AUDITIONS

beginning August 15 , 2009

Important: If you have not already done so, please contact us, let us know you are interested, and register.

So, you are interested in being a member of the UVa drum line... GREAT! The UVa drum line is a fun and rewarding experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life. You will make many new friends and have opportunities available nowhere else. You will support the Cavaliers against ACC opponents and current and formal national championship contenders, such as Southern California, University of Miami, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Maryland, and others. You will perform in front of 63,000+ fans at every home game, travel to at least one away game (sometimes into the heart of Hokie country at Lane Stadium), and may include travel to an all expenses paid bowl game. You will be on national television. Above all, you will get to drum with a great group of people.

The UVa Cavalier Marching Band band camp will begin on August 15, 2009 for percussionists. This will be one day earlier than the full Cavalier Marching Band. The 2009 drum line band camp is the beginning of the 2009 season. It is required for every member. Band camp is the period of time in which the tone of the season will be set. On the first night, the audition process will begin. There will be players more skilled than you, and there will be players less skilled than you. Focus on how you can do your best. That is the primary goal. The drum line is a family, and every member is important.

The entire audition process will only take a couple of days. It may take you a year or more to work yourself up to a particular instrument. Many of our members have played snare or cymbals one year, and bass or tenors the next. If you have the correct attitude, there are no limits to your success. After members are assigned an instrument, the drum line will use the remainder of band camp to learn pre-game, the first halftime show, and other performance pieces. Band camp is the most intense period of the season. If you can make it through band camp, you can make it through the season.

The drum line has a capacity for 8-10 snares, 5-7 quads, 6-8 basses, 6-8 cymbals, and 3-5 front ensemble (pit) players. While the drum line has this capacity, only enough players who have the necessary ability will be placed on each instrument. One snare drummer of significantly lesser ability will not be grouped with ten other drummers to make eleven. Your placement on the line will be based on your ability to succeed on that instrument. This will provide you with the most rewarding experience.

Frequently asked auditions questions

Q. Do I need to go to the pre-camp in order to make the drum line?

A. No, but the pre-camp is highly recommended.

Q. What will occur at the pre-camp?

A. The pre-camp will consist of sessions covering technique, exercises, and other fundamentals.

Q. What will be the audition process?

A. The audition process begins on the evening of August 15th and will evaluate your technique and fundamental skills. The audition music will consist of the drum line exercises.

Q. Do I have to be a percussionist to play on the drum line?

A. No. We invite anyone to audition for the drum line. Many marching percussionists are brass and wind players. The selection process takes into consideration your fundamental musical skills in addition to your percussive skills. You do not need to be a percussion major. You do not need to be a music major. You do not need marching experience. By developing your playing skills and having a good attitude, you give yourself the best opportunity to succeed in the band camp audition and receive one of the available percussion spots.

Q. How do I prepare for the pre-camp, audition, and season?

A. The first step is to contact us, let us know you are interested, and register. Download the exercises (available on the UVA drum line music page.) Practice the exercises and the basics. Be efficient! Important things to work on are sound quality, evenness, clarity, and your ability to maintain tempo. A candidate who can play 16th notes with accents correctly but cannot play egg-beaters will audition better than a candidate who can play egg-beaters but cannot play 16th notes with accents correctly.

Pit Auditions

Front Ensemble auditions will take place during band camp. Please prepare the following:

-Know all major scales and arpeggios at 100 bpm, sixteenth notes. We will randomly select a few scales for you to play.
-Two music pieces. Music will be provided in "music" sections of this website (not yet added).
-Sight-reading. We will provide you with a short sight-reading piece during auditions.
(More information coming soon.)