Who can view this page?
In this section
Étienne Boisvert
  1. Admission
  2. Auditions

Audition: Percussion

Audition requirements for percussion

Preparatory school (up to elementary grade 6 or secondary 1, 2, or 3)

  • Snare drum: 3 rudiments (single and double stroke rolls, single paradiddle); Lesson 10 from Vic Firth Snare drum method, volume 1, or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: 3 major scales and arpeggios spanning 1 octave; a piece from My First Book of Xylophone and Marimba by Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic such as Das tapfere Schneiderlein, or equivalent.

Preparatory school (secondary 4)

  • Snare drum: 6 rudiments including single and double stroke rolls; 5-stroke ruff; and applicant’s choice of flams; 5-, 7-, or 9-stroke rolls; single, double, or triple paradiddles; or flam accents. A study of the applicant’s choice from Podemski Standard Snare Drum Method (nos. 6 to 15); a study from Vic Firth Snare Drum Method, lesson 15, volume 1, or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: 6 major scales and arpeggios spanning 1 octave; a study of the applicant’s choice from Marcel Jorand Fifteen Studies for Xylophone; a piece from Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic Funny Xylophone such as Sweet Quick Sixteen, or equivalent;
  • Timpani: tuning a fourth or fifth on two timpani; a roll (crescendo-decrescendo).

Preparatory level (secondary 5)

  • Snare drum: 10 rudiments including single and double stroke rolls; 5-, 7-, and 9-stroke rolls; single, double, and triple paradiddles; flams; flam accents;
  • A study of the applicant’s choice from Podemski Standard Snare Drum Method (nos 13, 14, 15), Delécluse Méthode de caisse claire (nos 1, 2, 7), Vic Firth Snare Drum Method, Lesson 22, volume 1, or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: all major scales and arpeggios spanning 2 octaves; harmonic minor scales spanning 1 octave; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse (Kreutzer) 20 Études pour xylophone; a 4-mallet piece from Bart Quartier Image, such as From the Cradle, or a piece from Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic Funny Xylophone, such as Double-Dodl-Dee, or equivalent;
  • Timpani: tuning a fourth or fifth on two timpani; a roll (crescendo-decrescendo), lateral rolls, cross-sticking; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse 30 Études pour timbales, book 1.

CEGEP

  • Snare drum: 15 rudiments of the applicant’s choosing including double stroke rolls, multiple bounce rolls, flams, ruffs; a study of the applicant’s choice from Podemski Standard Snare Drum Method (nos. 36 to 38), Delécluse Méthode de caisse-claire (nos. 1, 2, 7), or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: all major scales and arpeggios spanning 2 octaves; harmonic minor scales spanning 2 octaves, minor arpeggios spanning 1 octave; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse (Kreutzer) 20 Études pour xylophone; a 4-mallet piece of the applicant’s choice from Bart Quartier Image; a 4-mallet piece such as 3 and 6 from Mitchell Peters Fundamental Solos for Mallets, or equivalent;
  • Timpani: tuning a fourth or fifth on two timpani; a roll (crescendo-decrescendo), lateral rolls, cross-sticking, dampening, staccato stroke, appoggiaturas, pedaling; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse 30 Études pour timbales, book 1, or equivalent.

Undergraduate studies

  • Snare drum: 20 rudiments of the applicant’s choice including multiple bounce rolls (crescendo-decrescendo) and a rudimental routine containing a minimum of 12 different rudiments; a study such as Solo 4 from Ron Spagnardi 38 Solos for the Intermediate to Advanced Snare Drummer; a study of the applicant’s choice from Podemski Standard Snare Drum Method26, 38, 44, or 53, or Delécluse Méthode de caisse-claire nos. 3, 14, or 18, or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: all major and minor scales and arpeggios spanning 2 octaves; a study of the applicant’s choice from F. Dupin 17 Études pour xylophone; 4-mallet exercises of the applicant’s choice demonstrating their level of control, or a 4-mallet piece from standard repertoire for marimba or vibraphone such as Chorale and Variations from Mitchell Peters Fundamental Solos for Mallets, or equivalent;
  • Timpani: tuning on 4 timpani and the same technical requirements as CEGEP level, applied to 4 drums; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse 30 Études pour timbales (book 3) or 20 Études pour timbales (nos. 8 to 12), or equivalent.

Graduate studies

  • Snare drum: all 40 rudiments, including a rudimental routine that contains a minimum of 20 different rudiments; a study of the applicant’s choice from Delécluse 12 Études de caisse-claire or Macarez Snare System (book 1 or 2), or equivalent;
  • Keyboard percussion: all major, harmonic and melodic minor scales spanning 2 octaves; a study for marimba or vibraphone, or a 4-mallet work such as Keiko Abe Memories of the Seashore, or equivalent. Other suggested composers: Stout, Zivkovic, Sammut, Musser.
  • Timpani: a study of the applicant’s choice from the following: Macarez Tim-Top (12 études), or Delécluse 30 études pour timbales, book 3, Étude 21, or equivalent.