Transformational Innovations in Music Education at School Level
UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Embraces Advanced Technology During the Pandemic
In the spring of 2020, the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music set up six pairs of rooms for lessons and collaborations, adapting to the new normal brought about by the pandemic. Recognizing the latency challenges inherent in typical video conferencing tools, the school implemented innovative technology solutions to enable students to perform together remotely with minimal lag.
The school's focus on low-latency audio streaming tools and methods has been described as a fruitful learning experience by faculty members like Gloria Cheng. While the exact technical platforms used by UCLA Herb Alpert are not detailed, their engagement in remote collaboration suggests the adoption of advanced solutions such as Jamulus, JackTrip, or proprietary solutions designed for real-time musical collaboration.
To facilitate ensemble playing despite physical separation, students and faculty were offered customized one-on-one training sessions. The technology solution of sending audio through the local network called Audio over Ethernet allowed students and faculty to connect from any room at the School of Music with a data port.
As a result of these adaptations, students are now equipped with lasting benefits and skills that will be necessary moving forward. Over 200 people attended the training boot camps, taught by experts and members of the Graduate Council. Virtual tech workshops were launched to train students and faculty on the new technology, with topics ranging from digital audio workstations to telematic performance.
In addition to these technological advancements, the School of Music has made other improvements. New digital signage has been installed in five locations throughout the school, providing information about facilities, student services, and campus announcements. A kiosk in the lobby of Schoenberg Hall will show event promotions, and a new screen in the Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Center Music Café will feature upcoming events and public announcements.
As the School of Music moves toward re-opening, upgrades to classrooms and facilities will be key to allowing students to perform together effectively and safely. All classrooms will now be able to livestream for hybrid classes in the fall. The technology team decided to move forward with implementing SonoBus and Jamulus, which provide low latency for audio and live performance streaming.
The School of Music's forward-thinking technology solutions and upgrades represent continued investments in producing 21st-century leading-edge work. Henao, a member of the school, is now serving on UCLA's campus committee, which focuses on providing a consistent level of AV technology to all classrooms campus-wide. The big challenge was to find technology that allows musicians to play together in real time with minimal lag. But with these innovative solutions, the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music has met that challenge head-on.
- The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music has embraced advanced technology solutions for online education and self-development, particularly focusing on low-latency audio streaming tools like SonoBus and Jamulus, to enable students to perform together remotely with minimal lag during the pandemic.
- In addition to these technology advancements, the School of Music has also invested in education and learning by offering virtual tech workshops, teaching students and faculty about digital audio workstations, telematic performance, and other relevant topics, preparing them for the future of music.
