Click on the tabs below to learn about each NJR Ensemble.
Rock Band
- Rock Band
Coordinator: Jeremy Staffa
The sphere of rock band might be best summarized, in a phrase, as “rock and pop covers for the masses.” This ensemble is a standard gigging band that performs at various events around campus (e.g., Rock-a-Thon, AlphaTraz, Jamnesty, and UR Unplugged). Past repertoire has included everything from the Talking Heads to the Sugarhill Gang to Jimi Hendrix to Marvin Gaye. Auditions for this ensemble occur at the beginning of each fall semester. The band stays together, learns songs, and performs throughout the whole academic year.
Jazz Ensemble
- Jazz Ensemble
Coordinator: Erik Nunez
This ensemble is part gigging jazz/funk band that improvs and does standards, and part jazz and improvisation workshop. They have performed at Club Rochester, coffeehouses around campus, and even for the Admissions Office. The ensemble is open to anyone interested, and the opportunity is always available to play.
Acoustic Ensemble
- Acoustic Ensemble
Coordinator: Vincent Mateo
The acoustic ensemble primarily performs acoustic pop/rock covers. The goal of this ensemble is to have multiple instrumentalists playing together as a cohesive group, as opposed to just individuals playing, for example, acoustic guitar one at a time. The acoustic ensemble is especially optimized for coffee houses and lounge-type settings where a full, plugged-in rock band is unsuitable. This ensemble is open to anybody who is interested, and auditions are held at the beginning of the fall semester. Whether you play anything from the clarinet to classical guitar to the cajon, you have a place in this ensemble.
Blues Band
- Blues Band
Coordinator: Renjin Zhao
The Blues Band – as might be suspected – performs blues covers and also improvs. If you like swinging your eighths, have a max attention span of 12 bars (16 if you’re an overachiever), and play guitar, bass (especially upright), drums, piano, harmonica, blues harp, mouth organ, or sing, this may be the ensemble for you. Like the other ensembles, the blues band has regular practices and gigs throughout the entire academic year.