Auditionees should be prepared to perform the following in a live audition. Please see below for the percussion audition guidelines and suggested repertoire level.
After you have submitted your portfolio through Slideroom, the percussion faculty may invite you for a callback interview and discussion. Please be ready to discuss your interest in JMU, your background as a percussionist, and your educational goals.

Percussion Audition Guidelines
Snare Drum - One concert solo & one rudimental solo*
Recommended literature level:
- Garwood Whaley - Musical Studies for The Intermediate Snare Drummer
- Anthony Cirone - Portraits in Rhythm
- Jay Wanamaker - Championship Corps Style Contest Solos
- Charlie Wilcoxin - All-American Drummer
- John Pratt - 14 Modern Contest Solos
Timpani - One solo
Recommended literature level:
- Muczynski - Three Designs for Three Timpani
- John Beck - Sonata
- Saul Goodman - Modern Method for Timpani, Exercises 35 and beyond
- Eckehardt Keune - Schlaginstrumente-Pauken, Exercises 33 and beyond
Mallets - One two-mallet solo and one four-mallet solo. Can be done on xylophone, marimba, and/or vibraphone as appropriate by literature choice. *
Recommended literature level:
- Garwood Whaley - Musical Studies for The Intermediate Mallet Player (two mallets)
- George Hamilton Green - Ragtime Robin (two mallets)
- Alice Gomez - Rain Dance (four mallets)
- James Moyer - Four-Mallet Method for Marimba, solos from Bartok, Kabelevsky, Luther, Goedicke, Bach, Beethoven, Diabelli
*Candidates will be asked to perform light sight-reading on snare drum and a mallet instrument of choice (two mallet).
Drumset - All students interested in Jazz Studies at JMU should perform drumset in their audition. This is in addition to the other percussion instruments. Please demonstrate the ability to perform the following styles:
- Jazz/Swing in 4/4 and 3/4
- Bossa Nova
- Samba
- Ballad w/brushes
Recommended literature: The Jazz Drummer's Reading Workbook by Tom Morgan, page 15 "Out of the Fog" with accompaniment
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email Professor Casey Cangelosi: cangelcr@jmu.edu