Berklee drum audition (practicing, advice etc.)

chrisser90

Junior Member
Hi,

My name is Chris and I'm a Berklee International Network student at Newpark Music Centre outside of Dublin. I'm in my 2nd year of the Berklee Track.
In February I'm doing the scholarship audition for Berklee since I of course am interested in doing my best at the audition. I already have done the Berklee audition once before but since every audition is different I would like to hear what people have experienced over the past for their auditions and what the outcome was (going to Berklee, not going, scholarship ...). I have already read the blogspot about the Berklee audition, seen the video's by JP Bouvet and read guidelines on the website and on another blog.
Some of the main things I'm interested in is:
-How should your practice schedule towards the audition look (I'm thinking what material should I be doing?
- How many grooves a day?
- Sight reading material? (I have loads of books but I remember seeing stuff in 6/8)?
- Should I do a tune where I switch styles (fx going from Bossa to Swing)
- Would it give minus points if I took down the tempo in a tune?

Please give me tips and ideas. I'm planning on doing a jazz tune and bringing in a bass and piano player. Oh and last question. Would it give more points doing your own composition instead of a a standard?

Thanks!
Chris
 
Thanks I already saw the video's and their great but would like some more tips towards the practicing towards the audition process and the reading material I should focus on and how much?
 
Thanks I already saw the video's and their great but would like some more tips towards the practicing towards the audition process and the reading material I should focus on and how much?

to prepare just practice styles, trading 4s, and sharpen up your reading

know a samba , a bossa, mid tempo swing, uptempo swing , 3/4 swing, a shuffle, a basic rock, and be prepared to trade 4s in any one of those .....you may only need to play one or two of those but you don't know which so be prepared for all

I have heard the reading is pretty basic stuff...some 8th, 16ths, 32nds, some trips......and you get some time to look it over before you play it

I know the interview is very important as well......jst be honest and confident

what are you playing for your prepared piece ?

my student that is auditioning on Dec. 15 is playing For Big Sid.....he is killing it
 
Yeah I remember that from when I did the audition in 2011. I haven't really decided yet I was going over some ideas yesterday. Let me know what you think:
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
Miles Davis - Four
John Coltrane - Impressions (A played in bossa style and B as swing)
A composition I'm writing

These are just a few ideas I came across but am not at all sure yet.
 
Yeah I remember that from when I did the audition in 2011. I haven't really decided yet I was going over some ideas yesterday. Let me know what you think:
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
Miles Davis - Four
John Coltrane - Impressions (A played in bossa style and B as swing)
A composition I'm writing

These are just a few ideas I came across but am not at all sure yet.

I definitely don't recommend playing something where you play along with a track

I had a student who did a play along at the audition and he said they had a crappy old PA and he could not hear the track at all and basically guessed his way through it

this is why my current student is preparing For Big Sid
 
Yeah the first time I did a Berklee audition I did a playalong track and will not do that again. The plan is to go and play with a trio setting. Hope your student does well! Let me know how he does
 
I highly recommend watching these

I have 2 former students currently in their second year at Berklee and one auditioning on Dec. 15

these videos nail every aspect of what you need to know for your audition and what you will experience

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqQFzjmOgmE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDX7t3fE724

I posted these videos in a similar thread and I think it's the best help anyone could get outside of actually personally knowing someone who went through the auditioning process.
 
I definitely don't recommend playing something where you play along with a track

I had a student who did a play along at the audition and he said they had a crappy old PA and he could not hear the track at all and basically guessed his way through it

this is why my current student is preparing For Big Sid

I'm doing Jordu with a trio setting of piano and bass. How did you student end up doing. Please let me know as much as possible about his audition!
 
to prepare just practice styles, trading 4s, and sharpen up your reading

know a samba , a bossa, mid tempo swing, uptempo swing , 3/4 swing, a shuffle, a basic rock, and be prepared to trade 4s in any one of those

I'll show some of my ignorance here, but what do you mean by trading fours? do you mean going back and forth between styles each four bars?
 
@Chrisser - found out a couple days ago that he was accepted.....I knew he would be ....he nailed the audition and is a fantastic musician

@5against4 - trading fours is when musicians pass 4 bar solos back and forth.
sometimes over a form....sometimes not
 
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