Audition Excerpts

Print version

KMEA All-State Wind & Percussion
2024-25 Audition Excerpts

Participation Eligibility Requirements

There are three requirements for a student to be eligible to audition for the KMEA All-State Band and Orchestra Winds/Percussion membership:

  1. The student must first be a performing member of their District’s 2024-25 KMEA Band, Jazz Ensemble, or Orchestra.
  2. The student’s director must be a member of KMEA, will register each audition online, and send the Audition Invoice with appropriate payment to the KMEA Payment Manager. These must be completed by the deadline established by KMEA.
  3. The student must be deemed an eligible freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in good standing in their high school.

Music Requirements for the Live Audition:

  1. A chromatic scale slurred up and tongued down. Quarter Note MM= 60. Play the rhythm as written on the scale sheet. Memorization is not required.
  2. One major scale, as written on the scale sheet, with up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. Quarter Note MM= 60. Play the rhythm as written on the scale sheet. Memorization is not required. All scales will start on the notes indicated on the scale sheet for their instrument. Each scale is non-transposed (i.e., if a trumpet player is asked to perform a C scale, they will be expected to perform a C scale on their instrument, not a C concert scale.) The major scale for each instrument will be posted by the band chairpersons on the morning of live auditions.
  3. Scale examples are provided indicating articulation and range for each scale. Please perform the rhythms as indicated with the metronome setting of quarter note equals MM=60
  4. Sections of the required etudes/solos listed below.
  5. Sight reading

Wind & Percussion Excerpts – Cycle 2
Each excerpt will open in a new tab. Please be aware of the Percussion Clarification Statement posted below.

Percussion Clarification Statement

All-State auditions require the percussionist to perform: mallets, snare, auxiliary, and timpani.

Mallets, Snare, and Auxiliary Percussion – prepare all the excerpts
Timpani – prepare one of the excerpts

On the day of All-State auditions, the judges have the option of shortening the audition materials that are performed.

As part of the procedures process, KMEA All-State Chairpersons will follow any All-State Conductor’s requests regarding percussion part assignments and/or part rotation.

Clarifications

Please note that we are replacing the All-State Percussion text shown in strikethrough with the text listed below each category. The text shown in strikethrough is replaced with the text shown in italics.

Tamburo Piccolo (Piccolo Snare)
You may use a standard snare drum to perform this excerpt.

Tambourine
Rolls are to be shaken (this instruction is added to clarify the performance expectation)

Xylophone (note: can be performed on any mallet instrument; adjust octave, if needed)
Play as indicated – 8va throughout

Marimba (note: can be performed on any mallet instrument; adjust octave, if needed)
Play as indicated

Timpani (56A Excerpt) (1234A Excerpt)
Play one of these timpani excerpts. Please inform the door monitor about your excerpt choice before entering the audition room.

  • The four-timpani excerpt is preferred, but you may play the two-timpani excerpt if it is better for your timpani performance comfort level.
  • If your school does not have four timpani, you may play the two-timpani excerpt.