Undergraduate
Undergraduate Jazz Studies majors with a concentration in drumset must audition for admission to the College of Music in the following areas in addition to drumset:

Snare Drum: A rudimental and/or orchestral snare solo or etude; rolls, flams, and associated rudiments.

Marimba / Vibes: Scales and arpeggios: major, harmonic minor, and chromatic; an etude or jazz improvisation.

More detailed repertoire information is available from the percussion department. We prefer that you audition in person, especially for scholarship consideration. If that is not possible, a set of video recordings totaling 30 minutes of your drumset, mallet, and snare playing is acceptable. Follow the directions on the College of Music application to submit a high quality recorded video audition by using youtube.com, yousendit.com, or similar web service.

Recorded auditions: Showcase your drumset skills as a rhythmic improvisor in a variety of styles (e.g., jazz, funk, fusion, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, etc.). Video yourself with a combo, big band, or with a play-along rhythm track of your choice. Follow the directions on the College of Music application to submit a high quality recorded video audition by using youtube.com, yousendit.com, or similar web service.

Live audition: This audition on drumset consists of sight-reading a big band chart; playing a tune of your choice by playing the melody on the drumset and improvising at least four choruses on the tune form; playing along with various stylistic rhythm tracks.

Undergraduate students may audition for the concentration in jazz vibraphone. The curriculum:
Jazz vibraphone: three semesters
Jazz major marimba: two semesters. NOTE: These two semesters may be taken as jazz vibraphone if the student can test out of the marimba curriculum requirements.
Jazz major timpani: one semester
Jazz major snare drum: two semesters
Drum set: two semesters

Undergraduate audition requirements for jazz vibraphone:
1. Perform a published solo vibraphone etude or a standard jazz ballad chord solo.
2. Play melody and improvise at least two choruses on a medium tempo jazz standard (swing or bossa) performed to a pre-recorded track (Jamey Aebersold recording or the equivalent).
3. Sight read a jazz style melody.
4. Snare Drum: A rudimental and/or orchestral snare solo or etude; rolls, flams, and associated rudiments.

Master's
There are no audition requirements other than the principal instrument (drum set or vibraphone) for Master's candidates. A pre-audition screening recording is required. Applicants should submit a link as part of the College of Music application by the deadline of the first Monday in December to one or more videos that demonstrate how they meet the following expectation:
Master's candidates are expected to have fundamental triplet and duplet coordination skills and the ability to improvise in a variey of styles (e.g. jazz, Afro-Cuban, funk, Brazilian, etc.) melodically and rhythmically on music drawn from the Be-Bop/Jazz Standards canon.

Master's-level audition requirements for jazz vibraphone:
1. Perform a published solo vibraphone etude or a standard jazz ballad chord solo.
2. Play melody and improvise at least two choruses on a medium tempo jazz standard (swing or bossa) performed to a pre-recorded track (Jamey Aebersold recording or the equivalent).
3. Play melody and improvise at least two choruses on an up tempo standard (swing or samba) performed to a pre-recorded track (Jamey Aebersold recording or the equivalent).
4. Sight read a jazz style melody.

Doctoral
Information on doctoral auditions on drumset is found here.

Further information
For information on percussion auditions, see the Percussion audition page. Specific drumset questions should be directed to Ed Soph at (940) 369-7536.