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.

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Music in Performance
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Bachelor of Music in Recording and Production
Music as a Secondary Major
Minor in Music
Graduate Programs

Master of Music in Performance
Certificate in Performance
Certificate in Orchestral Studies
Artist Diploma in Performance

Auditions

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are requiring recorded video auditions from all applicants as well as a live Zoom component.

Recorded Video Audition

Video recordings should be unedited, i.e. do not make cuts or edits in the middle of pieces. It is fine to record pieces separately. Use the best recording equipment you have on hand. Faculty will evaluate you on the quality of your performance and not on the audio/video quality.

This video should be uploaded through the Lamont application. Recordings received after January 15 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Live Zoom Interview and Sight-Singing

Applicants will preference their top two (2) dates for a live Zoom interview and Q&A on the Lamont application. The 20-minute interview will consist of a Q&A and sight-singing. Applicants will not be asked to play anything.

The 2021 interview dates are January 30, February 6, and February 13.

Repertoire 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