You can now see a video demonstration of how our new VLE works. Please view here:
For more information, both technical, educational and sales, then contact us:
T:0800 055 6797
Professor Susan Hallam, of the Institute of Education, University of London, analysed scores of researchers’ studies on the benefits of music to children.
Her report found that learning a musical instrument at school improves children’s behaviour, memory and intelligence. The report was commissioned by the government.
Brian Greene, Managing Director, this week commented on the report, ’ There is a general acceptance that the activities associated with learning a musical instrument have wide ranging benefits. The specifics and science in this report provide further compelling evicence that this is not just anecdotal. The government, music services and all those associated with music education in the UK, especially the music manifesto, have worked exceedingly hard to provide more opportunities for pupils at school to access music lessons and a huge step change has been achieved.’
John Hillier, Director of Gigajam continued, ‘This report, yet again, confirms our belief that we need to add a technology assisted instrumental provision to provide the scale of opportunity and participation that we want for all our school students. The main problems that face the delivery of large scale musical instrument tuition still persist and they are:
I. Large scale sustained participation in learning a musical instrument is unaffordable under existing structures and,
II. Even if there were enough money to pay for instrumental teachers there are simply not enough music teachers to deliver the number of traditionally delivered lessons required to give every student a chance to learn a musical instrument.
The government has been very generous recently, but even the current level of generosity will only provide one year of free tuition to primary school children during the currency of the funding . Most music services, who are the principle deliverers of instrumental tuition, are probably now working close to capacity and more money will not provide a further step change.
What is needed, is for an additional technology assisted structure(s) to be added, alongside, and in addition, to the existing tried and tested structures delivered by music services. The government has already adopted BECTA’s Harnessing Technology Strategy for teaching and learning, which when used inconjunction with the huge educational technological infrastructure that is available, through our National Education Network, will provide every child, wherever they are in the UK, with access and opportunity to sustained, high quality musical instrument tuition. Gigajam’s suite of lesson content, curriculum and software, has already been developed with the current technology standards and would provide students and teachers with:
anytime, anywhere access
independent learning
assessment for learning (formative, summative, continual and terminal assessment, supporting teaching and learning)
personalised learning
progressive and sustained pathways
integration with existing government strategies (music manifesto, musical futures, extended schools, ICTAC)
reach and scale
Gigajam is already being used to provide daily instrumental music lessons for individuals, small groups and whole classes, providing a scale of delivery unaffordable by existing methods. Whole class instruction can and does already take place everyday in Gigajam schools, both primary and secondary and you can see examples online on our Case Study pages.
Introducing Gigajam
http://schools.gigajam.com/introducinggigajam.aspx
Bradley Stoke Community College
http://schools.gigajam.com/CaseStudyBradStoke.aspx
For more information for Gigajam’s support of the government’s Music Manifesto, then please contact either:
John Hillier john.hillier@gigajam.com, or Brian Greene brian.greene@gigajam.com
Gigajam have recently started using the YouTube Video hosting service to promote instructional vidoes of Gigajam in use and How to Use Gigajam. Please feel free to view the growing video channel at:
Brian Greene, Managing Director said, ‘This is a quick and easy way of sharing information and we have produced the short videos in an informal and simple manner, reflecting the ease with which the web can be used to communicate. We will also be publishing the videos in a number of areas of the web, which will include our own support section, as well as community and social networking areas such as Facebook, Gigajam Group, www.facebook.com and the UK music education community portal, Teaching Music, www.teachingmusic.org.uk
For further information on How to use Gigajam, then please feel free to contact us at:
T: 0800 055 6797
W1: www.gigajam.com
W2: http://schools.gigajam.com
W4: www.gigajam.tv
Gigajam will be out and about across the UK in the autumn, focused on providing local audiences with an opportunity to meet the producers and see Gigajam in action.
The Gigajam Team will be demonstrating the new GigajamVLE service that enables students to learn at school and continue at home. It also provides an integrated ePortfolio to store and automatically mark students’ performances. The system also provides detailed reports for teachers, on students’ progress, to help with continual, formative and summative assessment.
Please feel free to register an account and demo GigajamVLE at www.gigajamonline.com The first lessons for guitar, bass, keyboards and drums are free.
Autumn 2009
The autumn schedule is currently:
3rd and 4th September 2009
Scottish Association of Music Educators – Stirling University.
18th and 19th September 2009
National Association of Music Educators – University of York.
23rd and 24th September 2009
Scottish Learning Festival – SECC Glasgow (Stand D30)
3rd and 4th November 2009
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Annual Music Conference – Yehudi Menuhin School, Cobham
25th and 26th November 2009
Specialist Schools and Acdemies Trust Annual Conference – ICC Birmingham (Stand B20)
Winter/Spring 2010
13th-16th Jaunary 2010,
British Education Teaching with Technology Show (BETT) – Olympia Earls Court, London (Stand V20 National Gallery)
Gigajam are planning to be on hand at The Education Show NEC and the SSAT Annual Arts Confernce in 2010.
For more information on Gigajam and how we help create more musicians, with our partners, then please contact:
Email Brian Greene or phone 07976 208859. [vCard]
Email John Hillier or phone 07956 466440. [vCard]
Gigajam is an affordable ICT based instrumental tuition programme that provides a scalable solution to teaching and learning the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. If you would like to know more about Gigajam and how it is helping create musicians, then please feel free to get in touch.
Gigajam can provide stand alone, network and Learning Platform VLE solutions for Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Local Authorities.
Web http://schools.gigajam.com
Tel 0800 055 6797
Stoke Music Services are running the following Family Learning music courses through the Summer Holidays. All activities take place at their fantastic new music technology suite in The Bridge Centre, Birches Head Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 8DD. The suite is filled with great interactive software, modern musical instruments and led by the highly professional music services team.
Wednesdays
August 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th 9.30am-12 noon, 1.00pm-3.30pm
Saturday Mornings
August 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd 9.30am-12 noon
Tuesday Evenings
August 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th 7.00pm-9.00pm
For booking information and general enquiries please contact the office on: 01782 233 794 email CMAPAS@stoke.gov.uk
Gigajam get down under – AustraliaSoundhouse Music, Australia has become a Gigajam distributor providing local representation for the first time. Soundhouse Music are themselves a well established music tuition provider delivering instrumental courses for students, CPD to state schools, as well as running their own music projects within schools. They now offer Gigajam in one of their centres, enriching their offer. Soundhouse believe passionately in the use of high quality resources and technology which enables them to support more opportunities for students to receive sustained high quality instrumental instruction. For more information on Soundhouse Music and their work, as well as Gigajam in Australia, please feel free to contact Ken Owen, Manager Soundhouse.com (Australia). For more information on Gigajam and how we help create more musicians with our partners then please contact:John Hillier or phone 07956 466440. [vCard] Gigajam is an affordable ICT based instrumental tuition programme that provides a scalable solution to teaching and learning the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. If you would like to know more about Gigajam and how it is helping create musicians, then please feel free to get in touch. Gigajam can provide stand alone, network and Learning Platform VLE solutions for Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Local Authorities. Web http://schools.gigajam.com
Brian Greene or phone 07976 208859. [vCard] |
Sean Ashmore, Pleckgate High School, Blackburn  Watch Gigajam in action at Tiverton High School
 Read case studies online
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If you are having trouble viewing this email, please view our web version:
http://schools.gigajam.com/email/Finland1/
Gigajamming in Future School of FinlandGigajam has been chosen for the Future School of Finland project in the City of Oulu. This is an exciting project which take a holistic look at education, taking the physical environments, curriculum, and resources as a whole. The Future School project is transforming education in a similar way to UK initiatives such as BSF, the Music Manifesto and the Harnessing Technology strategy. Although we are playing a small part, we are proud to be involved in such innovation. More information is available here. http://edu.ouka.fi/…/FutureSchoolOfFinland.pdf For more information on Gigajam and how we help create more musicians with our partners then please contact: Email Brian Greene or phone 07976 208859. [vCard] Email John Hillier or phone 07956 466440. [vCard] Gigajam is an affordable ICT based instrumental tuition programme that provides a scalable solution to teaching and learning the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. If you would like to know more about Gigajam and how it is helping create musicians, then please feel free to get in touch. Gigajam can provide stand alone, network and Learning Platform VLE solutions for Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Local Authorities. Web http://schools.gigajam.com
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Sean Ashmore, Pleckgate High School, Blackburn Watch Gigajam in action at Tiverton High School Read case studies online
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If you are having trouble viewing this email, please view our web version:
http://schools.gigajam.com/email/Ned1/
Gigajam goes Dutch with BOA (Amsterdam)Gigajam has been selected by Breedbandnetwerk Onderwijs Amsterdam (BOA) for an city wide music project developing the use and connectivity provided by their new fibre optic network. The project aims to make Gigajam available to all schools in Amsterdam in 2010 across BOA’s network. The initial planning is complete, and Gigajam’s long standing client Muziek skool Amsterdam West (MSA) are spearheading the project. Gigajam has been used successfully by MSA since 2005. They have recently expanded their work with Gigajam and were asked to use their experience and expertise to support a group of 5 schools in a pilot for the main project. It is proposed that Gigajam will be available to all schools, their teachers, and learners; at school and at home from the end of this year. Translations for the early lessons, for the younger students, are already available to the Music School and the participating schools. They are really enjoying the opportunity to provide musical instrument tuition to all their pupils. The Essential Skills Courses for guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and theory will be available in both English and Dutch so students can choose which language they wish to use. Initial training began in March led by Brian Greene of Gigajam. MSA are now leading the mentoring and will be supported in May when all project schools will have their third session run by Gigajam and MSA in Amsterdam. More details will follow shortly so that interested parties in Amsterdam can enquire how to participate. http://www.boa-amsterdam.nl/nl/home/ http://www.muziekschoolamsterdam.nl/ A website for the project is now available at http://www.gigajamsterdam.nl. For more information on Gigajam and how we help create more musicians with our partners then please contact: Email Brian Greene or phone 07976 208859. [vCard] Email John Hillier or phone 07956 466440. [vCard] Gigajam is an affordable ICT based instrumental tuition programme that provides a scalable solution to teaching and learning the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. If you would like to know more about Gigajam and how it is helping create musicians, then please feel free to get in touch. Gigajam can provide stand alone, network and Learning Platform VLE solutions for Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Local Authorities. Web http://schools.gigajam.com
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Sean Ashmore, Pleckgate High School, Blackburn Watch Gigajam in action at Tiverton High School Read case studies online
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Gigajam’s award winning Essential Skills Course has been chosen for Bolton LA’s Learning Platform. This means that all students in Bolton will be able to learn guitar, bass, keyboard and drums at school and at home.
Bolton joins the growing number of local authorities who are keen to develop the use of their Learning Platforms to harness technology for more music making opportunities.
There will be four mentor centres working together to begin the roll out of Gigajam and training will commence shortly after the Bolton LA ICT conference on June 30th 2009.
More details will follow shortly so that all Bolton Schools, their teachers, and students can make the most of the resources which will be available free at the point of access.
For more information on Gigajam and how we help create more musicians with our partners then please contact:
Email Brian Greene or phone 07976 208859. [vCard]
Email John Hillier or phone 07956 466440. [vCard]
IN TUNE: Youngsters were given tips on how to play a variety of musical instruments at a free event over the weekend.
‘Strum It, Bash It, and ICT’ gave young people and their families the chance to learn how to play the electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and drums.
The lessons were taught through some of the latest online music software, Gigajam, which teaches individuals at their own pace.
It took place at the Bridge Centre, in Birches Head Road, Birches Head, on Saturday.
