YHGfL - Making the most of your broadband

Time is of the essence now for schools wishing to enter bands into the RockIT! 2007 competition. The closing date for the RockIT competition is now the first week in September.

Visit the official website www.rockIT2007.org.uk

In the past...

The massively popular project formerly known as Rock Idol - gives bands across the region the chance to strut their stuff via video conference and the chance for their schools to get some well deserved recognition.

This is the fourth year of the competition, which is hosted by West Midlands Grid for Learning (Wmnet) and which is co-ordinated regionally by the Yorkshire and Humber Grid for Learning.

Last year the band Warning Shot, from Swinton Community School, received great acclaim as our regional winners and came second in the people�s vote when they performed in the national final.

This time around

Bands need to have the permission of their school to enter and need to register via the official national RockIT! website. They also need to write a new piece for the competition.

The regional heats of the competition are to be held via VC, using JVCS (Janet Video Conference Service) as the project is designed to showcase and help embed the use of VC within schools and colleges. The Yorkshire and Humber final is to be held on October 16th.

As last year, there is a requirement for entrants to create a BandBlog as well as the usual chance for their friends and supporters to vote over the Internet and to text and post comments to the judges.

Entrants can also post up MP3s of their songs prior to the grand final and the judges will be looking at the BandBlogs as part of their judgement.

A new feature this year, is the invitation for bands to produce a small album and a DVD of themselves.

The final of the competition will be held in December and there is even the possibility that finalists will be invited to Birmingham from where their performances will be video conferenced across the nation. Performances will also be relayed across the numerous BBC Big Screens in city centres.

They also need to keep an eye on the YHGfL website, in order to keep up to date with news of the event.

Contact

Email: Andrew.lickley(at)yhgfl.net

Telephone: 01724 275043.