Iowa All-State Auditions 2017

Here we go again!

This year’s etudes are quite difficult and will take a lot of work.  I’m including more specific strategies to help with certain passages.

Video performances can be found here or included with each section below.

Snare Drum: Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm #38

This piece is based on the orchestral work, Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov.  I strongly recommend getting a recording and listening to the 3rd movement until you can sing along.  Every phrase is based on either the snare drum part from this piece or the melody somewhere else in the orchestra.  The more you know the original the more natural and convincing your phrasing will be.

Dynamics: There are two written dynamics.  mf and p

• mf: half-way center-to-edge or slightly closer to the rim
• p: I play this in two locations on the head, one for the majority of the piece, and a lighter sounding spot slightly closer to the rim for the 32nd note measures.

Roll Speeds: The 32nd notes are an open 7-stroke roll, played as a triplet.  The buzz rolls are all 16th notes, mostly 9-strokes.  I play the 16th note rolls in line 3 as single buzzes, which I normally wouldn’t, but it seems to work really nicely.

Grace Notes: Specifics aside, all grace notes need to be noticeably lower in level than the primary notes they’re attached to.  Because this is an etude and not with an ensemble it’s ok to play up a little bit and make the separation of primary and grace notes very clear.

Scheherazade Stuff: There are a few common solutions to the original orchestra part.

• Last two 8ths in each measure.  Almost every measure ends with two 8ths, which are phrasing forward to the NEXT BAR.  You can hear me emphasize these notes in the recording.
• 32nd note roll thing.  Starts a the end of line 2.  This is a triplet roll.  There is a slight phrase to it, crescendo through the roll and fall back down through the last two notes as above.  Practice this without the bounces, just as a triplet, then add the roll back in.
• Really tight drags.  The phrase in line 6 with 16th notes running into a drag takes some planning.  My preferred sticking is RRLRLR R on the 16ths, which leaves time for my left hand to play the drag before the downbeat.  Whatever spacing you use for the tightest drag, use for every drag.
• Super soft ruffs.  The last four ruffs in the piece get softer and softer.  When first developing this part, play all four ruffs THE SAME and move each one closer to the rim, letting the drum do the dynamics for you.  When you get more confident, begin lowering the dynamic vertically as well.  Between these two methods you should get an impressive soft range over a few week’s practice.

Marimba: Etude #2 by Stan Dahl

This is substantially more difficult than etudes from previous years, especially in terms of rhythm and note accuracy at the marked tempo.  Start slow and be very deliberate about practicing accurately with a metronome.

Primarily this etude is about STYLE.  Style is:

1. Timing
2. Accent
3. Balance

First section: Freely, with expression

Timing: This is a lyrical melody, meaning it conforms to the voice.  After you know the notes, SING the phrases and let your voice and breath tell you where to flex the rhythm.  Practice by first playing 16th notes through the line as a rhythm.  This teaches you what the exact rhythmic pacing is, with no “unintended flexibility” due to rolling alternations.

Accent: There are no written accents.  The line CAN follow the general rule “notes going up get louder, notes going down get softer” and phrase comfortably, however, so an emphasis on the top notes of each phrase is appropriate.

Balance: When the left hand enters as harmony in m5 it’s important to keep the melody from being covered.  Move the mallet in the left hand close to the ropes on the bars to reduce the resonator response so the melody is clearly heard.  In m7 I pull back from the rope a bit when the left hand has a phrase to bring that voice out.

Second Section: Lively

Timing: Totally straight to the metronome.  Never practice this without a metronome.  This is the most challenging section, full of “gotcha” moments.  Be sure the triplets fill up the space they are in and have a smooth, slurred feeling compared to the surrounding 16ths.

Accent: This is in a Caribbean/Latin style, so the off-16th notes often get emphasis.  Many of the phrases begin on an off-16th to highlight this.  Rolls which are accented can be started with the top note, which will give them a little extra “pop”.

Balance:  The dynamics act as voices, almost like playing a reduction of a band arrangement.  Assign contrasting dynamics as voices, and change not only the volume, but the character of sound, especially in m20-25.

Third Section: Relaxed

Timing: Again, straight to the metronome.  I suggest practicing with a soft 8th or 16th note to ensure clean execution of the syncopations.  Cover the quiet metronome as you play so the clicks are only audible in the spaces between notes.

Accent: No marked accents.  A bit of emphasis can be added on the crunchier chord changes.  m32, m37, and m38 are good places to lean slightly on the dissonances.

Balance:  Every note in every chord is evenly balanced.  No emphasis within a chord.

Miscellaneous notes:  These interpretations are demonstrated in the recording.

• m18 is weird.  Learn it carefully with a metronome.  Soften the roll release on the first note on beat four.  This sets up the phrase beginning as an off-16th pickup into beat one.
• Rolls in m17, m19, and m24 can release earlier than marked for clarity.  I release them on an 8th or 16th like a hard release a wind player might use.
• m27-28 is really hard to navigate.  Begin by LIFTING the mallets away very high to avoid getting tangled up near the bars.  Play it totally flat with no accents until it is up to tempo, then add a slight push with the arm on the first note of each grouping. Do not increase the stroke speed to get the accent.
  • The rising line in m28 is an Ab diminished chord with a “gotcha” A at the top
  • Practice this with funny rhythms.  Swing it, group quick bursts of 2 and 3 notes, anything you can do to twist it and force your hands to adapt.  Simply playing it as written over and over will result in very little progress.

Timpani: Etude #2 by Barry Dvorak

A rhythmically unclear piece.  Making these rhythms read properly requires total precision.  Any single pair of “normal” mallets will work.

Drum sizes: I will get some criticism for this, I’m sure, but I believe in my solution.

• I use the 29/26/23 timpani for the marked pitches AND
• I use the 32 timpani on the far right next to the 23 for the bottom line of music.

WHY!? Because the primary role of timpani is GOOD TONE.  ALL decisions are about tone.  I have better tone on the bottom line with my hands open and not crossing, as I suspect is the case with almost anyone.  Since I’m not already using my 32, WHY NOT!?  An audition is not the time to be macho, it’s the time to sound your best.

Rolls:  Some terminate on a note, some don’t.

In lines 1, 2, and the bottom line the rolls do not terminate on a note.  These need to end early with a slight lift and a move to the next note.

In lines 3 and 4 there are rolls with terminating notes.  These don’t need to be accented in any way, but they should be defined for the player in terms of rhythm.

In lines 3 and 4 there are also accented rolls.  These are struck as if NOT rolled, and then lightly rolled on after.  The effect should be of two cleanly placed 16th notes, the second of which sustains after.  Focus on that initial articulation, and don’t let the tone of those notes be affected by the idea that you will be rolling right after.

Sticking:  Mostly straight with a bit of doubling

The opening 16th figure works well as RLLR.  The triplet in m1 works similarly as LRR.  This sets up the surrounding figures to be cleanly executed.  Make sure a light, even tone is present regardless of the sticking chosen.

The second line from the bottom presents a bit of difficulty.  I choose to play double Right hands on the top two drums starting in the 4th measure of 12/8 time.

• RRL RRL RLRR LRLR R and then alternate after that

Again, the tone must not suffer from sticking choices.  Choose whatever allows you to play with your best tone.

Tambourine: Etude #1 by Aaron Williams

A collection of techniques.  Lots of solutions.  The limited dynamic range of some tambourines makes clarity the big challenge.

Dynamics: There are five dynamic levels in this piece. ff, f, mf, mp, p

• ff: last note, big hit, knuckles optional
• f: wrist mostly, the weight of the hand.  All knee/fist (or similar)
• mf: thumb/finger rolls only.  Comfortable.
• mp: thumb/finger rolls and light notes in between.  Lighter touch than mf
• p: Beginning of shake roll.  Lower behind stand/table to block some sound and raise through the crescendo to accentuate the different volume levels.

Techniques: Thumb/Finger roll, Shake roll, knee/fist (or similar)

I won’t go into the details of how to do each technique.  Simple guidelines:

1. Practice the techniques you use apart from the music
2. Practice the isolated moments in the music until they are exactly what you want
3. String the different parts together, maintaining the level of execution

Crash Cymbals: Etude #1 by Aaron Williams

EAR PLUGS RECCOMENDED

Dynamics: There are five dynamic levels in this piece. ff, f, mf, mp, p

• ff: only two notes and are both accented
• f: appears at the end of crescendos both accented and non-accented
  • In context both crashes may end up being very similar in level
• mf: non-accented only.  Make this the default level.
• mp: appears in between two loud crashes, this may end up being the same level as p
• p: begins a crescendo, may end up being the same level as mp
  • The reason p and mp may end up being the same has to do with cymbal quality and because these notes are far enough apart that comparing the two crashes will be nearly impossible on a single hearing.

1. Practice 5 dynamics of non-accented crashes, using mostly the top hand only.
   • Sets up a base level for dynamics in the piece
   • Develops physical control of the cymbals
   • Improves listening to the tone at each dynamic level.
2. Add the bottom hand to the f and ff level for accents.
   • Resonates differently than “top hand only” notes
   • Sounds and looks like accents, not new dynamics
3. Practice isolated moments like with tambourine, cleaning and listening for tone.
4. Connect each moment together, maintaining the level of execution.

Dampening: It’s not 100% clear, and not 100% advisable to dampen everything.

• I recommend dampening the downbeats of m6, and m8 to set up the softer crashes that follow.  Dampening the downbeat of m4 is also possible, but not necessary unless the p crash is covered up by the ringing from the previous bars

Thanks for reading!  Best of luck on your preparations!