Ruckman Scholarship | Rock and Roll Institute – Rock and Roll Institute

Ruckman Memorial Scholarship Fund

In Spring of 2017, we received a Scholarship application from a young man named Christopher Ruckman. His audition video was unlike anything we had seen. The Scholarship committee could not believe the level of musicianship that Chris possessed, the way his young hands made that guitar sing. He was truly a musical prodigy. Needless to say, he was awarded an RnRI Scholarship.

A few months later, he tore down the Mendelssohn stage (figuratively, of course) with an amazing performance with his band Deadwood Bounty. Less than a year later, Chris and his little brother John “Jack” tragically left this earth, taking their talents and our hearts with them. We were blessed to have Chris as a camper and as a friend. And we were looking forward to eventually working with John as well, considering he was a phenomenal percussionist.

Thanks to the generosity of our camper families, and friends and family of Chris and John, we received enough donations to start this Scholarship in their honor. The Ruckman Memorial Sholarship Fund is open to any and all applicants aged 12-20, any instruments. The scholarship is performance or needs-based, and is good for 1 week of camp, a $399 value.

Please fill out the application below with the required information to be considered for the Ruckman Memorial Scholarship.

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Please provide ALL of the requested information in your application submission. Failing to do so would result in an immediate rejection of your application.

First Name^*

Last Name^*

Birth Date

Phone Number

Email^*

Password^*

Password must be at least 7 characters long.

Enter password again^*

Password must be at least 7 characters long.

1) Write an essay explaining why you deserve the scholarship. The essay must be between 300-400 words.^*

2) Do you take private lessons? If so, where, and who is your teacher?^*

3) How long have you been playing your instrument?^*

4) What other instruments can you play?^*

5) Do you have access to a well-maintained, functional instrument?^*

6) Are you available to participate in, and/or attend all required rehearsals and performances? *** This includes: During camp and outside of the camp weeks. Failure to do so will result in revocation of the scholarship and a charge of $175 to the scholarship recipient.^*

Video Submission

Submit a short video (4-5 minutes) of you doing the following on your instrument (see below for instruction).

VOCALS: Sing parts from 2 different songs. One a cappella and one performed along with a recording.

GUITAR: Perform parts from 2 different songs, play 10 chords of your choosing, and improvise 2 solos in one of the following: major, minor, pentatonic, or blues scale.

BASS: Perform parts from 2 different song and improvise 2 solos in one of the following: major, minor, pentatonic, or blues scale.

DRUMS: Perform parts from 2 different songs. Play 5 different types/styles of drum beats, please include a minimum of 10 varied drum fills.

PIANO/KEYBOARDS: Perform parts from 2 different songs, play 10 chords of your choosing, and improvise 2 solos in one of the following: major, minor, pentatonic, or blues scale.

DJs: DJs may provide work they have done in the past, footage of them playing, or a video narrative explaining your DJ style, the equipment used, and the inspiration behind your process.

Video File Type and Size Requirements

We accept the following video file formats for uploading and reviewing:

MP4
MOV
File size and your internet speed will determine how much time the upload will take for us to receive your application.
Keep your file size under 500mb if possible.
Upon selecting your file and submitting the application, do not browse away from this page until you've received a successful message. Your upload may take 2-3 minutes to process depending on the file size— be patient : )

Video File Upload^*

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