ND All State, 2026

Hello and thanks for visiting!

The goal of this page is to create a resource for percussionists interested in auditioning for the 2026 North Dakota All-State Band. The materials can be found by clicking here, but interested students must be sure to follow the appropriate audition and application procedures.

The audition itself consists of six parts, all of which are detailed below. There are videos of the etudes themselves, and a few tips I hope will be useful to anyone learning them.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Part 1: Classical Snare Drum

This concert/orchestral style etude presents a few challenges, mostly related to rolls and ornaments (at least for me). And with a tempo of 120 bpm, it goes by rather quickly! A few general tips:

Keep the ornaments (flams/drags) tight and close to the beat, this will give the etude a more orchestral/classical feel.
Determine a roll speed that feels comfortable for you, I keep my hands moving in 16th notes.
Be sure the rolls have a more closed or saturated sound, they should not sound rhythmic.
Even though the tempo is brisk, remember to practice slowly, especially the passages with dynamic changes and accents.

If you want a further resource to help develop your buzz/closed rolls, check out this video by the amazing percussionist Rob Knopper (who plays in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York).

Part 2: Rudimental Snare Drum

While it may look similar on the page, the style of this etude is quite different from its concert counterpart. For starters, the rolls are open, meaning they should sound measured and rhythmic, just like 32nd notes. The tempo is again 120 bpm, which proves tricky, especially in the last four measures. Here are a few suggestions:

The ornaments (drags/flams) should be more open and rhythmic to suit this style.
Be sure to follow the written stickings, as they too are very important and noticeable.

If you want a few ideas to better your double strokes, this video by Shaun Tilburg gives a lot of great suggestions.

Part 3: Keyboard

This mallet etude may be familiar to some of you, as it's taken from Thomas MacMillan's Masterpieces for Marimba. There are a few differences from that version, though, which threw me off as I was learning it! A few tips:

The marimba has resonance, so the rolls might not need to be as fast as you think.
This resonance also means the rolls can be slightly separated from the notes that follow them.
Stickings here are not set in stone, they're just suggestions to help you.

This piece was originally written for violin and an accompaniment, listen to a recording like this one to get some ideas on phrasing!

Part 4: Timpani

I personally find timpani playing to be quite challenging. It's the only instrument where percussionists need to tune, and most Americans tend to play with a "French" grip, meaning the hands are turned 90 degrees from their typical position, with the thumbnails pointed upwards. For this etude

Be sure your interval is tuned very accurately before starting.
Keep accurate time during the rests in measure 9!
Timpani can be very loud, so be sure not to over play them.

Check out this video by the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal timpanist Tim Genis, which is helpful for learning how to properly tune the drums.

Part 5: Solo of Choice

According to the guidelines, "the student's solo must be one minute in length, unaccompanied, and may be played on snare, mallet, or timpani." So, choose something that interests and excites you! Also, the one minute guideline does not mean the solo can only be that long. Feel free to choose something longer and only play a one minute portion of it.

Four-mallet players, think about something like this solo, or anything from Bart Quartier's book Image. If you want other suggestions for pieces, please contact me and I can pass along ideas!

Part 6: Sight-Reading

Last but not least, the dreaded sight-reading portion! While percussionists are stereotypical bad at sight-reading, remember that it's a skill, one that can be practiced and improved. If you take private lessons, ask your instructor for a method book you can read portions of. If not, talk to your band director! They certainly will have books you can use to practice your sight-reading. A few sight-reading pointers: