2012 Bluecoats Audition

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Thank you for showing interest in auditioning to become a member of the Bluecoats Drum and

Bugle Corps. This booklet is designed to aid you in becoming a better musician and to help you havea successful audition experience. Please read everything in this booklet carefully and prepare all of

the required material to the best of your ability!

The Bluecoats will be hosting audition camps in four different locations during the months of November and December. Please choose the location that works best for you to attend. Attending a

camp gives us a better opportunity to get to know you and allows you a chance to experience life asa Bluecoat member. Only those who complete the audition process in person will be considered for

membership in the 2012 Bluecoats brass section.

Audition Camp Dates and Locations

Saturday and Sunday, November 19-20, - Austin, Texas

Saturday and Sunday, November 26-27, - Canton, Ohio

Sunday, December 4, - Mission Viejo, CA

Sunday, December 11, Atlanta, Georgia

Following the completion of your audition weekend, you will have a clear understanding of where

you rank and you may be invited to attend future camps. Final decisions for the 2012 Bluecoats brasssection will be made following the January camp. Prior to January individuals may be offered a

contract. You will receive confirmation of your status via phone call and/or e-mail from a member ofthe Brass Staff.

The best way to find additional information about the Bluecoats and Registration for an Audition

camp is by visiting our website at: www.bluecoats.com. The website also contains History of thecorps, Audition information, and other information regarding the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.

Please visit the website before attending your first camp.

Auditions can be stressful, but do not let your nerves stop you from auditioning. The Brass staff ofthe Bluecoats is eager to help you develop as a musician and wants you to perform well. If you have

any questions regarding brass auditions, please contact one of the brass staff listed below. We lookforward to seeing you at one of the audition camps.

Dave MacKinnon (Brass Supervisor) [email protected] Emery Craig (Brass Co-Caption Head) [email protected]

Derek Gipson (Brass Co-Caption Head [email protected]



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Music Audition Information

The audition process contains two sections, a visual and musical section. This page will highlight themusical portion of the audition process. Listed below are the titles of the etudes that you will be

required to perform at the audition. Each etude is taken from a book that is highly regarded amongmusic educators and professional musicians. We encourage you to purchase the entire book from

which the audition pieces are chosen. If you have any questions or problems obtaining a copy ofthese books, please contact a brass staff member. You will find more than a single audition etude in

these books, as these books include many items that will be used throughout your musical life.

Trumpet Audition Selections

1. Characteristic Study No. 1 from Arban's Method......meas. 1-24

2. Etude No. 2 from Theo Charlier's 36 Transcendent Studies.........meas. 1-24

You will not be required to prepare your own audition piece.

Mellophone Audition Selections

1. The mellophone technical etude is: Kopprasch etude (page 39) from “ Selected Melodious

Progressive and Technical Studies for French Horn “ compiled by Pottag and Andraud,Souther Music Company

2. The lyrical etude is: Romance No 14 (page 13) from “ 40 studies for Horn by Kling

International Music Company New York

You will find both the trumpet and mellophone audition music on the final few pages of this

booklet. Please utilize a metronome when you rehearse the material. Use the tempo marked

above each piece as a guideline only. It’s better to hear the music at slower tempo if this allows

for a higher degree of clarity and accuracy.

You should also prepare exercises 1 through 9 in this booklet as you may be asked to play these as part of your audition.

If you have any questions concerning these audition pieces please contact:

Derek Gipson (Brass Co-Caption Head) [email protected]



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Audition Suggestions

Preparation:

! The success of your performance at the audition will be directly related to the level of preparation of the audition materials.

! If possible, meet with a private lesson teacher on a regular basis prior to the audition. ! Record yourself with some type of electronic device. Listen critically to the recording

and work to perfect your performance. ! There is no need to memorize your music at this time. ! Get lots of rest before coming to the audition, as things will be very busy.

Audition:

! Keep in mind that you are auditioning at all times. We want to see your work ethic inthe arc as well as how you sound individually.

! You will have time to warm-up outside of the audition room prior to your audition. !

Before entering the room, please make sure your horn is working properly, oil your

valves, and complete any paperwork prior to entering the room. ! Remember to aim your bell away from the person listening to you.

!

Be sure to ask questions if you are confused about anything you are being asked to play.

! Take a slow deep breath before you play, and good luck!

Tips for Performance Anxiety/Nerves:

! Do not fight your nerves, they are a natural part of the performance process, andfighting it might make it worse.

!

Take several slow, deep breaths to calm yourself.! It is good to perform for friends and family prior to coming to camp as this will help

you perform under pressure.! Visualizing yourself in the audition room may also help calm your mind.

! When nerves are present, mistakes may happen, however, professional musicians do

not react to their mistakes. Do not stop or dwell on your mistakes, and NEVER

apologize for your performance.



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Equipment

Instrumentation:

The Bluecoats 2012 brass section will consist of 80 members in: 24 B-flat Trumpets, 16Mellophones in the key of F, 8 B-flat Baritones, 16 B-flat Euphoniums, and 16 BB-flat Tubas. All

of these spots are available each year. NO ONE, regardless of experience, is guaranteed a spot.Returning members must demonstrate a continued growth and development in order to be

considered for membership.

Trumpets: Please bring your trumpet and mouthpiece to the audition camp.

Horn/Mellophone: Please bring your F Mellophone to camp if you are able. If you would like to perform your etude on your concert horn, you will need to bring it with you to camp. You will be

asked to perform on a mellophone at some point during the audition process. Please be responsiblefor bringing your own mouthpiece to camp.

Baritones/Euphoniums: Please bring your own marching Baritone/Euphonium if you are able. If

you wish to audition on your concert instrument, Baritone, Trombone, or Euphonium, then you willwant to bring it with you to the camp. You will be asked to perform on a marching instrument during

the audition process. The Bluecoats Brass Staff reserves the right to determine who will playBaritone or Euphonium. Please bring a large shank mouthpiece with you to your audition camp.

Tubas: We understand the challenge of transporting a tuba to camp, however, the corps only owns

16 marching tubas and all of these instruments may not be available at each audition site. There are

rarely enough instruments available for each musician at the camp. If you are able to bring yourtuba, please do. You may bring your concert horn if you do not have access to a convertible tuba.Please bring your own mouthpiece with you to the audition camp. No Sousaphones, please!



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Equipment Continued

Yamaha: The Bluecoats perform exclusively on Yamaha Brass Instruments. This season we will use

the Yamaha Xeno Series Trumpet (YTR-8335GS), Yamaha F Mellophone (YMP-204MS), YamahaMarching Baritone (YBH-301MS), Yamaha Marching Euphonium (YEP-202MS), and the Yamaha

Double B-flat 4/4 Marching Tuba (YBB-202MSWC). All of these instruments are provided by theBluecoats to MEMBERS ONLY and are available for purchase following each season. If you wish

to purchase a certified used instrument from the Bluecoats, please visit the corps’ website atwww.bluecoats.com. You can find additional information about these and other Yamaha Brass and

Woodwind Instruments at www.yamaha.com.

Mouthpieces: The Bluecoats use exclusively Karl Hammond Custom Design Mouthpieces each

season. This allows for a more uniformed sound from player to player and section to section. Youare NOT required to purchase this mouthpiece prior to the audition. If you would like additional

information about Karl Hammond Mouthpieces, please visit www.karlhammonddesign.com.

Camp Checklist:

In addition to clothing, toiletries, and sleeping equipment, please bring the following items:

! All audition forms

!

Registration fee

! Audition booklet and Supplemental Material

! A copy of your required etude! Your instrument and mouthpiece

! A wire music stand if possible!

A Black three-ring binder with plastic sheet protectors.! A pencil!

Any additional items you may need to ensure a successful audition.



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Physical/Visual Responsibilities

Posture:

Posture is one of the most important elements of both Marching and Playing. It isimportant to keep your body weight evenly distributed between both feet. The back

should be straight, and the shoulders should be relaxed. The body should never feel tenseas tension has a negative affect on your musical ability. The posture guides used by the

Bluecoats include: Feet should be in a “V” shape with the heels touching and the toes at11 and 1 O’clock; the ankles, hips, shoulders and ears should all be in alignment with one

another.

Marking Time:

When practicing your exercises, it is important to use an audibleMetronome and you should also mark time. We will teach you our mark time style at the

camp, so just use the style you know best until then. Practice several tempos from 60-200 beats per minute while working to minimize any swaying or bouncing in your mark time.

Health/Fitness:

Just a quick word about health and fitness: Spending a summer on the road with theBluecoats can be physically challenging. In order to keep our members safe, it isimperative that all members are physically fit. It is recommended that you begin somesort of cardiovascular regime to ensure that you are capable of performing at a high level

physically.



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Musical Concepts

Breathing:

Breathing is one of the most important aspects of successful wind playing. It is the Bluecoats

philosophy to approach breathing as a natural process. During the breathing process, oneshould remain calm and relaxed while keeping the upper body fully erect. All movement in

the upper body should be involuntary and minimal. The muscles in the face and neck shouldstay relaxed and soft and should remain in a natural position during both inhalation and

exhalation. Remember to keep the tongue down in the mouth in its normal rested position.

When breathing one should inhale and exhale evenly while keeping the air steady andconstant with no extraneous noise in the airflow. There should never be a feeling of tension

or discomfort when breathing.

The Bluecoats Brass Staff fully supports the breathing processes created/demonstrated on“The Breathing Gym” DVD by Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian. This material may be

found on the web.

Buzzing:

Buzzing on the mouthpiece is considered a tool to develop good tone quality. We feel that

when done correctly, all students may benefit from mouthpiece buzzing. Use the following

tips to assist in proper mouthpiece buzzing techniques:

• Hold the mouthpiece by the shank of the mouthpiece with two fingers and the thumbof your left hand if a buzz aid is not available.

• Do not press the mouthpiece against the face.• Remain completely relaxed during the buzzing process, make sure the throat stays

relaxed and the tongue stays down in the mouth.• The air should pass between the center of the lips and right down the center of the

shank of the mouthpiece.• Start the pitch exactly in the middle of the pitch without any scooping or bumping of

the pitch.

•

All buzzing should happen inside of the mouthpiece cup.• Practice all musical lines in this booklet on the mouthpiece.

* Remember to use a natural/relaxed embouchure and place the mouthpiece in the center of

the lips.



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Bluecoats 2012 Brass Routine

This routine will be the basis of the 2012 brass technique program and is designed both as a daily

warm-up and as a practice regiment for long-term improvement in tone production, airflow,dexterity, articulation and other basic brass skills. It is by no means comprehensive and will be

supplemented as the season progresses based on the challenges presented by the summer programmusic and the development of the brass section.

q

= 100

c

Long Tones

* Rehearsal Advice - Practice timing your inhalation and exhalation while marking time using a metronome to provide a solid pulse center. The end of each long note should be open-ended. The

airstream should not be stopped with the tongue. Be sure to keep your air columnconsistent and steady throughout each note. Give each long tone direction all the wayto the release.

1. 12 Count pitches

Extended Practice - Vary the dynamics and play on various different pitches. Be sure to always maintain thesimplicity of the sensation achieved with the original exercise.

U

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w w w

Trumpet / Mellophone



10

q = 120

q = 120

c

c

c

2. Three Note Decending Slurs

U

3. Three Note Ascending Slurs

U

˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w

˙

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w ˙

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w ˙

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w w

= 120

4. Upper Neighbor Slurs

U

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A)

5. Lip Slurs

* Rehearsal Advice - Incorporate the timing of the exhalation and the pitch centering accuracy from the long toneexercises. Alternate between buzzing these exercises on the mouthpieces and playing on your instrument. Strive tomaintain the pitch center on the all intervals.

B)

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12

Articulation Studies

Variations in musical style can be achieved by altering the duration and/or emphasis (stress, weight)of notes. The Bluecoats define this differentiation through the use of the syllables listed in this chart.

q

= 120

( all the notes should touch )

6. Quarters and Eighths

(continue to ascend)

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

j

‰ Œ Ó

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

j

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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ Œ Ó œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ Œ Ó

(dah) (dah) (dah) (dah) (doo) (doo) (doo) (doo) (dah) (dah) (dah) (dah) (Dah) (Dah) (Dah) (Dah)

q = 120

7. Forklift (in unison)

- - -

. . . .

> > > >

(keep the volume consistent from measure to measure)

- - - - . . . . > > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >


œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ




Articulation

normal legato staccato marcato accented

Syllable dah doo dah Dah Dah

Difference from the

normal enunciation N/A

Smoother

beginning

and more

connected

Same

beginning as

normal with

half the

length

Twice the

emphasis

with half the

length

Twice the

emphasis on

the beginning

of the note, a

slight decay



13



14



15



16



17



18





20



21



22



23



24

Trumpet 1

Trumpet 2

Trumpet 3

Mellophone 1

Mellophone 2

Baritone

Euphonium 1

Euphonium 2

Tuba

q

= 120

Tpt. 1

Tpt. 2

Tpt. 3

Mello. 1

Mello. 2

Bar.

Euph. 1

Euph. 2

Tuba

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

(Brass Ensemble)" Forklift "

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

- - - -

. . . .

> > > >

b

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. . . .

> > > >

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. . . .

> > > >

b

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> > > >

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b

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(continue to ascend)> >

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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ






























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Trumpet 1

Trumpet 2

Trumpet 3

Mellophone 1

Mellophone 2

Baritone

Euphonium 1

Euphonium 2

Tuba

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

U

( Thumbs )

Tuning Exercise # 1

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Crescendo evenly from measures 5 to 10. Do not breath at the barlines!

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w w

w w w



26

Trumpets

Mellophones

Baritones

EuphoniumTuba

q = 60

1 2 3

Tpt.

Mello.

Bar.

Euph.Tuba

4 5 6

Tpt.

Mello.

Bar.

Euph.Tuba

rit.7 8 9

BWV 431

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27



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29

Brass Audition Scoring Sheet(For Use by Bluecoats Brass Staff Only)

Location of camp attended ________________________________________________

Auditioned instrument ____________________________________________________

Tone Quality ___________________________________________________________

Musicianship ___________________________________________________________

Harmonic Connection _____________________________________________________

Articulation _____________________________________________________________

Flexibility ______________________________________________________________

Marching and Playing skills ________________________________________________

Comments ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Overall Rating ____

(-1 = lowest, +10 = highest)

Ready to Sign: yes __ no __





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Documents

2012 Bluecoats Audition