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Instrumental Audition Process for Winds, Strings & Percussion

STUDENTS MUST PERFORM FROM AN ORIGINAL OF THEIR AUDITION MUSIC

Consult the All State Music Festival Handbook for complete Adjudication Information

 

AUDITION TIMES
Auditions for all but percussion are scheduled for 10 minutes total.  Percussion auditions are scheduled for 15 minutes.

 

ADJUDICATION
Whenever possible, students will be auditioned by a pair of adjudicators who will jointly rate the student's performance.

Students may audition on more than one instrument as long as they were correctly listed on their school's computer application for Brass, Woodwind, Percussion and String Auditions once for each audition and the appropriate number of fees were paid. 

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS - MELODIC INSTRUMENTS
For complete their audition, students must:

  • AUDITION SELECTION: Perform the appropriate audition piece, unaccompanied. Adjudicators may select one or more sections of the piece to evaluate, but the student should prepare the entire piece as listed on this year's Audition Selection List.  The audition will not include any cadenzas or repeats.

  • SCALES - Winds & Mallets: Perform two diatonic major scales and the chromatic scale, as indicated in the appropriate section of the All State Music Festival Handbook.  The specific scale requirements will include range (number of octaves, rhythm, articulation, and tempo.  The adjudicators will select which major scales for the student to perform, but will not set the tempo.

  • SCALES - Strings: Perform one major scale, one Melodic Minor scale and an arpeggio based in the key selected by the adjudicator.

  • SIGHTREADING - Perform a short sightreading selection after being given a minute to review and silently prepare.  The tempo for the sightreading will be given by the adjudicator both before the review and before the performance.
     

In addition, students auditioning on melodic percussion must:

  • ACCESSORIES: Perform the short excerpts on three of the five Secondary Percussion instruments (Bass Drum, Crash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Triangle). The adjudicators will select which three accessory instruments are to be performed.

  • Perform an excerpt on the other two Percussion instruments (snare drum and timpani)

The Percussion Excerpts and the Secondary Percussion Excerpts are available to download from the Documents page of this website


AUDITION REQUIREMENTS - SNARE DRUM
To complete their audition, students must:

  • AUDITION SELECTION: Perform the appropriate audition piece in its entirety, unaccompanied.  Adjudicators may select one or more sections of the piece to evaluate, but the student should prepare the entire piece as listed on this year's Audition Selection List.

  • RUDIMENTS: Perform the Long Roll and four other rudiments, one from each group: FLAM: Flam Tap, Flam Accent, Flam, Flamacue, Flamadiddle; DIDDLE: Paradiddle, Double Paradiddle, Paradiddle Diddle; RUFF/DRAG: 4 Stroke Ruff, Single Ratamacue, Double Ratamacue, Triple Ratamacue; ROLL: 5 Stroke Roll, 7 Stroke Roll, 9 Stroke Roll, 13 Stroke Roll. The adjudicators will select which rudiments, one from each group, that are to be performed as part of the audition. All are to be done OPEN - CLOSE - OPEN.

  • ACCESSORIES: Perform short excerpts on three of the five Secondary Percussion instruments (Bass Drum, Crash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Triangle). The adjudicators will select which three accessory instruments are to be performed for this part.

  • EXCERPTS: Perform an excerpt on each of the other two Percussion instruments (snare drum, mallets)
  • SIGHTREADING - Perform a short sightreading selection after being given a minute to review and silently prepare.  The tempo for the sightreading will be given by the adjudicator both before the review and before the performance.

The Percussion Excerpts and the Secondary Percussion Excerpts are available to download from the Documents page of this website

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS - TIMPANI
To complete their audition, students must:

  • AUDITION SELECTION:  Perform the appropriate audition piece in its entirety, unaccompanied. Adjudicators may select one or more sections of the piece to evaluate, but the student should prepare the entire piece as listed on this year's Audition Selection List.

  • TUNING / STICKING: Perform several selected tuning and sticking studies.

  • ACCESSORIES: Perform short excerpts on three of the five Secondary Percussion instruments (Bass Drum, Crash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Triangle). The adjudicators will select which three accessory instruments are to be performed as part.

  • EXCERPTS: Perform an excerpt on each of the other two Percussion instruments (snare drum, mallets)

  • SIGHTREADING - Perform a short sightreading selection after being given a minute to review and silently prepare.  The tempo for the sightreading will be given by the adjudicator both before the review and before the performance.

The Percussion Excerpts and the Secondary Percussion Excerpts are available to download from the Documents page of this website

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