Video Conferencing for Music Performance Education at the Manhattan School
Manhattan School of Music (MSM), an international music conservatory, began
exploring the potential of Internet2 for music performance education in 1999
through a series of collaborations with Columbia University. Utilizing Columbia’s
advanced, high-speed connection to the "Abilene" backbone of Internet2,
MSM had the opportunity to expand and extend the conservatory’s previously
established music performance distance learning program through the technological
resources of its academic and community neighbor.
At the time of these initial forays into Internet2, the MSM had already established
itself as a leader in music performance video conferencing, having the distinction
of being the first conservatory in the nation to use video conferencing technology
for music performance education, as early as 1996, and offering regularly-scheduled
video conference master classes, coachings, one-on-one teaching sessions, educational
and community outreach programs, and professional development programs.
From these beginnings, the educational benefits and enhancements of video
conferencing technology for music performance education were quickly apparent—offering
greater access to world-class musical artists while also accommodating world-class
touring schedules. However, the inherent technological limitations of ISDN-based
video conferencing were a constant and ongoing challenge to the program’s
future development and sustainability. Elements critical to music performance
education—sound, rhythm and timing, visual imagery, movement, and the
like were almost completely compromised within this environment, and although
MSM developed many technological innovations to address these limitations, it
was apparent that this technological infrastructure could not ultimately support
the delivery of high-quality music programs.
It is the advent of Internet2 and the capacity of its technological infrastructure
that has the most vital and far-reaching impact on the long-term prospects of
Manhattan School of Music’s burgeoning distance learning program. Through
a series of pilot music projects, MSM determined that Internet2 had the technological
infrastructure to truly support, develop, and expand the delivery of high-quality
video conference music programs.
For example, Internet2 has a technological infrastructure that can support
low-latency, high-bandwidth transmissions of high-fidelity, stereo or multi-channel
sound with accompanying full-motion video using broadcast-quality standards.
Overall, faster processing along with lower compression ratios and higher bandwidth
allocations to audio information make Internet2 an environment conducive to
music performance applications.
Moreover, musical exchanges developed and delivered on this high-speed network
either via point-to-point connections or multicast can simultaneously be made
available to regular commodity Internet users with variable bandwidth capabilities
through interoperable systems such as H. 323 and H. 320 videoconferencing integrating
ISDN gateways, Web casts, and chat-based interactions."
As commodity traffic migrates towards higher-bandwidth capabilities, end users
will eventually be able to take full advantage of the high-quality programming
that is being developed.
In October 2001, Manhattan School of Music collaborated with Columbia University
and the New World Symphony in presenting a conducting masterclass over Internet2.
Within this program, New World Symphony’s Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas,
stationed in Miami, Florida, offered a conducting masterclass to MSM conducting
student, Donato Cabrera, who led the School’s Chamber Sinfonia in a performance
of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in New York. Utilizing MPEG-2 codecs, transmitting
at a rate of 15Mbps, the full-motion, and broadcast-quality video transmitted
over Internet2 enabled Maestro Thomas to acutely observe and analyze Cabrera’s
conducting technique. Similarly, the CD-quality sound transmission gave Maestro
Thomas the high-fidelity required to assess the student’s ability to lead
the orchestra effectively. A notable moment within the class came when Maestro
Thomas wished to conduct the Manhattan School of Music orchestra from Miami.
Due to the low-latency transmission of Internet2 networks, Maestro Thomas was
able, in effect, to conduct the orchestra remotely. Maestro Thomas humorously
remarked that the remaining residual latency still found in MPEG-2 transmissions
was similar to conducting a "large German orchestra." Thus, due to
the high-bandwidth/low latency transmission of high-fidelity audio and video
signals, Internet2 enabled a virtual teaching and learning experience that simulates
and in many ways enhances the live experience.
At present, Manhattan School of Music, a sponsored participant to Internet2
through Columbia University, is actively pursuing direct connectivity from the
conservatory’s campus to Internet2. In so doing, MSM will be able to regularly
produce and deliver high-quality interactive music performance and education
programs over Internet2 networks to participating institutions on the K-16 level.
Collaboration with peer institutions within higher education offers students
new learning and performing opportunities while simultaneously developing and
expanding music performance applications over the advanced high-speed networks
of Internet2.
