Gefen Assists Underprivileged Kids
Aug 17, 2004 5:41 PM
Based on the success of Renovation in Music Education’s (RIME; www.rimemusic.org) Concert Curriculum, RIME has received a grant from NASA to create an “Astronomical Concert Curriculum,” and Gefen (www.gefen.com) is helping to achieve that goal.
Created by composer and RIME founder Arthur Bloom, the Concert Curriculum is a yearlong program in which an entire class of middle school students creates and learns musical material that it ultimately perform with a professional orchestra. RIME’s collaboration with NASA will add a science flavor to the program, culminating in An Orchestra’s Guide to the Universe, in which a young person’s imagined voyage through the universe punctuates the concert. This journey will feature material and performances that students have prepared throughout the year, creating a blend of professional and novice talents. The entire orchestrated performance will also be featured during Maryland Day at the University of Maryland.
Gefen’s fiber-optic, digital video extension solutions are being used to facilitate both the in-studio and live productions. “Gefen is a godsend,” says Bloom, who is directing the effort. “Gefen’s products enable us to maximize our tools with a minimal investment so that one computer, for example, can do the work of many. Their digital video extenders liberate our computer monitors and therefore liberate us as we work.”
Building on the success of the original, RIME is striving to create an innovative and collaborative science and music educational experience that can be ported to underserved communities throughout the country. For RIME technology is more than a means of production; it is part of its mission, and it is committed to providing the missing links that will help teachers and schools integrate technology into their curriculum. Gefen’s relationship with RIME is intended to assist it in bringing understanding and access to educational facilities that may not be aware of the latest computer and audio/video support solutions available.
“Given its pedagogical potential, it is a disgrace that music education and classroom technology remain mired in the past,” says Bloom. “Tap into student passion—and students are passionate about music and how it is produced—and you can improve their overall performance in school plus open doors to a brighter future. That is why we are striving to transform what, how, and to whom music education is delivered.”
