Now in its fifth consecutive year, Rock IT has gone from strength to strength with more bands signing up to win the regional prize and to be guaranteed a place in the national competitions. Polycom’s VSX 7000 helps judges to score the band live without the need for either party to travel long distances with heavy equipment, to perform what could be the winning song. Furthermore, students rock bands signed up to the competition are able to further their musical education via online learning through Rock IT’s commercial sponsors.
Geoff Turrell, Director of Athena Rock IT adds: “It’s so simple to use a Polycom system and most schools have the software already. All they have to do is connect live to the VSX 7000 system and away they go! The sound quality is great and there is no delay in output so the judges are not distracted by it. Without the video-conferencing equipment, taking the competition national would have been a major challenge for many bands.”
Ray McGroarty, Solutions Marketing Director EMEA, of Polycom said: “We are delighted to be a part of something fun and entertaining. The power of technology in schools is important to future generations entering the work place, therefore using it creatively like this can only further the importance of what technology can do for education as well as increasing awareness of taking the pain and time out of travelling.”
Rock IT runs from November to November and 2007 winners have already been announced. Polycom awards the band with a musical instrument and other commercial sponsors award music-related prizes.