Case Studies
Brooklands Middle School, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire Customer Profile
 Brooklands is a mixed community middle school situated east of the town of Leighton Buzzard with 289 pupils aged between 9 and 13, coming from a variety of social and economic backgrounds. The school works in partnership with other local upper and lower schools and is an active member of the local learning community.
The Education Challenge
During July 2006, Brooklands investigated educational music ICT facilities in other schools, and were recommended to contact Counterpoint MTC. Brooklands had not previously implemented ICT within the subject of music, and were keen to update the facilities for both students and teachers. Counterpoint MTC was quickly deemed to be the only provider of a solution meeting the requirements.
The Solution
 The new Music ICT facilities at Brooklands Middle are built around an audio network providing audio recording and remote control from the teacher's station to 16 pupil workstations. Each pupil has access to both a Casio portable keyboard and a Music PC, and visual networking tools add remote access, monitoring and interaction for the teacher.
Student work can be captured directly into the teacher's computer as both audio and midi recordings. These can then be used to help develop pupil learning as well as for on-going assessments. Assessment can be interactive in that teachers can make recordings, play them back to pupils and add comments and direction. The system enables the teacher to interact more directly with the pupils' creative and learning processes; to see and hear what pupils are doing, give direction in both spoken word to their headphones and even on-screen text messages.
 Another facility proving popular with students is an electronic rehearsal facility for contemporary bands. This is built around electronic drums and piano, with guitar and bass instruments linking into a stereo PA system. In effect, this is the live room next to the recording studio, and is an often neglected aspect of many school's investment into recording studio facilities. Rehearsal is a very important part of the recording process, and this facility enables pupils to work together on performance and musicianship. An important factor is the reduced volume made possible by the electronic drum kit, which in turn enables better communication and group-work skills.
The Benefits
Brooklands report a remarkable improvement in student co-operation, inclusion and engagement since installing the suite:
"The system has been very popular with pupils, and has demonstrated a very positive impact on our lessons; we've not had a single behavioural issue in the classroom since the suite was installed. Pupils are motivated and attentive, and we've all enjoyed using the system. Pupils routinely begin the lesson by placing their headphones on, and I introduce the lesson via my microphone, sending my PC screen to theirs, playing my keyboard and talking them through the activity. Pupils like the one-on-one interaction I can provide, also the control and monitoring of their activity and progress."
Barbara Fleet
Head of Music
Brooklands Middle School
Fortismere School, Muswell Hill, London
Customer Profile
Fortismere School is a high achieving and dynamic mixed community comprehensive secondary school and sixth form college in Muswell Hill, North London, teaching 1,602 students. With a strong focus on academic excellence, as well as diverse cultural enrichment, the school recently featured as one of the Top 20 comprehensives in the country in a Times newspaper article.
The Education Challenge
Fortismere School set out to improve their ICT provision within the Music department to raise pupil achievement and motivation, and to better equip the school amongst it's contemporaries in the local area. Many surrounding schools had already begun to implement music ICT facilities, and whilst the academic results at Fortismere remained enviable, this was increasingly due to the determination of the Music staff and less on the facilities available to students.
The Solution
 Counterpoint provided several consultancy visits to site and liaised with Fortismere's contractors, architects and teaching staff to assess the optimum configuration. The facility now includes audio cabling linking several rooms to a central recording studio control room, an audio recording and editing studio, and a PC-based classroom providing the latest in music software and teaching technologies.
The music ICT suite comprises 10 Music PC's, a network server and a teacher's PC providing remote control, monitoring and interaction with student computers. An audio network enables the teacher to broadcast audio, including spoken word, directly into student's headphones, and monitor audio from each student PC, making recordings into the eSAAMS assessment software. The teacher can also broadcast their screen to all student PC's, power-on and power-off the systems remotely, lock the student computers and engage with pupils one-on-one.
 The installation of equipment is only the beginning of any schools implementation of music ICT. Subsequent to installation, Counterpoint has provided extensive onsite training on equipment and working methods to staff and students, including a practical hands-on introduction to the recording studio.
The Benefits
The music ICT suite provides Fortismere with software tools for a wide range of abilities and interests; from beginners using music software for the first time, to budding producers and remix artists. The teachers now benefit from a selection of tools and resources: audio recording and assessment, reference material for an ICT-based scheme of work, and software designed for whole-class teaching. The 24 track recording studio control room provides the students with the opportunity to compose, arrange, produce and post-produce their own pieces using professional sounds and microphones before mastering them down to CD.
Kent College, Canterbury, Kent
Customer Profile
Kent College is a vibrant independent co-educational day and boarding school situated in an idyllic semi-rural position on the edge of the historic city of Canterbury. It has 490 students between the ages of 11 and 18, with approximately a third being boarders coming from some 30 countries.
The Education Challenge
In February 2006 the Music Department at Kent College was given the go ahead to purchase a new computer music suite and recording studio to be located in the beautiful building which previously housed the college library. The music and IT staff were keen to see improvements over their previous computer music network, so they determined that the new suite be installed and supported by a specialist company with a proven track record in this area.
The Solution
 Counterpoint designed and installed a comprehensive music ICT network comprising of 21 specialist music PC workstations, a dedicated music department server and a suite of network teaching tools, enabling teachers to observe and interact with students from a central teacher PC. The teacher can broadcast their screen to all student PC's, power-on and power-off the systems remotely, lock the student computers and engage with pupils one-on-one, all from the teacher's desk.
 The Recording Studio is a 24 Track Digital System that was balanced to meet the needs of the curriculum with the potential of being used as a commercial project studio. There are live audio feeds from the main classrooms, percussion room and a further ensemble room, directly into the recording studio. The Control Room was professionally treated to provide an optimal acoustic environment, and in order to integrate recording projects with the classroom, the recording studio was made accessible via the data network. The Classroom Keyboard system is a bespoke solution, designed to meet the college's specific requirements and budget, enabling the teacher to monitor any of the student stations from the teacher's desk.
The Benefits
The music ICT suite provides Kent College's students with software tools for a wide range of musical abilities and interests. The teacher benefits from a selection of tools and resources: audio recording and assessment, reference material for an ICT-based scheme of work, and software designed for whole-class teaching. The 24 track recording studio control room provides the students with the opportunity to compose, arrange, produce and post-produce their own pieces using professional sounds and microphones before mastering them down to CD.
"The music department of Kent College, Canterbury decided to go with Counterpoint as against other tenders because we were impressed with their education-specific knowledge and experience of music technology, and the integrated nature of their proposals. I have been impressed also with the confidence, professionalism and flexibility of the contacts we've dealt with. Their ability to listen to our needs and concerns, explain problems and issues, and find creative solutions to the specific type of environment have lead to a productive relationship being forged. Counterpoint has also been entirely reasonable in terms of their after sales service and backup. As a result of these obvious strengths, our Counterpoint installation is now the pride of the school for staff and students alike."
Paul Bourdillon
Head of Music Technology
Kent College
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School, Pontefract, Yorkshire
Customer Profile
 St Wilfrid's Catholic High School and Sixth Form College is a mixed comprehensive school in Pontefract, Yorkshire, teaching 1650 pupils. In September 2005, their performances in Languages led to them being identified as a "High Performing Specialist School" by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, and were consequently awarded an additional specialism of Vocational from April 2006.
The Education Challenge
Keen to introduce and enhance music technology into the new music department, St Wilfrid's looked to a company that would provide a complete solution. Counterpoint's brief was to provide a comprehensive recording studio to meet current examination board requirements. The facility should give students the opportunity to learn recording, production and mastering skills, and also be of a standard to attract commercial users as a way of generating revenue for the department.
The Solution
After detailed consultation, Counterpoint designed and installed a professional studio control room based around both digital and analogue technologies.
 The large format 8- bus Mackie mixing console and associated outboard effects and dynamics processing devices cater for tracking and mixing of signals, while an Alesis high-definition audio recorder ensures that pristine quality performances are always captured. All equipment is housed in a bespoke furniture configuration that includes ample space for an A/B monitoring speaker system.
A range of professional yet affordable microphones, acoustic wall treatment, DVD audio mastering instruments and various studio ancillary tools complete the installation to a standard usually only found in the commercial music industry.
 A dedicated 24 track recording studio with mixing room and adjacent classroom now provide St Wilfrid's students with the opportunity to compose, arrange, produce and post-produce their own pieces using professional sounds and microphones before mastering them down to CD.
Students can now make use of equipment that can usually only be found in a dedicated professional recording studio, and have the potential of producing work of a standard for use in the professional media market.
"A big thank you for the installation of St Wilfrid's Catholic High School's new recording studio. Having previously installed a recording studio myself in another school it was nice to rely on somebody else to implement the new facility. It has been hassle free with excellent back up in terms of technical support."
"Having this system has improved the music department to the extent that the students now have a better chance of getting a high grade for A Level; we couldn't do the course without it!"
Rob Clarke
Head of Music
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School
Washwood Heath Technology College, Birmingham
Customer Profile
Washwood Heath is a large community comprehensive school with 1,426 students, 160 being in the Sixth Form. It became a specialist Technology College in 1998 and renewed that status in 2004. Students come from a range of circumstances but many are from areas of social disadvantage.
The Education Challenge
 During January 2006, Washwood Heath set out to investigate modern music ICT facilities with a view to unlocking the creative potential of students in the college, and to engage and include pupils throughout the year groups. It was deemed important to provide effective controls over student activity in order to focus their learning, as every class includes a wide diversity of musical and behavioural characteristics. The use of technology within the music department had previously extended only to portable keyboards, and this had created some disaffection in pupils throughout the spectrum of achievement.
Counterpoint MTC were one of three companies approached by Washwood Heath in relation to the project, and were quickly identified as the most attentive and helpful.
The Solution
 Counterpoint designed & installed a comprehensive music ICT suite comprising of a network server, 28 music PC workstations, an audio network with recording and assessment software, also music and classroom management software. The audio network enables the teacher to broadcast audio, including spoken word, directly into students' headphones, and monitor audio from each student PC workstation - making recordings into eSAAMS software on the teacher's PC.
The teacher can broadcast their screen to all student PC's, power-on and power-off the systems remotely, lock the student computers and engage with pupils one-on-one, all from the teacher's desk. These audio and video tools provide effective control over student focus, and Washwood report significant improvement in all classes.
Counterpoint also provided an extensive training programme, which commenced with a system introduction day including timetabled lessons, assisting with the first-use of the suite by both teachers and pupils.
The Benefits
The music ICT suite provides software tools for a wide range of abilities and interests; from beginners using music software for the first time, to budding producers and remix artists, with ample facilities for traditional musicians. The teacher benefits from a selection of tools and resources: audio recording and assessment, reference material for an ICT-based scheme of work, and software designed for whole-class teaching.
"Counterpoint arrived with a strategy, experience and some very good advice; we were persuaded by their commitment and support. Prior to installing this suite, we faced difficulties in engaging and including some pupils in the subject; now we find that attentive and well-behaved classes are routine, and interest in music has increased significantly throughout the key stages. Counterpoint have provided excellent, extensive technical support, often over the phone during lesson time. I'm now a customer for life."
Harpinder Singh
Music Teacher
Washwood Heath Technology College
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