Dr. Craig Jessop, Music Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, recently led rehearsals from Zankel Hall in New York with four choirs from North Carolina, New Jersey, Arizona and Washington. These four choirs were chosen by Carnegie Hall and Dr. Jessop from the 34 high school choirs that submitted audition tapes.
The rehearsals link over 250 high school stufrom their respective regions to eventually perform in Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke's.
The videoconference rehearsal takes advantage of the technological capabilities of Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall. Using videoconferencing equipment over a high-performance data network, four geographically disparate locations will be brought together via audio and videoconference. The remote locations will be displayed on Zankel Hall's end-stage projection screen. Multiple cameras allow the musical learning environment in Zankel Hall to be broadcast to the students in their locations. To transition among the locations, Carnegie Hall contracted with VSPAN, a video bridging service provider, to establish communications and to allow for switching among the sites.
The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall serves as the umbrella for the Hall's music education programs as well as the catalyst for future educational initiatives. The Institute currently offers ten individual education programs created to reach a wide variety of audiences—from preschoolers to adults, concertgoers to emerging professional musicians.
Using today's leading communications technology coupled with a holistic pedagogical approach, the Weill Music Institute's innovative and wide-ranging curriculum includes everything from participatory distance-learning events for children to interactive websites and DVDs for professional musicians.#