OMEA AE Committee Adopts Revisions to S/E Rudiments & Mallet Keyboard Scale Requirements

OMEA ADJUDICATED EVENTS COMMITTEE ADOPTS REVISION TO S/E RUDIMENT AND MALLET KEYBOARD SCALE REQUIREMENTS

CHRIS CARMEAN, AE COMMITTEE MEMBER

A survey of junior high and high school students indicated that rudiments cause anxiety for snare/multi solo performers, especially in regard to the number of rudiments required and that they be memorized. Subsequent conversations with educators revealed that there might be students who avoid participation due to that anxiety. An initial draft revision was developed, and a survey was sent to percussion educators. The survey results revealed that having the revision conversation was welcome, and changes to the draft were made as a result of feedback received. Subsequent discussion at the 2018 and 2019 OMEA PDC Percussion Adjudicator’s Session and followup survey resulted in the current list, adopted by the AE Committee to take effect in 2020. The previous rudiment requirements were unnecessarily lengthy, redundant, and prohibitive to student participation and success. The goal was to make rudiments less of a barrier to student participation in S&E; this was not an effort to make the requirements easier, rather more accessible and more equivalent to what is required of wind soloists.

Middle/Junior High

The middle school/junior high list includes six rudiments; students will be asked only TWO rudiments, and they may choose to perform them “Steady Best Tempo” OR Open-Close-Open.

MS/JH Rudiment Requirements 1. MS/JH rudiments are to be performed from memory.

2. MS/JH soloists will be asked TWO rudiments from the following: Double Stroke Open Roll, Single Paradiddle, Flam, Drag, 9 Stroke Roll, Flam Tap.

3. MS/JH may choose to perform rudiments “Steady Best Tempo” OR Open-Close-Open (Slow-Fast-Slow). a. JH/MS (7/8) students may elect to perform their rudiments “Steady Best Tempo.” The student may choose their own tempo where they feel they can be most successful. The minimum tempo for any rudiment is 70 bpm. Performance length should be at least four repeats of the rudiment as shown. b. Open-Close-Open (OCO) or Slow-Fast-Slow performance is intended to demonstrate the student’s control of each rudiment throughout a wide tempo range. A student should perform each rudiment in OCO style with significant tempo change and minimal dynamic variation. The rudiment should remain clear and accurate throughout, maintaining consistent note spacing and rhythm, as well as clarity of accents, grace notes, and double strokes. Performance length should fall between 15-30 seconds.

CLICK HERE FOR MS/JH RUDIMENT SHEET

High School

The high school lists are separate C, B, and A lists, i.e. a performer in Class A will be required to perform three rudiments selected only from the A list, Class B from the B list, and Class C from the C list; these will continue to be performed open-closeopen (slow-fast-slow), and memorization will be required for all performers at all levels. Open class soloists (those preparing for college auditions who perform a piece in Festival Performance without rating) will be asked three rudiments from any of the A, B, and C lists.

HS Rudiment Requirements 1. HS rudiments are to be performed from memory. 2. Soloists will be asked three rudiments from the list for the class of solo being performed.

Class C: Double Stroke Open Roll, Single Paradiddle, Flam, Drag, 9-Stroke Roll, Double Paradiddle, Flam Accent, Triple Ratamacue.

CLICK HERE FOR CLASS C REQUIREMENTS

Class B: Double Stroke Open Roll, Single Paradiddle, 5-Stroke Roll, 7-Stroke Roll, Paradiddle-diddle, Flamacue, Flam Paradiddle, Double Ratamacue, Double Drag Tap, Drag Paradiddle No. 2.

CLICK HERE FOR CLASS B REQUIREMENTS

Class A: Double Stroke Open Roll, Single Paradiddle, 6-Stroke Roll, 10-Stroke Roll, 13-Stroke Roll, Flam Drag, Inverted Flam Tap, Pataflafla, Swiss Army Triplet, Single Ratamacue, Single Drag Tap, Drag Paradiddle No. 1.

CLICK HERE FOR CLASS A REQUIREMENTS

Open Class: All from A, B, and C lists. 3. Open-Close-Open (OCO) or Slow-Fast-Slow performance is intended to demonstrate the student’s control of each rudiment throughout a wide tempo range. A student should perform each rudiment in OCO style with significant tempo change and minimal dynamic variation. The rudiment should remain clear and accurate throughout, maintaining consistent note spacing and rhythm, as well as clarity of accents, grace notes, and double strokes. Performance length should fall between 15-30 seconds.

CLICK HERE FOR OPEN CLASS RUDIMENT REQUIREMENTS

High School Mallet Keyboard Scale Requirements

There is no change to the scales high school mallet soloists must know, but there is a change in format: HS mallet soloists will be required to perform scales in two octaves. Each tone of the scale should be at a speed of quarter note = 80-120 bpm.

There will be some new resources available for guidance on the new requirements. Each division (MS/JH, C, B, A, Open Class) will have a separate reference list (samples are included with this article), the complete PAS 40 list will still be available for reference, and we are exploring the possibility of creating reference videos.

This revision is not intended to be a comprehensive list of rudiments which are pedagogically valuable and/or critical for a percussionist’s development. The exclusion of a rudiment does not indicate that it has lesser educational or technical value and shouldn’t still be taught. Having such a comprehensive list is antithetical to the effort to streamline the rudiment list to a point where it is not burdensome, redundant, and creates an obstacle to student participation and achievement, but still retains educational and pedagogical value. It is most important to note that this revised list represents a compromise of all the feedback given by educators through the surveys and discussion at conference sessions.

Please join me for “Teaching Rudiments: New Requirements for S&E Soloists” on Thursday, January 30 at 12:30 in CC211 at the 2020 OMEA PDC to learn more, and for guidance on teaching rudiments.

Chris Carmean teaches in the Pickerington Local Schools, and has performed with the Pittsburgh and Columbus Symphonies and the Troopers D&B Corps. He is a percussion adjudicator for SE and MB Adjudicated Events, serves as MB Adjudications Chair on the AE Committee, and is a C. Alan Publications composer. The Pickerington North Percussion Ensemble has performed at the OMEA PDC three times, and PHSN has had 26 OMEA All-State percussionists.