Semester Startup

Week 1

By First-Tuesday Deadline (1/21/25)

Submit a Jazz Ensemble Scheduling Form by the strict Tuesday deadline (form opens a week before the start of classes)

(Form Closed)

On First-Wednesday

Attend mandatory Jazz Orientation, 2:00pm, RHL104
Complete your Jazz Placement Audition directly after orientation

By First-Weekend

Ensemble Placement results announced
By late weekend into Monday, ensemble course SPNs sent via email

Week 2

On Monday

Undergraduate students use emailed SPNs to register their ensemble placements within the Drop/Add deadline. Graduate students contact their academic advisor for any needed SPNs
Jazz Majors attend MGSA Orientation, Nicholas Stage, 12:10 pm
Ensembles with room assignments may begin meeting
Private Lesson schedules may now be confirmed – students have two weeks of lessons to obtain any necessary signatures from their private instructors before the Week-4 agreement forms deadline, as may apply.

Week 4

By Monday – Jazz Agreement Forms Deadline

Note: Electronic form submissions are not accepted. For forms requiring instructor signatures, consider that each instructor’s weekly availability to obtain a signature is limited, so plan ahead to meet form deadlines. Paper copies of forms will be provided at orientations and also available via download. Per the Handbook, late or missing forms will impact final semester ensemble grades.

Signed “Jazz Student Handbook Agreement” form due (Jazz and non-Jazz majors)
Signed “Keyboard Essentials Agreement for Non-Pianists” form due. Requires Private Instructor signature
Signed “Jazz Drum Major Jury Agreement” form due. Requires Private Instructor signature

Note that non-jazz major students are only to submit a Jazz Student Handbook Agreement form. All other forms do not apply.

Details:

The Jazz Ensemble Scheduling Form Closes after First-Tuesday

The Jazz Ensemble Scheduling Form is open for submissions one week before First-Tuesday (first day of classes) and will close after that. Wednesday jazz placement auditions are the next day. All Rutgers students, regardless of their major, who want to join jazz ensembles must fill out this form by the First-Tuesday deadline each semester and attend Jazz Orientation and Placement Auditions the next day.

Form Corrections

To update the information you’ve already submitted, simply complete another form – information from the most recent submission will be used.

Missed Deadline

Submitting the Jazz Ensemble Scheduling Form late or not at all, even if you have completed an audition, will lead to an ensemble ranking of zero (0) and could result in being excluded from consideration for the jazz ensemble this semester. A zero ranking may only permit placement in leftover jazz ensemble seats after all other students have been assigned, if any are available. In this situation, there is no priority or assurance of being placed in an ensemble, which could affect your ability to earn the necessary jazz ensemble credits. Please consult the Grading Form Policy for all Agreement Forms related to Jazz Majors (Jazz Handbook).

Jazz Orientation and Placement Auditions take place the first Wednesday of each semester. Jazz placement results from these auditions are then announced by the First-Weekend.

Students potentially qualify for ensembles based on these placement results. No prior rankings or statuses are considered; returning students are not afforded placement considerations based on previous semesters and cannot assume they will automatically qualify for any given ensemble at any time. All students audition and re-qualify for all jazz ensembles every semester.

Custom audition times cannot be facilitated outside of the above schedule, and accommodations for missed auditions are not possible.

Overview

Auditioning students are evaluated for jazz placement in three main areas: (1) sight-reading, (2) jazz improvisation, and (3) overall performance/musicianship. Music to sight-read will be provided and to improvise on, and students may also perform a selection they’ve prepared in advance. Jazz theory knowledge of chords, scales, modes, and harmony may also be tested.

Placement into advanced ensembles requires an advanced placement result. Non-jazz-majors should demonstrate as much of the criteria below as they are capable (also refer to additional non-major information at bottom of page). Please note the testing of each criterion may vary at the discretion of the adjudicating faculty.

Audition Preferences

Perform a Jazz Selection

Perform the melody (head) and improvise over the chord changes of a jazz standard, which may be selected from the jazz program Tune-List or a similar repertoire of your choosing. Prepare as a potential solo performance (accompaniment may be available according to student and faculty availability). Backing tracks are not accepted.

Examples of Scales, Arpeggios, Theory

Major, Minor, Blues scales and jazz mode scales and chords
Sight read a jazz tune selection or band chart

Jazz Drums (supersedes the above requirements)

Perform the following time feels: Swing in 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, and 7/8 (slow, medium, and up-tempo, with sticks and brushes), Afro-Cuban 6/8, Bossa Nova, and Samba.
Interchange time feels with solos as requested: 4 bars time, 4 bars solo. 8 bars time, 8 bars solo, etc, as dictated
Sight read drum charts and/or lead sheets, outline melodic content and hits while keeping time
Note: Drum adjudicators may include at their discretion basic keyboard tests of jazz scales, jazz modes, and related chords

Jazz majors must wait to finalize Private Lesson schedules

Ensemble scheduling comes first and takes priority over the scheduling of individual private jazz lessons. It’s acceptable to discuss potential lesson times with your private instructor ahead of auditions. However, lesson times can only be confirmed once the ensemble placement results are released on the First Weekend.

All students will register the ensemble courses they’ve been placed into after jazz placement results have been posted within the Drop/Add period.

Once announced, undergraduate students who have qualified for ensembles will be sent Special Permission Numbers (SPNs) to register their ensemble courses within the Drop/Add period.

Graduate students will contact their academic advisor for respective SPNs as needed.

Please refer to the “Ensemble Registration FAQ” below.

I received the email containing ensemble SPNs, but not all of my ensembles are listed. Why?

Please note that several ensembles exist as subsections of a single course number but that only one section of a course number can be registered at a time. Therefore, the Special Permission Numbers sent to you reflect what course registrations are actually possible within the university registration system and for which some of your ensembles cannot be registered.

This limitation is commonly encountered when students are placed into multiple Alternate Large ensembles and/or multiple Chamber Jazz courses.

I really want all my ensembles listed for credit on my transcript. What can I do!?

The subsection limitation mentioned above has been in effect over the years. As a result, this preference may not be possible to accommodate. Please contact your academic adviser for more information.

I’m now registering for my ensembles, and it asks for a special permission number. Where do I get that?

Ensemble registrations are only possible AFTER placement audition results are released, to be completed within the Drop/Add period. Once results are announced, Undergraduate students will receive by email the SPNs needed to register for the specific ensembles for which they’ve qualified. Graduate students will contact their academic advisor for needed SPNs.

Do I still need to pre-register for section 01 only of a Large or Chamber Jazz Ensemble?

No. That legacy process is no longer needed or possible as these ensemble courses now all require SPNs. Going forward, students do not process ensemble registrations in advance.

Are there any ensembles that I can pre-register for before the semester starts?

No. Ensemble registrations are only possible AFTER placement audition results are released, to be completed within the Drop/Add period. SPNs will not be made available before that time.

I just completed my placement audition. Can I now register for ensembles?

No. Ensemble registrations are only possible AFTER placement audition results are released, to be completed within the Drop/Add period. SPNs will not be made available before that time.

When will Placement Audition results be released?

Audition results will be announced by the first-weekend (Saturday/Sunday) of the semester after placement auditions have concluded.

When will SPNs be sent to me?

After placement results are announced, an email containing your SPNs will be sent to Undergraduate students by the First-Monday during the Drop/Add period. Graduate students will contact their academic advisor for any needed SPNs.

Why are SPNs not sent to Graduate students as well?

Unlike undergraduates, graduate students only register for course credits they choose to pay for. It is not uncommon for graduates to participate in some ensembles that are not included in their tuition (that is, not for credit). As a result, the jazz program does not become involved in graduate course scheduling, and graduate students are advised to handle these matters privately with their graduate academic advisor.

What is the university deadline to register for ensemble courses?

Students must submit all ensemble course registrations within the Drop/Add period, which typically ends within the second week of the semester. Please refer to school announcements and postings for this or contact your academic adviser.

What is the “Drop/Add” period?

The university provides a short time window for course adjustments at the start of each semester, known as the Drop/Add period. It begins on the first day of classes and lasts about 8 class days. This window allows course registrations to be dropped or added without penalty. Please contact your academic advisor for details.

I missed the Drop/Add period registration deadline. Now what?

Unfortunately, processing your ensemble registrations for the semester may no longer be possible, negatively impacting needed prerequisites and credit loads. Please contact your academic adviser for more information.

Ensemble Preference

Students may express a desire to join specific ensembles, but participation in any group depends on the results of placement auditions conducted each semester, as mentioned earlier. Your audition outcome ultimately dictates your eligibility for any ensemble.

Faculty Designation

Jazz majors may be assigned to ensembles at the discretion of the jazz faculty, regardless of their indicated availability or preferences, as outlined in the Jazz Handbook. Consequently, jazz majors should prioritize their class and personal schedules, especially during the drop/add period, to meet required assignments that support the jazz program.

Placement Priority

Ensembles are categorized as a class, and decisions regarding placement are treated as assignments. Being accepted into an ensemble comes with the obligation to attend all performances and activities, whether on-campus or off-campus. Students who do not adhere to this commitment and related procedures will lose their audition spot to another student, without exceptions. It is NOT possible to sub-out a performance. Students must handle their schedules and responsibilities in a professional manner to accommodate the ensemble activities they are privileged to join.

Students involved in jazz studies performances and activities are held responsible for knowing all scheduled events that pertain to them in advance, as maintained on the Jazz Event Calendar, per the Jazz Handbook. Signing the Jazz Handbook Agreement Form indicates the student is aware of their responsibility to commit to and keep open event dates as applies to them.

Students are expected to inspect these events at the start of the semester to maintain a personal record and re-check them throughout the semester.

The following signed form submissions are mandatory. Per the Jazz Handbook, compliance with these deadlines is graded as assignments, counting toward each student’s large ensemble and/or Jury grade for the pertaining semester.

NOTE: This Does Not Refer to Signed Syllabi for Courses: Agreement form deadlines do not include any signed course syllabi as required by individual class instructors such as ensemble directors or class professors. Contact your respective faculty directly regarding the submission of such items. The deadline refers to the forms below, ONLY.

Jazz Handbook Agreement Form
(All Rutgers Students)

All participating Rutgers students must read and fully understand the Jazz Student Handbook before signing the Jazz Student Handbook Agreement Form. Your signature indicates your consent to everything outlined, including any revisions made to it each semester.

Non-Piano Major ‘Keyboard Essentials’ Jury Agreement
(Jazz Majors only)

Applicable only to:

Undergrad semester-5/6 Non-Piano Majors
Grad semester-3 Non-Piano Majors

The Keyboard Essentials Agreement for Non-Pianists form must be signed by jazz majors and their primary lesson instructors. Please schedule a time to meet with the piano faculty throughout the semester if you need assistance preparing for these keyboard requirements.

Jazz Drum-major Agreement Form

In addition to signing the Jazz Drum Major Jury Agreement form, Jazz Drum majors also have ongoing Keyboard Theory requirements for their jury each semester. Note, however, that during their 5th and 6th semesters, Jazz Drum majors will instead observe the “Keyboard Essentials” exam, mentioned above and also outlined here.

We welcome all currently attending, non-jazz-major Rutgers students to audition for large and alternate-large ensembles, and only in chamber jazz ensembles as subject to seat requirements each semester.

To proceed, they must follow all procedures found on this page, which includes filling out a Jazz Ensemble Scheduling Form and attending Jazz Orientation and Auditions on the first Wednesday of the semester. Non-jazz major students are only required to submit a signed Jazz Student Handbook agreement (all other forms listed do not apply).

Non-jazz major participation each semester is contingent upon:

their being a currently enrolled Rutgers student
their audition placement result
their ability to commit to all rehearsal and performance times
available seats and need within any given ensemble
qualification and requirements as governed by the jazz faculty

As mentioned above, once placement results are announced, non-jazz-major students who’ve qualified for ensembles will be sent the SPN’s needed to register for their ensemble courses.