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FRONT ENSEMBLE AUDITION PACKET
CONTENTS Introduction 4
History 5
Important Dates 6
Letter from CPit Staff 7
Technique Guidelines 9
Cadets Double Stops 13
Cadets Scales 14
DVCpit 15
Cadets Laterals 18
Audition Excerpt #1 – Bowl Arrow 19
Audition Excerpt #2 – Misterioso 20
CPit Synth Audition Excerpt 21
Contact The Cadets 22
HISTORY The corps was founded in Garfield, NJ as The Holy Name Cadets in 1934 and is currently headquartered in Allentown, PA. With 10 American Legion National Championships and 10 Drum Corps International World Championships, The Cadets are one of the winningest drum corps in history. PHILOSOPHY The Cadets is focused on the educational development of today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. The Cadets provide hands-on interactive learning and achievement in the pursuit of excellence.
GOALS
• To create a safe and nurturing environment for all students
• Provide exceptional education of music, movement, Guard Choreography and performance training
• Teach students life lessons of teamwork, discipline, dedication, commitment, and integrity.
• Provide students with instructional support, perseverance and commitment to excellence.
• To promote innovation, creativity, and growth for all student
FROM THE DIRECTOR
I am honored to be the first female Director of The Cadets, and I’m looking forward to kicking off the 2020 season. The Cadets are committed to providing students an opportunity through guided and exceptional education, all the skills needed to achieve at your ultimate best. The audition information you’re about to read will prepare you for a future audition with The Cadets. Not ready to audition for a World Class Drum Corps? No worries, please come and learn from some of the most talented and decorated Instructional staff in the world. I’ve been involved in Pageantry of Arts since I was a teenager, and have decades of experience in educating and leading young adults to achieve at their ultimate best. I am passionate about leading The Cadets into the 2020 season and developing a team of exceptional young adults that will raise the bar far beyond expectations. Come to an Audition/Clinic and let us teach you some valuable tools to prepare you for the future. Best wishes, Denise Bonfiglio, Director
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Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the 2020 Cadets Front Ensemble! The front ensemble staff is excited and honored that you have chosen to audition for The Cadets for the 2020 season. We cannot wait to meet you and begin working with you throughout the audition season! This packet contains all of the information about the techniques we utilize and the exercises we will play in 2020, and it will ultimately prepare you for your audition.
The audition process for The Cadets will consist of two types of evaluations:
1. The Group Audition- You will be rehearsing exercises and show music with the full ensemble throughout the audition camps. During this phase of the season, we will evaluate how you react to instruction, how you play and communicate with others in the ensemble, and how seriously you prepared for the audition.
2. The Individual Audition- Each prospective member will receive an opportunity to display his or her abilities in a 10-15 minute individual audition with the staff members of the 2020 CPit. Part of this time will be spent speaking about your previous performance experiences and other information about you. The rest of the individual audition will be spent playing exercises, excerpts, and a 2-3 minute solo on the instrument of your choice.
WHAT TO BRING References- Each auditionee needs to provide contact information for 2-3 references from instructors of previous ensembles. Provide their name, email, and phone number. Music- Please bring a copy of all the audition material, as well as your solo to camp. It is best to organize all of your materials in a 3-ring binder. Also bring writing implements to make notes and fill out forms. Mallets, Sticks, and Pads- If you choose to use your personal mallets for your solo performance, we encourage you to bring them. For all ensemble playing, however, we will provide all of our Vic Firth sticks and mallets. Bring a drum pad as well for individual and group drumming. A Good Attitude- We are looking for much more than just great players with experience, we are looking to find great team members as well. Members who work well as a team and are able to effectively receive instruction from the staff, administration, and section leaders to achieve our goals are usually the ones who succeed the most.
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WHAT TO PREPARE Keyboards- Prepare all exercises and show excerpts in the packet, as well as a 2-3 minute excerpt from a marimba, vibraphone, or xylophone solo. You should choose a solo that best displays your musicianship and technical abilities. Timpani- Prepare all exercises and show excerpts in the packet, as well as a 2-3 minute timpani solo that includes rolls, pedaling, and different articulations. Synthesizer- Prepare the synth excerpt in the packet, as well as a 2-3 minute classical piano solo that best displays your musicianship and technical ability.
GOOD LUCK Once again, thank you for your interest in The Cadets Front Ensemble! We are very excited to work with you and guide you through the audition process. Remember to come to camp prepared and with a positive, open-minded attitude to get the best results. Although these camps serve as auditions for the ensemble, it is extremely important to us that EVERYONE learns a lot and has a great experience! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact Rick Stetson at [email protected], Kazuomi Motoike at [email protected] or Neil Larrivee at [email protected]. We wish you the very best of luck in your preparations!
Sincerely, The 2020 CPit Staff Brandon Carrita, Front Ensemble Arranger/Audio Designer Neil Larrivee, Front Ensemble Facilitator Rick Stetson, Front Ensemble Caption Manager Kazuomi Motoike, Front Ensemble Assistant Caption Manager Tech and Audio Staff to be announced
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TECHNIQUE GUIDELINES
2 MALLETS
The CPit employs a “full hand” approach to all 2-mallet material.
GRIP GUIDELINES
1. The fulcrum is formed between the first knuckle of the index finger and the pad of the thumb. Never let the mallet slip into the second knuckle of the index finger.
2. Wrap all other fingers naturally around the stick. Although the fulcrum is in the front of the grip, all fingers should have equal pressure on the stick.
3. We do not utilize a “back fulcrum” technique, but the fulcrum pressure can change throughout the hand depending on specific musical passages.
4. The back of the hand will have a slight angle to it so that your hands are not flat.
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STROKE GUIDELINES
1. All 2-mallet strokes will start down and include a prep stroke to the up position before playing.
2. The path of the stroke is straight up and down.
3. The speed of the rebound should always match the velocity of the stroke.
4. The stroke always initiates from the wrist, but fingers and arms will also be involved in some cases.
5. When moving around the instrument, the wrist is responsible for the vertical motion while the arm is responsible for the horizontal (up and down the keyboard) and lateral (to the accidentals) motions.
4 MALLETS
The CPit uses Stevens grip for all 4-mallet material.
STEVENS GRIP GUIDELINES
1. The thumb is the top of the grip and the thumbnail should be parallel to the ceiling.
2. The index fingers should be pointed at each other for all intervals other than seconds and octaves.
3. The back fingers should be firm, leaving little wiggle room for the outer mallets. Only about a ½ inch of the mallet should be sticking out the back of your hand.
4. The bottom of the inner mallet should be right in the center of your palm and anchored down by your middle finger. This will move around as you open or close to wider or smaller intervals.
5. It is important to stay relaxed!
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STROKE GUIDELINES 1. Double Verticals- This stroke is initiated from the
wrist and will include some residual arm motion at any height above 9”. The stroke should happen quickly while staying relaxed. The “wrist pop” is when the top of the wrist moves upwards slightly as the mallets hit the instrument. This should be visible at slower tempos and will become more fluid as the tempo increases.
2. Permutations and Single Alternating Strokes- When one mallet hits the instrument at a time, it is important that all other mallets stay in the “up position.”
The up position should feel like the
top of a double vertical stroke, but only
one mallet comes down at a time.
3. Inner Mallets- When playing with only the inner mallets, the outer mallets will stay in the down position. The inner mallets will achieve the desired height by turning your wrists so that the bottoms of your hands turn in towards each other.
4. Double Lateral Rolls- The double lateral roll sticking we use is 4312. The stroke begins with a vertical descent from the up position for the first note, followed by a rotation towards the other mallet. This results in one swift, efficient and fluid motion creating two notes.
5. Independent Roll- This technique happens when one hand rolls on one or more notes at the same time. This is achieved with a rapid toggling motion between the two mallets. The two mallets can be visualized as a quick and continuous seesaw motion for this technique.
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POSTURE
It is important that all front ensemble performers look as good as they sound, and posture
is the key to a strong visual presence. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your
shoulders should be back and you should face straight ahead, not staring down at the
instrument.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions about any techniques, reach out to a returning veteran of the
ensemble or any staff member. We are all happy to help and we want you to be as
comfortable with our technique as possible!
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Cadets Double Stops 2020 (CDS) To be played with 2-mallets and inner-mallets
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Cadets Scales 2020 To be played with 2-mallets and inner-mallets In All Major Keys
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DVCpit 2020 Learn all 3 Variations
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Cadets Laterals 2020
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CPit Audition Excerpt #1 Bowl Arrow
To be played with 2-mallets
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CPit Audition Excerpt #2 From Misterioso – The Unity Project
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CPit Synth Audition Excerpt
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CONTACT THE CADETS
Denise Bonfiglio, Director [email protected]
Ron Lambert, Assistant Director
Michele Teevan, Operations Manager [email protected]
Brandon Carrita, Front Ensemble & Audio Arranger
Neil Larrivee, Front Ensemble Facilitator [email protected]
Rick Stetson, Front Ensemble Caption Manager
Kazuomi Motoike, Front Ensemble Assistant Caption Manager [email protected]
The Cadets
601 W Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 821-0345
(Fax) (610) 821-1452
cadets.org
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