BREAKTHROUGH

INDOOR
2024 BATTERY AUDITION PACKET

Thank you for registering for the Breakthrough Indoor 2023-2024 auditions! You have
already taken your first step by registering for the auditions and reading through the
information within this packet. Please take the time to study and memorize the music and
technique information along with the material you will be preparing for the auditions. Once
again, thank you for your interest in being a part of the BT Fresh Family. Good luck and
happy practicing!

Miles Kenobbie
Caption Head & Designer
Breakthrough Indoor

Email mileskenobbie@gmail.com
2

Audition Information
What to Prepare and Expect
How to Prepare & Audition Requirements
Virtual Audition Option
Battery Philosophy & Mechanics
Our Approach to Music & Performing
Playing Technique
Stroke Types
About the Packet & Our Exercises
Height System & Musical Notation
Cymbal Playing Technique & Approach

Battery Exercises
BT Eights & Accent Tap
BT Double Beat
BT Paradiddles
BT Rolls
BT Flams
BT Flow

Cymbal Exercises
Eights
Crash Choke Breakdown
16th Note Accents
3

What to Prepare
& Expect
For our regular auditions, showing up early, being
confident in your performance abilities, and having
an enthusiastic attitude with an eagerness to learn
and improve will prove to be your best chance at
claiming a position in the ensemble. Please be kind
and respectful to other auditionees and sta
members. Don’t be afraid to say “hello” and meet
new people! This will show the sta the type of
personality you have and if you fit in well with the
rest of the auditionees. There will also be a quick
individual interview portion with Miles at some point throughout the audition process to
ensure that you have a great attitude, work ethic, are within the WGI age restrictions, have
no outstanding debt to any other organizations, and have a plan for the financial
commitment.

Preparation is key for ANY and EVERY audition. Snare, tenor, and bass drum auditionees
will be expected to understand all of the battery technique and approach information.
Additionally, all six of the battery exercises must be learned, memorized, and well practiced
prior to auditions. Cymbal auditionees will be expected to understand all of the cymbal
technique and approach information. Each of the cymbal exercises must also be learned,
memorized, and well practiced prior to auditions. If you have not fully prepared the audition
material, we still highly encourage you to audition, but it will be significantly more di cult
to keep up with the fast pace. We have a lot of material to cover, a lot of information to
share with you, and not much time to do so.

A majority of the auditions happen with your sub sections and dedicated sta members.
You’ll be going over technique and basic information, along with playing the exercises. You
will be playing in a full section and down the line individually to show your talents and
abilities under a bit of pressure. The full battery will play at the end of auditions, where
you’ll have the opportunity to play with an entire drum line, reviewing the same exercises
your instructors covered in sub sections.

There will also be a large amount of time dedicated to the visual portion of the activity. As a
full marching ensemble, you’ll work together reviewing the visual technique and approach
with and without equipment. We need to see how you can handle moving with equipment
to understand how you will perform for the show. Be prepared for a bit of marching and
playing with the material from the packet and a few on the fly exercises. We will experiment
with di erent marching directions, facing directions, and footfalls to keep this portion quite
demanding.
4

How to Prepare
Be sure to read through the material multiple times and look for as many details as you can
find. Learning and memorizing the material in this packet is the best way to be prepared for
auditions. You will be able to focus on HOW you are playing over WHAT you are playing.
Looking down and reading the material will be a detriment to your performance.

Be sure to practice every exercise at the listed tempos with a metronome and while marking
time for the most e ective approach. The tempos range from slow to fast but we highly
encourage going slower than listed tempos while learning and memorizing the material. The
slower the tempo, the more time the brain has to think and process critical information.
Control is a big aspect of percussion. We always mention that patience and quality build up
the skills and chops for all of the material. Going faster than listed tempos is also a great
option to test limits and push the muscles to control technique and speed.

Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is a vital part of learning and working on playing abilities.
Break down the music into small chunks, or even counts at a time, whenever a wall or limit
has been reached. Focus on why the failure might be occurring and what a possible solution
could be. Keep trying di erent options and push through reps until success is achieved. You
will gain a lot of information from the sta at the auditions, and they will help you with any
troubles you might have. Feel free to reach out to mileskenobbie@gmail.com if there any
questions you need answered before arriving to auditions!

Audition
Requirements
Things to bring
Sticks or Bass Mallets
Audition Material Printed
Water Jug Half or Full Gallon
Athletic Clothing
Athletic Shoes
An eagerness to learn, improve, and excel
A positive attitude
5

Virtual Audition Option

While we we highly encourage all auditionees to attend our in person auditions to receive
valuable information and feedback from sta , we do accept video auditions.

For the video audition, we will want to see a clear recording of you playing from head to toe
with a reasonable camera angle, showcasing your abilities on a drum preferably or a practice
pad. You should be visibly marking time with a full foot with an audible metronome playing
for the sta to hear. This is to see all aspects of your abilities and to hear how well they are
executed in time.

Start with a short introduction, introduce yourself, tell us where you are from, where you
attend school, your previous marching experiences, and why you are interested in
auditioning for Breakthrough.

What to play
BT Eights & Accent Tap @ 132bpm & 152bpm
BT Double Beat @ 156bpm
BT Paradiddles @ 156bpm
BT Rolls @ 172bpm
BT Flams @ 106bpm
BT Flow @ 124bpm

Send all videos to mileskenobbie@gmail.com

by October 1st to be considered for a callback
audition opportunity on October 8th.
6

Battery Philosophy & Mechanics

Philosophy “The approach to hitting the drum is to be as relaxed and powerful as
possible while being as e cient and expressive as possible.”

We want to produce the most sound out of the drum while maintaining razor sharp
precision with our musical and visual package. We use three main mechanics; the Wrist,
Arm, and Fingers. Don’t completely isolate the mechanics in order to avoid tension and
“locking” them up. Use them together with evolving ratios for di erent tempos and heights.

Weight and Velocity are two common terms while discussing the speed of the sticks and
sound of the drum. Keep and even ratio between the heaviness of the mechanics, or the
“weight” relaxation of the grip, and the speed of the stick. Move the stick quickly with the
most about of ease. This will produce the most sound without sacrificing control and
e ciency.

Technique will influence your sound and precision, and vice versa.

The Mechanics
The Wrist This is our main motivator of the stick. Keep the fulcrum and grip secure then
pull the bead of the stick back in a curved motion up towards your shoulder. Don’t over
extend your flexibility, over doing the wrist turn can cause serious issues, be sure to only get
to around 90% of your max flexibility. Don’t go past vertical stick heights.

The Forearm This is our main support of sound and power in our large dynamics while
also being a connective “glue” between di erent heights to keep everything looking and
sounding smooth. Don’t over do the pushing down feeling, it should be more of a float up
and rest down to follow and support the wrist. Normally we keep it moving between two to
three inches max.

The Fingers These will alter the motion of the stick quite a bit, when used correctly and
incorrectly. They don’t do much work physically, but impact the rebound control after
hitting the drum. For bouncy, rebounded strokes, keep a slight amount of space, around one
inch, between the stick and palm, to get the best response for the bounce. Always keep the
fingers cradled around the stick. Be sure follow the bead back up with the wrist as well,
don’t let the space in the hand get too open, you will lose all wrist turn and control. To
control the rebound of the stick in downstrokes and closed hand technique, keep a firm grip
around the stick using the back three fingers, not letting the space open up in upstrokes or
downstrokes, so the stick stops and starts exactly where the wrist dictates.
7

Our Approach to Music & Performing

Sound Quality & Touch Sound is everything. Performers are musicians first and must
be able to produce quality sounds from the drum at whatever dynamic, heights, and touch
being produced. The sticks need to vibrate as much as possible while staying relaxed in the
hands. Tension and squeezing will remove weight and power which will diminish the quality
of the sound. Be sure to push enough air through the drum to get it to respond properly.
Sometimes extremely light touch is required, but don’t underplay, pull your punches, or
“feather tap” for a majority of the dynamics and heights in the material. On the other hand,
don’t overplay and “pound” on the drum. Stay relaxed and get as much sound of the drum as
possible with even weight and velocity.

Tempo & Timing Tempo is the backbone for a majority of the music we play. Clarity of
timing and tempo is our primary objective while performing at Breakthrough. In order to
achieve clarity, each performer needs to be confidently playing in tempo with exceptional
rhythmic timing in order to do it with everyone in their section and ensemble. Focus on the
marking time lining up with the metronome, keeping consistent internal tempo and groove
to keep it comfortable, and listening the sound and analyzing the timing with the met and
tempo.

Marking Time & Visual Performance We mark time with a full foot, starting o
of the left foot. Timing is critical to precise percussion, so make sure your feet are
comfortable marking time to not only quarter notes, but di erent kinds of patterns as we
march with di erent footfalls throughout our show. Be prepared to march and play during
auditions. Bring water and proper marching attire. Be ready to play any of the material on
the move to the four basic directions, obliques, and patterns such as box drill with di erent
footfalls. We look for physical fitness, body control, and athletic abilities throughout
auditions as well. There will be portions to the visual audition that include choreography
and di erent styles of dance.

Posture & Confidence Every time you

step behind the drum, approach it from a
performance standpoint. Stand up straight,
relax the shoulders back, lift the chin slightly,
and keep the elbows and knees relaxed. Be
confident, proud, and excited to showcase
your playing abilities. Nerves are always a
part of performing. Use the adrenaline as
fuel for power and precision while playing,
the excitement to keep the attitude positive,
and the awareness to focus on excellence and
any adjustments that need to be made in the
moment.
8

Playing Technique
Set Along with all of the information from the posture section, all members of the battery
will hold their set position the same with the exception of their respective section grips .
Hands and arms will be resting down by the performer’s sides, sticks in hand. Let the shoulders
and arms stay relaxed but they should not be moving/swaying at all. Feet will be together with
heels touching and toes slightly open. Before playing, the arms and sticks will come up, just
missing the drums, up to playing position while marking time. After playing, the arms and sticks
will go down, just missing the drums, ending in set position while the feet hold. Keep the sticks
up and down a quick motion 2 counts before and after playing.

Snares TRADITIONAL GRIP

Tenors & Basses MATCHED GRIP

TRADITIONAL GRIP Look at your arm as it rests to your side when you are standing. This
is how the arm and wrist look when in the playing position. Notice how the thumb is a direct
extension of the forearm and points in a straight line. The playing position of your left hand
should be leveled just below your belly button, with a downward angle toward the head. Note:
at Breakthrough we DO NOT play with a tilted snare drum. The left hand fulcrum is
created in the “web y” part of the hand, between the side of the thumb and index finger’s
bottom knuckle. The index finger rests on top of the stick with the thumb resting on the first
knuckle of the index finger. The middle finger also stays relaxed on top of the stick and is never
straight which would be indicative of tension . The pinky acts in conjunction with the ring
finger, always staying connected and relaxed, while the stick rests of the cuticle of the ring
finger. The rotation of the left hand is often described like the motion of turning a door knob.

MATCHED GRIP When holding the stick imagine a straight line from the elbow through the
forearm and wrist all the way to the bead of the stick specifically for tenors . There should be a
slightly downward angle to stick and forearm, with the wrist resting at waist level or slightly
above the waist. The fulcrum includes the connection point between the full pad of the thumb
and the first crease of the index finger, with the stick sitting directly in between them. The
thumb should be directly in line with the stick. Connect the bottom knuckle of the index finger
to the side of the thumb in order to close down any gaps and flatten the hands. The back fingers
will wrap around just enough to cradle the stick, it is typically the first crease of all the back
fingers with a little bit of the pad on the pinky finger. Be careful about over wrapping your back
fingers. No matter what is being played, strive to keep all digits on the stick in the same position
at all times.

BASS DRUMS The matched grip will still be utilized, but there are a few key distinctions to
point out. At playing position, the forearm will be parallel to the ground with the shoulders
relaxed. Elbow angles will be determined by drum size, the smaller the drum, the more acute of
an angle, the larger the drum, the more obtuse of an angle. The mallet angle should generally sit
around 150 degrees. To get the most natural angle, let the arms hang down, keep the hand
neutral with the mallet in it, do not adjust the wrist to point the mallet at the ground or
in front of you, and raise the forearms up to flat without adjusting the angle of the wrist/stick.
At Breakthrough we use the wrist break technique and add extra arm extension past
12” to achieve 15” or vertical heights.
9

Stroke Types
We use the four primary stroke types at Breakthrough. The Full Stroke, Down Stroke,
Tap Stroke, & Up Stroke. They help us understand when the appropriate rebound or
control should be applied. They are typically defined between forte 12” and piano 3”
dynamics, but can also be applied to the mezzo dynamic accents. The Prep Stroke could
also be included, as it is necessary to play while starting at the resting or playing position.
We generally use between an 8th note and quarter note timing before hitting for preps.
Keep it natural and focus on the flow of the exercise and tempo.

Full Stroke Starting up at the full forte dynamic or 12” wrist turn, the bead and wrist will
lead the stick to move down and hit the drum before quickly rebounding to the original wrist
turn position and height. Be sure to not grip the stick too loose or tight as this will stop the
stick from bouncing after hitting the drum.

Down Stroke Starting up at the full forte dynamic or 12” wrist turn, the bead and wrist will
lead the stick to move down and hit the drum before stopping at the piano or 3” position. Do
not add tension in the fingers or feel a pulling sensation. Do not hit the drum harder to attempt
to control the stick. Keep a set grip of the stick while keeping the fingers activated on the stick,
touching your palm. The finger will act a barrier to prevent the stick from rebounding any
further than your wrist turn allows. Be sure to finish the wrist turn all the way to piano height in
order to achieve a precise down stroke.

Tap Stroke The same as a Full Stroke, Taps will start and stop at the same bead height, but
they stay at the piano dynamic or 3” position. Marcato taps will be utilized at slower, more open
passages. Don’t activate any finger pressure or pull, just apply a slight amount of extra weight to
the stroke from the arm and the bead will gently rest above the head, similar to the bead height
in the playing position, after hitting the drum before being guided back up by the wrist to piano
height to hit the drum again.

Up Stroke Starting at the piano dynamic or 3” position, turn the wrist down to hit the drum,
then rebound and turn the wrist back to a full forte or 12” wrist turn. The Up Stroke is similar
to a prep, don’t open the space in the hand while turning the wrist, this will cause control issues
and create tension when pulling the fingers back into the palm.

Twitch The Twitch stroke can be tricky to start. While playing faster, lower dynamic, notes
on a single hand, focus on a “separation” feeling between your hand and forearm. The wrist will
create a up and down motion or “twitch” motion that can be useful for very quick and low
passages, like singles, flam passages, and Moeller technique. Be sure to use a Full, Legato, or Tap
stroke for this technique.

Relax & Rebound Overall, think about keeping a set grip around the stick, relax the wrist
and mechanics, and rebound the stick accordingly to whatever stroke type and technique you
are using.
10

About the Packet

This audition packet is a condensed version of what our season packet will look and sound
like. In order to be e cient with time and the audition process, we have selected the
essential skillsets that we will be utilizing for the beginning of our pre season. As our season
progresses, the exercises will be adjusted and lengthened to our specific needs as a battery,
including primers, build ups, and show chunks.

The overall goal of the warm ups is to be as e cient as possible by focusing on very specific
skillsets with a moderate amount of variety to keep the length of them shorter. This will
help in the educational and learning processes, keeping the preparation time seem more
achievable and less daunting for auditionees.

Our Exercises
Eights & Accent Tap Eights is a drummer’s favorite exercise. Usually a great educational
tool for the basics stroke types and foot timing practice, we keep it short by using a
combination of stroke types and stickings through a few variations. We also add in 16th notes to
work on coordination between the hands.

Double Beat Double Beat builds the diddle or double stroke mechanic at a slower speed to
reinforce the wrist turn. Keep the notes as even as possible while also following a natural lift and
fall with the arm. Keep the approach similar and powerful for the triple strokes, while letting
the heights naturally decay.

Paradiddles There are many variations of similar paradiddle patterns in this exercise. Be
sure to double check the details and focus on stroke type through the accents and taps. You will
see many of these paradiddle variations in the show music.

Rolls Based o of the exercise Short Short Long, we isolate each hand to focus on the feel
and mechanics individually, eventually building them back together for full, continuous, even
sounding rolls. Focus on two aspects, constant hand speed and open diddle interpretation or
spacing between the first and second note .

Flams Utilizing 16th note grid, we focus on the accent and tap control while keeping the low
taps and grace notes as even as possible. Focus on what each hand is doing, be sure to not let
them conflict with each other. We will also be adding ornamentation to this exercise,
experiment with adding hybrid rudiments such as Flam Drags, Cheeses, and Flam Fives
throughout the exercise.

BT Flow This is all about comfort and the twitch mechanic. Relying heavily on relaxation and
comfortable heights, keep a heavy and natural flow for preps and downstrokes in this exercise.
Be sure to count the amount of notes on each hand properly, once you have the groove down, it
is very easy to follow along with. We’ve added a singles section to showcase versatility as well.
11

Height System
1” pp pianissimo
3” p piano
6” mp mezzo piano
9” mf mezzo forte
12” f forte
15” or Vertical fortissimo

Music Notation
Stickings These will be notated below the notes and are written for specific looks, sounds,
and feels. Be sure to follow the stickings as closely as possible. Letter R represents the right
hand while the letter L represents the left hand. Capital letters will represent accents while
lowercase represent taps. Learning the music properly also means learning the dynamics and
stickings!

Accents and Taps Accents should be played at the dynamic notated below the music sta .
Although flexible, accents will usually be played from mezzo forte to fortissimo dynamics. Taps
will typically be considered at the piano dynamic in most contexts. For crescendos and
decrescendos most taps will adjust accordingly to the notation. If there are accents integrated in
a crescendo or decrescendo, the accents will follow the dynamics and the taps will stay at piano
height. Everything is fairly relative so focus on e cient, visual contrast between large accents
and low taps.

Tenuto We treat these as “half accents” when following our height system and they indicate
that a note should receive some degree of emphasis. Usually played around the mezzo piano
dynamic.

Shots We utilize three di erent shot zones while hitting the drum and the rim at the same
time.
Ping Shot The highest pitched shot, where the bead is pulled all the way back, hitting
the rim while minimizing the amount of taper that makes contact with the rim.

Shoulder Shot This is our normal or standard shot, where the rim makes
contact with the taper of the stick, about two to three inches below the bead.

Full Shot Our least used shot, only for e ect purposes, uses the bead in the
center of the head while making contact with the rim.

Diddles Our diddles, which are two notes played on the same hand in a rapid succession, are
notated with a slash through the stem of the note. This shows to add an extra note that is half
the speed of the original note for the following hit. Be sure to keep the second note at the same
dynamic as the first.
12

Cymbal Playing Technique & Approach

At Breakthrough, we look for individuals who are strong musicians. Along with that, we
strive to be open minded and have a positive attitude throughout the season. There will be
many times when new challenges and changes will be given to you. It is very crucial to be
able to adapt quickly.

Style The cymbal line plays with an “On Hand” approach. This means that every sound and visual
will be done in the strap, connected with the hands.

Crash Technique Our flat crashes will be done with a pull technique. This is done by pushing
your right cymbal diagonally to the first contact point, two inches from the edge of your left cymbal.
After hitting the first contact point, you will pull away with both cymbals, causing your cymbals to
hit at the second contact point in the back.

Timing It is very important to have a good understanding of various rhythms in di erent time
signatures. Along with that, we look for individuals who are able to march and play in time.

Positions
Set Parallel cymbals with a slight bend in the elbows and knots will be around hip level. This will
be the main starting position.

Choke Cymbals under armpits and your full arm pressing into the cymbals. We aim for a 90 degree
angle in the arms and a 2 inch gap on the front of the cymbals. This is the position where you will
mute o the sound for sounds such as crash chokes and tap chokes.

Flat Cymbals parallel and sitting at an angle from your left shoulder to your right hip. We like to
think of it as the angle of a seatbelt. At this position you will be playing di erent sounds such as
dead crashes, full extension crashes, orchestral crashes, sizzles, and presses.

Port Parallel cymbals in front

of face and knots will be at nose
level. Sounds such as orchestral
crashes, sizzles, and presses will
be played at this position.

Tap Cymbals will be in a

triangle shape without the
bottom side. We aim for a 45
degree angle and the tops of the
cymbals will be at eye level. At
this position, you will play taps
and tap chokes.
Battery Exercises
Cymbal Exercises
 Eights

           

Crash

         
Full Extension Choke
Crash Push out on 3
Lock Back on 3


    
15
 Crash Choke Breakdown

                  
Crash on 1 Crash on 1
Choke on 3 Choke on 2
Push out on 5 Push out on 4

                 
Crash on 1

 
Choke on and of 1
13
Push out on 3

       
            
Crash Choke on 1
25 Push out on 3
 16th Note Accents

                                             
             

                                      
6

               

                   
11

     
BREAKTHROUGH
INDOOR
2024 FRONT ENSEMBLE AUDITION PACKET

We would like to thank you for choosing to audition for the front ensemble section of Arizona’s
longest running indoor percussion ensemble. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our
auditions, and our process. In this process we are not only looking for those that are prepared,
but also those who are great human beings that serve not only the group and the WGAZ and WGI
communities at large.

In this packet, you will find what you will need to have prepared for the auditions as well as
anything you will need to bring. We sincerely look forward to meeting you all! If you have a
secondary instrument you would like us to evaluate on, please let us know when you register. We
will be fielding a full ensemble of Marimbas, a Xylo/Glockenspiel combo, Vibraphones, 2
synthesizers (with Mainstage), Drumset, Aux Percussion. Bass Guitar and Guitar are HIGHLY
encouraged to attend! Parts for these instruments will be shown at Auditions, but it is encouraged
to follow the Synths portion of each exercise. Come with your personality, and instrument of
course!

Riley Smith
Front Ensemble Coordinator
Breakthrough Indoor
riley.msmith2132@gmail.com
What to Expect at Auditions

● All prospective members should have the packet learned with all stated variations and
tempos. This does not need to be memorized.

● Comments aimed toward improvement. We will be evaluating your progress throughout

the process, but more importantly how quickly we can adapt and apply changes. This will
directly correlate to your progression through our evaluation process

● An interview with our caption head and staff to get a better idea of who you are as your
own unique person. We want to get to know you better!

● Exercises w/ a boxed text above will have directions w/ pedaling explanations, and
expectations on which keys exercises will need to be learned in

● We will be sharing instruments as needed, there may be some instances where we will
have groups up at a time. These do not pertain any meaning beyond logistics and amount
of people in the room.

2
Housekeeping
The Grip: We will be using STEVEN’S GRIP for all keyboards this season. All the detailed
explanations you will receive during the audition process will be based on the book “Method of
Movement” by Leigh Howard Stevens. If there is a medical accommodation requiring you to use
another grip, just let us know! We want to provide a comfortable atmosphere for all.

Vibraphones: We will be using our right foot for pedaling, detailed explanations on how to
navigate with foot on pedal will be explained at auditions.

For drumset players, please use whichever style grip best suits you. You will be asked to
demonstrate styles in the packet, and given different directions on where to take a feel or phrase.
Be adaptable. Make it sound like YOU!

Stroke Type: We will be using both “Piston” and “Legato” strokes when appropriate in context.
These concepts apply to both 2 and 4 mallets

What to Bring: Please bring your own sticks/mallets in order for everyone to have hands going
at all times. We will provide mallets, but it is preferred that you bring your own so we can
spread the wealth. Thank you :) We are able to provide amps for string instruments, but it is
recommended to bring your own if able.

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The Audition Process
DAY 1 (Audition)

Day 1 will start off with everyone together in a full front ensemble setting. We’ll get to know each other a bit
and you’ll get to meet the staff. During this portion, we will start working through how we approach our
instruments at Breakthrough. This will involve (but not all) the following: our presence, our posture, poise,
how we pulse, how to move around your instrument, and how we approach each passage. Expect we will
go through the majority of the packet during this time, and have rhythm start with some improv as needed.
The afternoon will entail more section specific work as we begin to evaluate individuals, as well as
individual interviews.

DAY 2 (Audition, part 2)

Day 2 will follow a very similar schedule like above, especially for auditionees who may not have been able
to attend the first week. Individual interviews will still be happening during this time. Staff will be rotating in
and out of instruction and will be constantly evaluating prospective members.

Day 3 (CALLBACKS)

This is the culmination of the process. Expect that we will be having certain individuals play with others to
see how we blend, move, and most importantly who have IMPROVED over the last couple weeks. This is a
HUGE proponent to potential membership at BT. We are always looking for prepared and skilled
auditionees, but we are also looking for who is the best FIT for BT period.

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Audition Materials

OCTAVES

SHIFTS

LONDON BRIDGE

LATERALS

ALTERNATING

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Circle of 4ths Reference