Sunday Check-In and Placement Screenings
July 5th, 2026
- Sunday First-Day Check-in Procedures:
- 2:00pm – Resident Students begin by checking into the Voorhees Residence Hall (34 Biel Road West, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. More building info).
- Note: At 3:15pm, Jazz program assistants will accompany resident students back to RH104 in the NMC complex for the 3:30pm Orientation.
- 3:00pm – Daytime Commuters check in directly at Nicholas Music Center (NMC) (85 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901)
- 2:00pm – Resident Students begin by checking into the Voorhees Residence Hall (34 Biel Road West, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. More building info).
- 3:30pm – All-Student Orientation in Rehearsal Hall 104 (RH104). Students will receive their folder and RSJI Tunebook.
- 4:00-6:00pm – Placement Screenings and group activity (SEE DETAILS BELOW).
- 5:00-6:00pm – Pizza dinner for all students! Served in RH104 while screenings are ongoing.
- 6:00-6:15pm – RU Police Safety Orientation
- 6:15pm – Specialist Tunebook demonstrations and group activity in the Nicholas Music Center auditorium
- 7:15-7:30pm – Residents return to the Dorms. Commuters depart for the day
Note: Parents/Guardians are welcome to stay on site during all Sunday activities, as desired
If you have any questions, please refer to our Contact page
4:00pm Placement Screenings, and What-to-Bring Guide
Details for Sunday Screenings and what gear to bring for the program week are outlined below and in a print version available here.
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After check-in, students will have live placement screenings on Sunday to help instructors assign them to classes and ensembles. These screenings differ from auditions; all students are placed regardless of skill level. The results also determine placements for the RSJI Jazz Orchestra and RSJI Big Band.
Each instrument has a designated screening room with one or two instructors. Students will perform unaccompanied for most of the session, but during improvisation, they may play along with a provided recording or an instructor. Each screening lasts 10 to 15 minutes.
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The assigned screening rooms will be announced at the 3:30pm orientation, and Jazz Assistants (program counselors) will help direct students to their proper locations.
4:00-6:00pm – Warm Up/Common Area RH104
You’ll wait in this space until you are called for your screening. Feel free to warm up, hang out, and relax. You’re going to do great!
Building Names
- NMC = Nicholas Music Center
- RH = Rehearsal Hall
- RH1** = first floor
- RH2** = second floor
- Shindell = Shindell Hall, located on the first floor of the Mortenson Building
- Bauer = Bauer Room, located on the lower level of the Mortenson Building
- Schare = Schare Recital Hall, located on the second floor of the Marryott Music Building
- MMB108 = Marryott Music Bldg 108, located on the first floor of the Marryott Building
Note: Ample signage will be posted, and assistants will be available to assist in finding screening rooms. Also, remember to bring your Screening Rubric Form to your screening and hand it to the teacher upon arrival.
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Please be aware of music-related gear that the summer jazz program does not provide:
- Spare Instruments
- Instrument Stands
- Reeds
- Neck straps
- Mutes
- Mouthpieces
- Valve or Slide oil
- Replacement Strings
- 1/4″ Audio Patch Cables
- Instrument Audio Pickups
- Drum sticks, brushes, or mallets
- Cymbals (including Hi-Hats)
- Hi-Hat clutch (all drummers must bring their own)
- Instrument Storage (exception made for large upright basses)
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What to Bring to the Summer Jazz Program?
Saxes/Woodwinds
- Mouthpiece, reeds, and neck straps. A portable instrument stand is recommended.
- Bring your main instrument on placement screening day. If you are proficient on multiple saxophones and they are available to play during the week, please tell us at the placement screenings.
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
Trumpet
- Valve oil, basic mutes (if available). A portable instrument stand is recommended
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
Trombone
- Slide oil, basic mutes (if available). A portable instrument stand is recommended
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
Vibraphone
- Mallets
- Note: Vibraphones supplied by the program
Please note: Students do not need to bring music stands, which are provided by the program.
What to Prepare For Your Screening?
1. Big Band Literature
There are 2 excerpts available for each instrument. One (1) Intermediate/Beginner Level piece, and One (1) Advanced Level piece. You may choose to play the excerpt that you feel the most comfortable with.
**Please note that you will need to play the advanced piece in order to be eligible for the top big band or combo groups**
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
Bari Sax
Trumpet / Clarinet / Vibraphone
Trombone
Bass Trombone
2. Bb Blues/Standard
Choose one of the Bb Blues or jazz standard melodies provided below. Please play the following:- Melody 1 time
- 2 choruses of Improvisation.
- Improv is not required but is highly recommended to help us assess which Improv class and combo you will be placed in. Don’t be shy; give it a shot! We will provide an accompaniment track for the placement screening, which is also available in the folder linked below. You may choose the play-along tempo from the MP3 folder. If you choose not to improvise at all, you will be placed in the beginner improvisation class.
**Please note that improvisation is required in order to be eligible for the most advanced combo groups**
You may also wish to practice along with these Play-Along recordings, which are the same ones we’ll use as backing tracks for the Bb Blues/Standard portion of your placement screening.
3. Sight-Reading
This will be a short jazz excerpt of music you have not prepared or seen in the past that will be first shown to you at the placement screening.
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What to Bring to the Summer Jazz Program?
Guitar
- Guitarists will bring their own instrument
- ¼ inch patch cable (and a 2nd to serve as a backup, as these cables often are easily damaged)
- Neck strap
- Amps are provided for rehearsals, but guitarists may want to optionally bring a small practice amp for personal use.
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
Please note: Students do not need to bring music stands, which are provided by the program.
What to Prepare For Your Screening?
1. Big Band Literature
2. Bb Blues/Standard
Choose one of the Bb Blues or Jazz Standard melodies provided. Please play the following:
- Melody 1 time
- 1 chorus of comping based on the chords provided
- 2 choruses of Improvisation.
- Improv is not required, but highly recommended to help us assess which Improv class and combo you will be placed in. Don’t be shy, give it a shot! We will provide an accompaniment track for the placement screening, which is also available in the folder linked below. You may choose the play-along tempo from the MP3 folder. Also, if you choose not to improvise at all, you will be placed in the beginner improvisation class.
**Please note that improvisation is required in order to be eligible for the most advanced combo groups. **
You may also wish to practice along with these Play-Along recordings, which are the same ones we’ll use as backing tracks for the Bb Blues/Standard portion of your placement screening.
3. Sight-Reading
This will be a short jazz excerpt of music you have not prepared or seen in the past that will be first shown to you at the placement screening.
-
What to Bring to Summer Jazz Program?
Piano
- Pianos are supplied. Please do not bring your own keyboards
What to Prepare For Your Screening?
1. Big Band Literature
CLICK HERE to open music.- Page 1: Play the chart as written.
- Page 2: “Comp” using the chords provided for 2 choruses from 41-52. There is no need to play from 53-end.
2. Bb Blues/Standard
Choose one of the Bb Blues or jazz standard melodies provided. Please play the following:
- Melody 1 time
- 1 chorus of comping chords
- 2 choruses of Improvisation.
- Improv is not required, but highly recommended to help us assess which Improv class and combo you will be placed in. Don’t be shy, give it a shot! We will provide an accompaniment track for the placement screening, which is also available in the folder linked below. You may choose the play-along tempo from the MP3 folder. Also, if you choose not to improvise at all, you will be placed in the beginner improvisation class.
**Please note that improvisation is required in order to be eligible for the most advanced combo groups. **You may also wish to practice along with these Play-Along recordings, which are the same ones we’ll use as backing tracks for the Bb Blues/Standard portion of your placement screening.
3. Sight-Reading
This will be a short jazz excerpt of music you have not prepared or seen in the past that will be first shown to you at the placement screening.
-
What to Bring to the Summer Jazz Program?
Bass
- Bassists will bring their own instrument
- Acoustic bassists must have a pickup attached to their instrument, which will be plugged directly into the amplifier.
- Acoustic bassists should bring a bow
- ¼ inch patch cable (and a 2nd to serve as a backup, as these cables often are easily damaged)
- Neck strap for electric basses
- Amps are provided for rehearsals, but it would be very helpful if you could bring a practice amp, as there may be multiple bass players at once.
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
- Please also read this letter from Dr. Robert Sabin, our bass teacher for the week
Please note: Students do not need to bring music stands, which are provided by the program.
What to Prepare For Your Screening?
1. Big Band Literature
CLICK HERE to open music.- Start from the beginning and play as much as you feel comfortable playing at any tempo you’d like.
2. Bb Blues/Standard
Choose one of the Bb Blues or jazz standard melodies provided. Please play the following:
- Melody 1 time
- 2 choruses of creating a walking bass line based on the chords provided
- 1-2 choruses of an improvised solo based on the chords provided
- Improv is not required, but highly recommended to help us assess which Improv class and combo you will be placed in. Don’t be shy, give it a shot! We will provide an accompaniment track for the placement screening, which is also available in the folder linked below. You may choose the play-along tempo from the MP3 folder. Also, if you choose not to improvise at all, you will be placed in the beginner improvisation class.
**Please note that improvisation is required in order to be eligible for the most advanced combo groups. **You may also wish to practice along with these Play-Along recordings, which are the same ones we’ll use as backing tracks for the Bb Blues/Standard portion of your placement screening.
3. Sight-Reading
This will be a short jazz excerpt of music you have not prepared or seen in the past that will be first shown to you at the placement screening.
-
What to Bring to the Summer Jazz Program?
Drummers
Note: Please do not bring your own drum kits or cymbal stands. Only bring the following items:
- Drum sticks and stick bag
- All cymbals (including hi-hat cymbals) and cymbal bag
- Your own Hi-Hat clutch (not supplied by the program)
- Vibraphone mallets if you’d like to try to utilize the vibraphone that we’ll have on site.
- Congas/bongos are available on site in some rooms.
- Bring small Miscellaneous Percussion if you have any, as it’s highly likely that you will all be playing some “auxiliary percussion” throughout the week.
- It is advisable to label your personal belongings with your name
Please note: Students do not need to bring music stands, which are provided by the program. The program provides complete drum kits with snare, toms, and cymbal stands, but without cymbals or a Hi-Hat clutch.
What to Prepare For Your Screening?
1. Big Band Literature
- Excerpt 1
- Excerpt 2 (for all students):
2. Bb Blues/Standard
Choose one of the Bb Blues or jazz standard melodies provided. Please play the following:- Comp the melody for 1 chorus
- Comp for 2 choruses (Blues) or 1 chorus (standard) as you would play behind a soloist.
- Optional: 12-measure (Blues), 32-measure (Standard) drum solo
3. Sight-Reading
This will be a short jazz excerpt of music you have not prepared or seen in the past that will be first shown to you at the placement screening.