Photo by Ian Billings
Audition Instructions for Cymbals
Please perform the audition with an actual pair of cymbals. If you do not own a pair of cymbals, please contact your current band director to see if you might be able to utilize one for the audition. Otherwise, please email the drumline instructor in order to schedule a live audition (at which point you can use one of our instruments.)
To audition on cymbals, please submit a video recording of the following:
- Record Cymbal Techniques Exercise
TWICE: once at 125 bpm and again at 145 bpm
- If you are unfamiliar with any of the noted techniques, feel free to reference these videos.
- Record Cymbal Timing Exercise
TWICE: once at 108 bpm and then again at 120 bpm.
- Pay careful attention to tied notes and be mindful of timing
- It may be helpful to practice this exercise with your metronome set to eighth or sixteenth note subdivisions
- Record the Partial Timing Exercise TWICE: once at 130 bpm and again at 155 bpm
- Please clap this exercise (not using cymbals)
- Record the cymbal part for Musty Mambo at 120
bpm.
- Please indicate which cymbal part you will be performing.
- Please feel free to use this play-along recording of Musty Mambo.
Guidelines:
- Be sure to save your audition video with the following naming scheme:
[Academic Years]_[Academic Term]_[Instrument]_[Your Name]_[Part]-of-[Total Parts].mp4
For example: "2024-2025_Fall_Horn_BruceWayne_1-of-2.mp4" - At the beginning of your video, state the following information for the camera:
- Your first and last name
- The current Date and Time
- Stand and Mark Time during and throughout each audition excerpt
- Play each requirement, as written, at the specified tempo with a metronome which can be heard on the recording
- Ensure that your face, hands, feet and instrument are all clearly visible on the recording
- Only edit video BETWEEN excerpts, but not WITHIN excerpts.
- Mustang Band uses 18" marching cymbals -- 16" or larger is preferred for auditions.
- If no cymbals are available, clap hands for the rhythms of the Cymbal Timing Exercise and Partial Timing Exercise. Cymbal Techniques Exercise and Musty Mambo will need to be evaluated once cymbals are made available.
Final Thoughts
If you have not done so already, please be sure to fill out our Online Interest Form. Also, please review our Band Camp Information, Marching Shoes Ordering Information, and our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
San Luis Obispo, California 93407