively, then the playing of rudiments may be requested.
If this category is chosen as a secondary audition instrument, then more elementary material may be chosen.

2. Timpani
A basic knowledge of the mechanical and pitched characteristics of the timpani; a performing command of two drum exercises as found in the Modern Method for Timpani by Saul Goodman; a basic understanding of intervals and scales and ability to hear, sing and tune them on the timpani.

If this category is chosen as a secondary audition instrument, then the singing and tuning of intervals and scales will not be required.

3. Keyboard percussion
A basic playing and/or theoretical understanding of major and minor scales and arpeggios; a reading command of intermediate difficulty literature such as found in Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg or the equivalent. A solo work of two or four mallets demon- strating the student's current level of technical ability.
If this category is chosen as a secondary instrument, then only major scales will be required and an elementary level solo may be presented.

4. Drum Set
A strong command of jazz, rock and other musical styles of drum set performance must be demonstrated through performance of "playing time," improvising fills, and solos in each style; and a basic understanding of chart reading displayed by performance with recorded music or live musicians.

If this category is chosen as a secondary audition instrument, then more elementary material may be presented.

Areas five and six are not to be considered "main" areas, but may be used, if the student so desires, as secondary audition instruments or areas.

5. Accessories
Demonstration of varied techniques on: tambourine, triangle, cymbals, bass drum etc. as found in the orchestral repertoire section of the Goldenberg, Modern School for Snare Drum.

6. World percussion
Proficiency in one of the following: Latin percussion, tabla playing, Middle Eastern hand drumming, Baroque tambourine technique, or any other exotic percussion practice not listed above.

If you have any questions regarding these requirements or the percussion program at UMaine in general, please do not hesitate to call or pay us a visit.


Dr. Stuart Marrs
5788 Class of 1944 Hall
Orono, ME 04496-5788
Voice 207-581-4702 Fax 207-581-4701
Email: marrs@maine.maine.edu
Website: http://www.ume.maine.edu/~percdept/

The University of Maine Division of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music