Amazon Future Engineer and Georgia Tech invite you to engage your students in the Your Voice is Power learning experience and coding competition. Students will learn computer science, social justice, and entrepreneurship by remixing songs from Pharrell's Entrepreneur, Alicia Keys's Underdog, and Khalid's New Normal on Georgia Tech's EarSketch platform.
MAKE BEATS. LEARN CODE.
Are your students ready to become the next big music producer?
Do they want to use their voice to inspire change?
The Your Voice Is Power competition is their opportunity to remix beats while learning to code. Yes, code! For the competition, students use EarSketch, a free online code editor, to compose a unique song while learning computer science. No experience is necessary to participate. Students can also participate in the curriculum experience to learn how to include themes of social justice and entrepreneurship to their song.
No experience necessary.
I’m in! What do my students need to know to participate?
COMPETE
The competition runs from December 1 to June 19, 2022 with two rounds for students to submit a song entry. Student songs will be judged based on quality of music, code, and messaging by a panel of industry professionals.
COMPETITION TIMELINE
ROUND 1
Opened December 1, 2021
Closed February 7, 2022
Finalists announced March/April 2022
ROUND 2
Opens February 8, 2022
Closes June 19, 2022
Finalists announced July 2022
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
Announced August 2022
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION
A remix of one of our three featured artists' songs coded on the EarSketch platform that promotes a message of equity that meets the following requirements:
Length of 30 seconds to 3 minutes
Include five distinct tracks
One audio clip from Pharrell Williams's Entrepreneur song
Runs in the EarSketch DAW without error(s)
Code includes one custom function to define song sections (for MS/HS students only)
Watch how to submit
HOW TO SUBMIT
My students created their masterpieces and are ready to enter the competition.
There are two ways for students to enter their code and songs for the Your Voice is Power competition. Students can enter directly on the EarSketch platform or by using the link below. Before submitting, watch the video on how to enter the competition and find the URL to their song.
Find your script in the My Scripts folder. Expand the options by clicking the hamburger menu and click Submit to Competition. Complete the entry form and submit!
Need to submit externally? No problem! Click on the external submission link and complete the entry form.
It’s a competition…..so what are the prizes?
WIN PRIZES
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5 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
$5,000 scholarship for school or grant to start their own business!
2 DIVISION WINNERS (ES, MS)
$500 Amazon Gift Card awarded to 1 Overall Elementary School Winner and 1 Overall Middle School Winner each round!
10 FINALISTS EACH ROUND
$200 Amazon Gift Card
100 SEMI-FINALISTS EACH ROUND
$25 Amazon Gift Card
5 TEACHER AWARDS
$1,000 cash prize for above-and-beyond instruction with Your Voice is Power.
Teachers with ten or more student submissions will be eligible and contacted to apply.
Listen to the winning remixes of the 2021 Your Voice is Power Competition and read reflections of their experience!
GET STARTED
I'm ready. How do I bring this to my classroom?
Sign up as a Your Voice is Power teacher.
We'll send you competition updates and training information.
Want to learn more about Your Voice is Power or EarSketch? Do you need a refresher? Join us for our Round 2 teacher trainings or check out last year's recordings!
Check out our new 2022 Curriculum for your students to engage with social justice and entrepreneurship.
Download our digital swag bag and bring some pop to your classroom!
2022 CURRICULUM
The new Your Voice is Power curriculum continues the discussion and themes of how music, computer science, and entrepreneurship can be tools to learn and fight for social justice. The curriculum includes a lesson plan, slides, student notes, and exit ticket, which are downloadable for you to follow along with your students as you teach.
I'm ready. How do I bring this to my classroom?
Check out what this year's curriculum includes.
The Your Voice is Power Student Notebook is intended for students to take notes and use as they learn to code!
Introduce Your Voice is Power to your students with this kickoff lesson!
Optional
INTRODUCTION TO EARSKETCH
Students will learn how to navigate the EarSketch Platform and run a basic script.
MESSAGE IN THE MUSIC
Students will explore how to decode the message in the music and embed messages in their code with comments.
LAYERS OF INJUSTICE
Students will examine the "layers" of both racism and music and will code instrumental layers in their song using variables and functions.
SET YOUR OWN TEMPO
Students will hear the stories of amazing entrepreneurs who "set their own tempo" before learning to code their own unique 16-measure song.
SONG STRUCTURE: EVERY PART/PERSON HAS A PURPOSE
Students will discover the various roles people can play in the fight for racial justice and dissect Pharrell's song structure and begin to plan/code the different parts of their song.
CALL TO ACTION
Students will code a song in EarSketch, remixing stems from Pharrell's song, Entrepreneur, that uses their "voice" or includes a message to promote equity.
The 2022 Canada Competition will be hosted by TakingItGlobal.
Have a question? View our Frequently Asked Questions.
