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Refer to this year’s 2025 Sunday Check-In and Placements Detail

Mandatory first-day activities on Sunday include camp check-ins, orientations, Ensemble Placement Screenings, and dinner on us! All camp students are required to be present on Sunday and must complete a placement screening to be considered for ensembles.


About Ensemble Placement Screenings (First Day)

After checking in, students must participate in the live placement screenings on Sunday, which allow instructors to evaluate students’ reading and improvisation proficiency to assess their overall playing ability and experience and help place them in the most appropriate classes and ensembles for the week. There is no pressure – Just do your best, and we’ll take care of the rest.

It’s important to note that “Placement Screenings” differ from traditional auditions in that all registered students will be assigned to ensembles, regardless of their playing ability. Screening results also help shape placement decisions for the RSJI Lab Band, RSJI Big Band, and our top large ensemble, the RSJI Jazz Orchestra.

What to Expect at Placement Screenings

A screening room for each type of instrument will be available, containing one or two instructors in each, i.e. a room for Trumpets, another room for Drums, etc. Students should plan to perform unaccompanied for most of the screening session and with a play-along recording or instructor accompaniment for the improvisation/blues. (Play-along will be provided by RU staff on site.) Most screenings typically span 10-15 minutes in length. The placement screening will include:

  • Performance of a prepared short passage from a big band arrangement (Materials will be provided in advance)
  • Improvisation and choice of melodies over Blues Changes (Materials will be provided in advance)
  • Sight-reading a short passage from a big band arrangement

Placement screening materials are posted here and also emailed to you before the first meeting day.

Please also refer to our FAQ section