​Attention jazz band directors: Please fill out this brief survey regarding the state jazz festival

NJAJE State Jazz Festival

Preliminary Festival Locations (5:00 PM)
Monday, March 6, 2023 @ Liberty Middle School
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 @ Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 @ Southern Regional HS
Thursday, March 9, 2023 @ Steinert High School
Friday, March 10, 2023 @ Wayne Valley High School

Finals Locations for Saturday, April 29, 2023 (5:00 PM)
Division I @ JP Stevens High School
Division II @ Princeton High School
Division III @ Metuchen High School
The New Jersey Association for Jazz Education is presenting an opportunity to participate in the official jazz festival sponsored by your state organization devoted solely to jazz education.

The festival occurs in two phases:
  • A preliminary round of all participating ensembles, regardless of school size, held at five locations on consecutive nights and adjudicated by the same three professionals. Sight-reading is required and is scored as 15% of the total score in the preliminary round. Improvisation is also required as part of the sight-reading chart, and is one of the new components of the sight-reading adjudication sheet.
  • A final round held at three locations; each of the top nine scoring bands from the preliminary round is grouped by school enrollment. Sight-reading and improvisation are required and are identical to the preliminary round.

To participate in the NJAJE Jazz festivals, please fill out the NJAJE Festival, Conference, and Membership Application form and follow the appropriate instructions.

Downloads for the State Jazz Festival:
State Jazz Festival Rules and Regulations
State Jazz Festival Attendance Policy
Scoring Rubrics
​Performance Adjudication Sheet
Sight Reading Adjudication Sheet
Sight Reading Adjudication Procedures
2023 Divisions for Finals (As of 1/11/2023)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

2022 Festival Results

Division I (Largest School Populations)
1st Place        Newark Academy Chameleon
2nd Place       JP Stevens Jazz Ensemble
3rd Place        Cherokee

Remaining Finalists (in Alphabetical Order)
East Brunswick
Edison
John P. Stevens Lab Jazz
Newark Academy Big Band
Passaic County TVS
West Orange Jazz 1

Section Awards
Saxophone    Newark Academy Chameleon
Trumpet         John P. Stevens Jazz Ensemble
Trombone      John P. Stevens Jazz Ensemble
Rhythm          Newark Academy Chameleon

Solo Awards
Andres Guerra, Piano, PCTVS
Farah Mbahwe, Saxophones, JP Jazz Ensemble
Ben Collins-Siegel, Piano, NA Chameleon
Ethan Lee, Tenor Sax and Clarinet, NA Chameleon

Rick Kerber Scholarship
Siddarth Chalasani, Tenor Sax, NA Chameleon

​Richard A. Graham Sight Reading Award
Newark Academy Chameleon
Division II (Moderate School Populations)
1st Place      Scotch Plains-Fanwood Moonglowers
2nd Place     Mount Olive Jazz Ensemble
3rd Place      Shawnee Jazz Ensemble

Remaining Finalists (in Alphabetical Order)
Eastern
Hightstown
Morristown
Princeton Jazz Ensemble
Princeton Studio Band
Shawnee Jazz Band

Section Awards
Saxophone     Eastern
Trumpet          Shawnee Jazz Ensemble
Trombone       Mount Olive
Rhythm           SPF Moonglowers

Solo Awards
Keiran McKenzie, Tenor Sax, Princeton Studio
Ryan Parichuk, Bass Trombone, Mount Olive
Nick Cianfrani, Bass, Eastern
Alvaro Caravaca, Trumpet, Mount Olive

Rick Kerber Scholarship
Nirayka Monga, Piano, SPF Moonglowers

Richard A. Graham Sight Reading Award
Shawnee Jazz Ensemble
Division III (Smallest School Populations)
1st Place        Deptford
2nd Place       West Milford
3rd Place        Cherry Hill West

Remaining Finalists (in Alphabetical Order)
Metuchen
Seneca
Sparta
Steinert
Sterling
Wayne

Section Awards
Saxophone     Deptford
Trumpet          Deptford
Trombone       West Milford
Rhythm           Steinert

Solo Awards
Marc Escarrilla - Alto Sax, DeptfordHS
Shane Duffy - Bass West, Milford HS
Brennan Coulton - Tenor Sax, West Milford HS
Lilianna Sanchez - Vocal, West Milford HS

Rick Kerber Scholarship
Ben Hoadley - Tenor Sax, Sterling HS

Richard A. Graham Sight Reading Award
West Milford