FAQ's

The UVA drum line is open to any UVA student. The drum line will consist mostly of non-music majors, and some will not even be native percussionists. Anyone interested in the drum line may attend both the pre-camp and the audition. You must be present at the entire audition process. Being a member of the UVA drum line is a fun, exciting, and rewarding experience. If there is a position where you can contribute to the drum line, you will be given that opportunity. The most valuable quality of a UVA drum line member is a good attitude.

Check the Cavalier Marching Band main website often for updates.

Q. When do I audition for the drum line?

A. Auditions take place the first 2 days of the August band camp.

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 do I need to bring to the pre-camp?

A. You need to bring your own sticks. Wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes. Refreshments will be provided.

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, as well as the first show tunes.

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 ability to maintain tempos. 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.

Q. What instruments does the front ensemble use?

A. The pit percussion instrumentation consists of amplified electronic mallet instruments, suspended cymbals, and other rack-mounted or orchestral instruments .

Q. What kind of sticks does the drum line use?

A. We use Vic Firth Corpsmaster series drum sticks.

Q. What kind of drums does the drum line use?

A. We use Yamaha drums. The bass drums and the tenors are of the FieldCorps line. The snare drums are MTS drums with both bottom side and top side snare mechanisms. All of the drums have stadium hardware and a blue finish.

Q. What kind of heads does the drum line use?

A. We use Remo Black Max and White Max snare heads, clear pinstripe tenor heads, and smooth white bass heads.

Q. What kind of cymbals does the drum line use?

A. We use Sabian cymbals.