Scoop  Education

Polycom and Manhattan School of Music Deploy UC Everywhere
to Enable World-Class Arts Education Anywhere

As Schools Sustain Cuts in Arts Education Funding, Polycom Telepresence
Sends Elite Educators from New York and Australia to Global Classrooms

[WELLINGTON] – March 16, 2011: With budget shortfalls plaguing schools throughout the world, arts educators are finding it tougher than ever to cultivate the next generation of professional musicians, artists and creative geniuses.

Now an expanded alliance between Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), a global leader in unified communications, and the Manhattan School of Music (MSM), a preeminent international conservatory of music, is putting the world’s most sought-after musicians and music educators in classrooms around the globe – at prices even budget-constrained schools can afford.

Building on a decade-long relationship, Polycom and MSM are expanding the Polycom visual communications network that powers MSM’s extensive distance learning program. MSM uses Polycom telepresence and the Polycom UC Intelligent Core™ to reach thousands of students a year with academic and performance offerings in classical, jazz, world music and opera.

Its Global Conservatory program, which offers content to K-12 schools, higher education and community-based organisations, built around Polycom standards-based UC solutions, has been called “the gold standard in music distance learning.” As Robert Sirota, President of Manhattan School of Music describes, “We take great pride in our ongoing and deepening partnership with Polycom. As pioneers and innovators in distance learning, our two organisations are bringing world-class music instruction and performance to every corner of the world through high-tech telepresence. The ability to interact on the most sophisticated platforms in real time has had a transformative effect at MSM, making us a truly global conservatory.”

Under the expanded alliance, MSM will further scale its network and programs to reach more students throughout the United States and the world with a broader set of offerings. For instance, the school recently extended its programs to students in Australia via a new partnership with the Australian National University (ANU) School of Music.

This partnership will see the two world-leading musical institutions working together on a range of initiatives, utilising leading-edge video and telepresence technology from Polycom, to facilitate one-on-one lessons, master classes, virtual staff and student exchanges, and collaborative research into best practice in music performance and education over long distances. Additionally, the agreement will see the institutions explore the opportunities for international benchmarking in examination panels and for virtual auditions for US institutions via ANU.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young said Polycom telepresence technology had enabled the two institutions to overcome the tyranny of distance to share world-leading expertise in classical and jazz music.
“This agreement brings together two institutions that are recognised leaders in their fields, and will serve as the basis for enduring and wide-ranging collaboration. Using state-of-the-art music-specific video conferencing for lessons and cross-institution collaboration, this exciting partnership offers a myriad of opportunities for staff and students of both institutions,” said Professor Young.

“But it’s also exciting because it takes teaching and research into a new arena. Through collaborative research into the uses of this technology over such distances, we will be paving the way for current and future musicians, in Australia and beyond, to engage and play on a global stage,” he added.

“At a time when budget cuts threaten arts education, telepresence is a seismic game changer,” said Christianne Orto, associate dean and director of recording and distance learning at MSM. “Polycom telepresence and UC Intelligent Core allow us to deliver world-class instruction to students at all levels,and at a cost that any school can afford. It puts some of the most sought-after musicians and educators face-to-face with students who otherwise might never have the opportunity to even meet them, let alone be coached or taught by them.”

Music Mode™ and UltimateHD™ Video Raise the Game
Orto said Polycom telepresence is uniquely suited to distance education – and music education, in particular – because of groundbreaking technology like Music Mode, an exclusive feature of Polycom HDX telepresence solutions that more faithfully reproduces live music picked up by microphones. Music Mode, which is a standard feature in Polycom telepresence solutions, was developed with MSM so remote listeners can hear the true sound of instruments and voices produced by remote participants.

Utlimate HD, High-definition (HD) video, content sharing and audio enhanced with Music Mode combine to offer unprecedented levels of fidelity in a field where quality standards are uncompromising. In fact, Polycom telepresence has allowed students vying for a full-time spot at MSM in New York to audition remotely, saving them thousands of dollars by sparing them from having to travel to New York for a 10-minute audition. One student even successfully auditioned for a chair in a professional Canadian orchestra via telepresence.

“The Manhattan School of Music is a shining model for world-class distance learning. Its expanded efforts are enabling budget-strapped schools to keep crucial arts education components in their curriculum, while helping teachers meet state standards and availing students to learning experiences that enlighten and inspire,” said Russ Colbert, global education market director at Polycom. “Polycom is proud to continue its longstanding collaboration with MSM. It’s a great example of what happens when we work to extend UCEverywhereSM.”

About Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music is a preeminent international conservatory of music, granting bachelor of music, master of music, and doctor of musical arts degrees. Established in 1918 by pianist and philanthropist Janet Daniels Schenck, the School is dedicated to the personal, artistic and intellectual development of its students, who range from the precollege through postgraduate level.
www.dl.msmnyc.edu

About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. is a global leader in unified communications solutions with industry-leading telepresence, video, voice and infrastructure solutions built on open standards. Polycom powers smarter conversations, transforming lives and businesses worldwide. Please visit www.polycom.asia for more information or connect with Polycom on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

ENDS

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