<p>I am applying to Michigan for jazz studies in drums and I need help on audition material. I am sending in a recorded audition due to my location. Could anyone recommend what I should play for my audition in specific? Here are the guidelines:</p>
<p>Drum set players will be asked to demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:
Brushes (slow, medium and fast swing), trading 4's and 8's, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian grooves such as the mambo, cha cha chá, songo, 12/8, partido alto, samba, and the bossa nova. Additionally, contemporary styles such as rock, funk and fusion as well as odd meters may be requested.
Applicants will also be asked to do simple hand/foot timing and coordination exercises, as well as some sight-reading. Performance of scales or melodies of jazz tunes on any mallet keyboard instrument such as vibraphone, marimba or piano is encouraged.
Drummers are welcome to perform pieces outside the areas listed above, including but not limited to multiple percussion, snare drum and electronic pieces.</p>
<p>Creole, when my son was auditioning on drums two years ago, he and his teacher looked at audition requirements of all the schools to which he was applying (some specific songs, some more like Michigan’s) and put together a list that would satisfy all the schools requirements, yet not require new songs for each audition. Do you have other schools you’re applying to and/or a teacher or jazz band leader you could talk with to find songs that are appropriate and show your strengths?</p>
<p>Hopefully, a drummer who has auditioned at UMich will see your post. What I am curious about, however, is where you live and whether you’ve even been able to tour the schools to which you’re applying. If you’re in North America at all, I’d seriously consider trying to attend the audition in person. UMich is pretty thorough in explaining a number of things during audition sessions that will assist you. It’s also really good to do the tours and meet the profs in your program, and it really helps you make the right decision later when the offers come in.</p>
<p>Is there any way someone in your family or extended family can assist you financially to get there? Or are you just too far away for it to be practical? Eg. the combo of greyhounds and youth hostels, while less than ideal, is still to my mind better than not visiting. I say this because the OOS rate for tuition and board is about $48k a year over four years…so anyone considering this kind of investment really might want to “kick the tires” if possible.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>PS Have you already received academic pre-clearance to audition? (PPSS Make sure to throw in some 5/4 jazz…)</p>
<p>thanks for the replies everybody, appreciate it.</p>
<p>@kmccrindle, SJTH</p>
<p>thanks, yea i am actually living in india right now after relocating from ann arbor 3 yrs ago. financially it would be a stretch to come to ann arbor for the audition so the only other option is to send in a dvd.
iv done campus tours before and have emailed faculty a few times.</p>
<p>anyways would it be possible to suggest a list? and must i prepare every single thing that they have asked for?</p>
<p>Maybe someone else will chime in but I think what SJTH meant in her comment was that your private teacher will know the areas in which you shine and would better be able to help you with the list, particularly dependent on WHERE ALL you are applying.</p>
<p>To be competitive with a live audition, I would certainly prepare all they’ve asked for and then a bit of ‘your own’ style. That’s because in the actual audition, they might say: play something with x time" and then after a few bars, stop you and move on to something else. With CD, there got to be enough there so they can sort of do the same thing by skipping to the next track – they want to hear how proficient and varied your style is across the entire percussive range, I suspect. But that doesn’t mean you need to prepare FULL songs of each nuance/style/instrument…I think it might be a good idea after talking to a private teacher about the list to ask Mich itself for advice on track length for your prep pieces.</p>
