Hello Drumlines.org members! I want to audition for the music school at one of the in-state universities in my state.

For each of the three instruments (snare, keyboard, and timpani), one must play a solo tune or etude. I'm not necessarily looking for "the easiest ones" but I am looking for tunes that come more naturally, or etudes that you have personally found easier to grasp. Just any kind of personal input to my purchases would be nice.

I will list the instrument, and then the solos/etudes that the college would let you perform. They say these pieces are just guidelines and that you can play pieces similar to them, but for now I'd just like to hear out of this list.

Snare, Concert-style solo like:

-Fred Albright: Contemporary Studies
-Anthony Cirone: Portraits in Rhythm
-Vic Firth: Solo Snare Drummer

Keyboard, Two-mallet or four-mallet composition (I cannot do four-mallet, and I'm not sure which of these are four-mallet):

-Morris Goldenberg: One of the 39 etudes from Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone
-J.S. Bach: Any 2 mallet movement from a Sonata or Partita for violin or Suite for cello (without repeats)
-Paul Creston: One movement from Concertino for Marimba
-George Hamilton Green: Any xylophone rag
-Gordon Stout: One movement from Two Mexican Dances
-Paul Smadbeck: Etude No. 1, 2 or 3
-Rich O’Meara: Restless

Timpani, solo or etude like:

-Garwood Whaley: Fundamental Studies or Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpanist
-Mitchell Peter: Etude from Fundamental Method for Timpani
-Saul Goodman: An exercise from section two or three of Modern Method for Tympani
-Raynor Carroll: Exercises, Etudes, and Solos for the Timpani
-Vic Firth: The Solo Timpanist

I would definitely appreciate any input! Since I have to buy this stuff, it would be nice to get some opinions; especially since I do not really have any skilled percussionists to talk to about stuff like this. So yes, any guidance would be great. Thanks in advance.

For snare drum, I would definitely recommend Cirone 11 and 26 for an audition. Also, you might want to look into doing a Delecluse etude; those are pretty standard for auditions.

As for Mallets, anything out of the Goldenburg book will be great. I like Rich O'Meara's stuff too as well. Also, check out the Burrit Preludes (I like number 1)

For timps, I don't really like any of those. Check out March by Carter or something from the back of the Beck book.

Hi, I've recently gone such auditions myself and so I figured I'd share the advice I was given by a former director of percussion of JSU.

Snare: Circone
Mallets: Goldenberg
As for Timpani I wasn't told a specific book, but I was told to find a piece that incorporated dampening.
Also, be sure to work on your interval tuning, everone of the professors that I auditioned for made me do some. Sight reading will be important too.

I realise I'm not a proffessional, but as someone who recently went through all of that I figured I'd share my experience with it. Hope this helps even the slightest bit. Good Luck, hope you make it in.

The first four mallet selections you listed are 2-mallets. The Goldenberg book is a great investment because it contains multiple solos and tons of material that you can use to practice for the sight-reading part of your audition.

Wow, I truly appreciate all the help here! I will get to ordering these etudes now. I definitely am thankful for all your guys' help. Thank you!

I've actually just signed up for lessons, so hopefully that will help too.

If you want good tips as to what to use find some of the majors who already go to that school, ask them what they used and what they would suggest.