Gigajam and Rockschool at Salford CLCnet

Salford CLC's, Buille Hill and Moorside run some of the most impressive inclusive activities. They started with just one session a week and now have 6 sessions a week running across both CLCs.

One of the most exciting aspects of this is that Salford CLC's now employ the Music Services to run the sessions and have a model of collaboration that fulfils many of the desires of Central Government in providing genuine 'wider opportunities'. The way Kevin Palmer has developed the resource at his centres, utilising Gigajam and bringing in the Music Services, means that more children have a chance to learn to play a musical instrument and quite frankly without people like Kevin, they would never have had a chance to work with Music Services staff at all. It provides a scaleable solution and a model that demonstrates that ICT can be used to give greater access to Musical instrument lessons. This is close to a perfect example of the Music Manifesto being achieved on a local level in a scaleable and sustainable way, with a model that could easily be scaled nationally.

Project AimCs
  • Deliver at least one weekly after-school ‘rockschool’ session to at least ten learners in each centre in the first instance
  • Deliver elements of the core KS3 and KS4 music curriculum through Gigajam in at least one of the centres by July 2005
  • Make links with MAPAS and other appropriate agencies and projects to develop further work such as:
    • Seamless progression through CLC and Salford MAPAS – MAPAS contemporary music teachers to have laptops with Gigajam loaded – March 2005
    • Rockschool at one of Salford’s Special Schools – motivation and engagement – April 2005
    • Gigajam on the web through the Salford CLC web site – logon secure – May 2005
    • Link to other CLC Projects – KS2 Music, Salford Pop Star, The Swinton High School Recording Studio, Mini Recording Studios at Moorside and Buile Hill CLCs

    • Project Activities

    The following PowerPoint slides, taken from a presentation to CLC Managers in January 2005, provide a summary of project activities:

    Project Funding

    This project is financially possible as a result of support by EiC and Salford CLC – all features of the project are delivered from the CLC Capital and Revenue budgets.

    Total budgets for installation at each centre are in the order of £9,000 to cover sixteen users, though this assumes having the network in place and up to standard. The Gigajam licence is around £1,000 per centre per year.

    Detailed budgetary breakdowns are available from the author on demand.

    Project Monitoring and Evaluation

    The objectives: Monitored by whom, when Reported by and to whom, when
    Acquire and install Gigajam software at both CLC’s CLC Director, December 04 and March 05 By CLC Director to CLC Board
    Deliver at least one weekly after-school ‘rockschool’ session to at least ten learners in each centre in the first instance Moorside – Jan 05

    Buile – April 05

    Centre Managers

    		 By CLC Director to CLC Board
    Deliver elements of the core KS3 and KS4 music curriculum through Gigajam at at least one of the centres by July 2005 CLC Director July 05 By CLC Director to CLC Board
    Make links with MAPAS and other appropriate agencies and projects to develop further work such as:

    Seamless progression through CLC and Salford MAPAS – MAPAS contemporary music teachers to have laptops with Gigajam loaded – March 2005

    Rockschool at one of Salford’s Special Schools – motivation and engagement – April 2005

    Gigajam on the web through the Salford CLC web site – logon secure – May 2005

    Link to other CLC Projects – KS2 Music, Salford Pop Star, The Swinton High School Recording Studio, mini recording studios at Moorside and Buile Hill CLC’s

    		 CLC Director July 05 summary report By CLC Director to CLC Board
    The benefits Monitored by whom, when Reported by and to whom, when
    Part of the drive to improve community use In usage reporting Centre Managers to CLC Board
    Raising motivation and removing barriers to learning Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers
    Improving usage by non-host schools In usage reporting Centre Managers to CLC Board
    Developing independent learning Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers
    Promoting a positive impression of education Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers
    Flexible and technology-based delivery – e-learning objectives and imperatives Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers
    Addressing the music curriculum Music staff in host school By CLC Director to CLC Board
    Creating a non-school environment Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers
    Creating a non-CLC environment Rockschool tutors – ad hoc focus groups Tutors to Centre Managers