Percussion Studio

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The percussion studio at Lamont is full of dedicated musicians who work hard and love what they do, all the while preparing for professional careers in music. Percussion students study with John Kinzie, Director of Percussion Studies at Lamont and also the principal percussionist of the Colorado Symphony. Professor Kinzie started his orchestral career when he won the principal percussionist position with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra at 19 years old.

Live Audition

Applicants will preference their top two (2) audition dates for a live audition in Denver on the Lamont application. All auditions are approximately 20 minutes in length. The applicant will choose one of their prepared works to perform. The faculty will choose the second of the prepared works and possibly an additional work as well.
Applicants Unable to Travel to Denver

While Lamont faculty prefer to have applicants audition on campus, those unable to travel to Denver for a live audition may submit an unedited video audition in lieu of the on-campus audition. Recordings received after January 15 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This video should be uploaded through the Lamont application.

Audition Requirements

Undergraduate (BM and BA)

Snare Drum:
- Perform a concert solo from the Peters, Cirone or Delécluse books
- Perform a rudimentary solo from the Wilcoxon or Pratt books
- Demonstrate basic technical knowledge of rudiments and rolls
- Sight reading
Mallets
- Perform a two-mallet solo from the standard literature, which may include the Bach Cello Suites, Violin Partitas or Sonatas
- Perform a four-mallet solo
- All major scales
- Sight reading
Timpani
- Perform an etude from either the Goodman Timpani Method or the Friese-Lepak Timpani Method
- Recognize basic intervals
- Demonstrate a good sense of pitch

Undergraduate (Minor)

Demonstrate major and minor scales on a mallet instrument
Demonstrate the standard rudiments for snare drum
Perform a piece of your choice for snare drum
Perform a piece of your choice for mallets using either two or four mallets

Graduate (MM and Certificate in Performance)

Snare Drum
- Perform a concert solo from either the Peters Advanced Etudes or Delécluse books
- Perform a rudimentary solo from the Pratt book
- Perform a concert roll pp-ff-pp
- Perform three standard excerpts from the orchestral literature
- Sight reading
Mallets
- Perform a two-mallet solo from the standard literature, which may include the Bach Violin Partitas or Sonatas plus a two-mallet solo of your choice
- Perform a four-mallet solo
- Perform three xylophone or bell excerpts from the standard orchestral literature
- Sight reading
Timpani
- Perform an etude from the Delécluse book
- Perform a roll pp-ff-pp
- Perform three timpani excerpts from the standard orchestral literature
Artist Diploma: Review requirements