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MAKE BEATS. LEARN CODE. PROMOTE EQUITY.

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CODE TO COMPETE

You will use Georgia Tech’s EarSketch Platform to code a unique remix that demonstrates awareness and calls for action!
Winners will be selected in August.
50 students will win prizes, and the top students will win a $5,000 scholarship or grant to start a business!

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{

}

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How are music, computer science, �activism and entrepreneurship �pathways to promote racial equity?

Layers of Music (Activism & Equity)

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Continue to examine the layers of racism and music; learn how to add sound clips and to debug.

Sensitive Topic: In this module students will analyze examples of racism and injustice faced by Indigenous artist, Samian.�

AGENDA

Thinking about the Issues - KW Chart
Song Analysis - Samian's “Peuple Invincible”
Understanding Activism and Equity
Adding Sound Clips & Debugging
Build your Vocabulary

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MODULE 3 - LAYERS OF MUSIC

(ACTIVISM & EQUITY)

OBJECTIVE

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Instructor Dialogue

Welcome back, class!

Today, we are going to begin a new multi-day learning challenge called Your Voice Is Power. where you will explore how to layer your music!

You will continue to examine the layers of racism and while learning how to layer music. You will learn how to code instrumental layers in your song using variables and functions.

You are going to analyze the music of a famous Indigenous artist, Samian, to explore how to use music, activism, and computer science as pathways to promote racial equity.

We will continue to use EarSketch to code and remix music.

To get started today, we are going to take a look at what you already know and what you need to know about music, computer science, activism, and entrepreneurship.

At the end of the learning experience, you will have an opportunity to reflect on what you learned!

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Activity 1: Know and Want to Know

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1. THINKING ABOUT THE ISSUES

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In your Student Writing Activity Workbook, make notes on what you know and want to know about music, computer science, activism, and equity?

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Activity 1: Know and Want to Know

	Know	Want to Know
Music
Computer Science
Activism
Equity

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Instructor Dialogue

Today, we are going to begin exploring how to layer your music!

We will continue to examine the layers of racism and, while learning how to layer music, we will learn how to code instrumental layers in your song using variables and functions.

We are going to analyze the music of a famous Indigenous artist, Samian, to explore how to use music, activism, and computer science as pathways to promote racial equity. After all, this project is about voice! Your Voice Is Power!

We will continue to use EarSketch to code and remix music.

To get started today, we are going to take a look at what you already know and what you need to know about music, computer science, activism, and entrepreneurship.

At the end of the learning experience, you will have an opportunity to reflect on what you learned!

Take a minute right now to write down in your Student Writing Activity Workbook Module 3 - Activity 1 : Know and Want to Know some of what you already know about music, computer science, activism and equity, and some of things you would like to know and learn about each of these topics.

Instructor Cue

Have the students complete Module 3 - Activity 1 : Know and Want to Know in their Student Writing Activity Workbook

The template of the Know Want To Know Chart is also available in the Resources section of this document.

Optional: When students have filled out the first two columns of their sheets, allow students to share their Know and Want to Know items with one other or ask a few students to share with the class

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2. ACTIVISM, EQUITY, & FIRST SOUND CLIPS

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Activity 2: Analyze "Peuple Invincible" by Samian

Listen to the song “Peuple Invincible”, follow along reading the lyrics in your Student Writing Activity Workbook and highlight examples of injustice to answer the questions in the workbook or to discuss as a class

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BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY TO PROMOTE EQUITY

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Term	Definition
	�The policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.�

ACTIVISM

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In your Student Writing Activity Workbook answer the question: How does Samian use his voice for activism?

Activity 3: Defining Activism and Equity

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BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY TO PROMOTE EQUITY

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Term	Definition
	�The ability for all groups of people to experience the same quality of life. It includes taking any necessary actions to make sure that all groups of people get fair treatment and the right resources that enable them to thrive.

EQUITY

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CODING AND COMPOSING

Type (or copy from your Student Coding Activity Workbook) this code into your script after

setTempo(120)

from earsketch import *

setTempo(120)

# music section

fitMedia(RD_UK_HOUSE_MAINBEAT_8, 1, 1, 9)

fitMedia(RD_POP_SYNTHBASS_6, 2, 1, 9)

fitMedia(YG_FUNK_CONGAS_3, 3, 1, 9)

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Activity 4: Music - Add Sound Clips to Your Scri pt

Instructor Dialogue

OK! HERE WE GO!! We are going to add some sound clips now!

EarSketch is all about coding and composing, so we will add a few lines of code that will insert sound files into your script. These lines of code will become tracks (layers!) in your DAW.

Follow along the next two slides and then try it yourself following the instructions in your Student Coding Activity Workbook: Module 3 - Activity 4: Music - Add Sound Clips to Your Script

Instructor Cue

AFTER you do a demo or show them the slides demonstrating the steps, have the students begin the activity Student Coding Activities Workbook Module 3 - Activity 4: Music - Add Sound Clips to Your Script

Demo the steps on the next two slides by creating a new script in EarSketch and adding three fitMedia statements after setTempo()

fitMedia(RD_UK_HOUSE_MAINBEAT_8, 1, 1, 9)

fitMedia(RD_POP_SYNTHBASS_6, 2, 1, 9)

fitMedia(YG_FUNK_CONGAS_3, 3, 1, 9)

OR

Show the students the next two slides to help them understand the steps they will perform to complete the activity.

The Student Coding Workbook contains detailed instructions including screenshots.

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RUN YOUR CODE

EarSketch Training | 11.06.2020

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PLAY YOUR MUSIC

Metronome

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BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY TO MAKE BEATS

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Term	Definition
	�A part of a song that is recorded separately as a musical clip and added to a piece of music. In a DAW, tracks are arranged in rows and labeled with numbers.�

TRACK

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EXPLAINING THE CODE

Rewind

Metronome

# music section

fitMedia(RD_UK_HOUSE_MAINBEAT_8, 1, 1, 9)

fitMedia(RD_POP_SYNTHBASS_6, 2, 1, 9)

fitMedia(YG_FUNK_CONGAS_3, 3, 1, 9)

Python, like many coding languages, is case sensitive!!

Any time your code doesn't run, check to see if you got the casing right.

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The fitMedia( ) function!

Rewind

fitMedia(drums, 1, 1, 5 )

Sound file name (variable)

Track number

Starting measure

Ending measure

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Console

Tells about errors

CONSOLE

EarSketch Training | 11.06.2020

Watch Out!

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ERRORS & DEBUGGING!

TYPES of ERRORS

Syntax errors
Runtime errors
Logic errors

1.4 Debug your code

COMMON ERRORS

Misspelling
Case sensitivity
Parentheses
Script setup
Punctuation

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Activity 5: Debugging

Instructor Dialogue

Earlier, we briefly mentioned bugs (errors) and debugging. But, it is such an essential part of coding that we want to give it more attention. Mistakes will be made. Simple. It is natural, common, and frequent! When we are learning new things, bugs happen! Lots of different kinds of bugs and many of them are common to all coders. Expect, embrace, seek, and squash your bugs! :-)

This activity is taken from 1.4 Debug your code

Sometimes programmers make mistakes that cause code to work incorrectly or not run. In programming, coding faults are called errors, or bugs. The process of finding and fixing bugs is called debugging. You can use debugging strategies using the console.

What are the different types of errors?

Syntax errors: Your program does not run because your code breaks the language’s syntax rules (ex: you forgot to close parenthesis, or you wrote fitMedia incorrectly).
Runtime errors: Your program starts to run but halts due to an error.
Logic errors: Your program runs, but it doesn’t do what is expected. You can fix these by looking at the DAW to check if the clips you meant to add were actually added in the right place.

Here are some common errors:

Misspelling: Check the spelling when using a function like fitMedia() or sound constants.
Case sensitivity: Most words used in programming are case-sensitive (the computer recognizes the difference between capitalized and uncapitalized letters). Pay attention to lowercase and uppercase letters. For example, fitMedia() is correct—not FitMedia() or fitmedia(). Most items in a script follow the rule called camelCase: the first word is lower case, and the first letter of subsequent words are capitalized, as in makeBeat() or setEffect().
Parentheses: Forgetting an opening or closing parenthesis where needed will cause a syntax error.
Script setup: EarSketch adds setup functions to a new script automatically, but you might accidentally delete from earsketch import *, init(), setTempo(), or finish(). Make sure these functions appear in every script.
Punctuation: Missing commas or other punctuation errors will cause an error!

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The order of parameters is not correct: it should be sound clip name then track number.

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Missing the opening parenthesis!

Missing the letter 'e'.

Missing a comma between third and fourth parameters.

Missing an uppercase 'M'.

WORK TOGETHER TO FIND THE BUGS!

(You can click to reveal all five)

Instructor Dialogue

Time to practice!

Find the 5 errors in the code:

Instructor Cue

Have the students try to find mistakes in the code displayed on the slide, they can also copy and paste the code from their Student Coding Workbooks into EarSketch to see the error messages to try and help them find the errors and get practice interpreting error messages.

As you click on the slide you will reveal the errors in the code.

Answers:

The setTempo() function is missing a parenthesis
The first fitMedia() is missing an 'e'
The first fitMedia() is missing a comma between the third and fourth parameters
The second fitMedia() is missing an uppercase 'M'
In the second fitMedia(), the order of parameters is not correct: it should be sound clip name then track number

Take a look at Every Error Explained in Detail for a description of different error types and what you can do to prevent them.

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Activity 6: Build Your Vocabulary

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3. CONSOLIDATION / REFLECTION

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In your Student Writing Activity Workbook

Match the following terms with their definitions:
Track
Activism
Equity

List the most common types of errors when coding.

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Activity 6: Build Your Vocabulary

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A: Indigenous Artist Research and Presentation

B: Indigenous Activism

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Optional Extensions

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Extension A: Indigenous Artist Research and Presentation

Choose a song by an Indigenous artist of your choice.
Research and present to the class about the artist’s background, inspiration, and elaborate on the issues they talk about in their music.
Does this artist fit the definition of an activist? How so?

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Watch from 4:14 to 8:29 of the video documentary “Walking with Angels” then discuss as a class:

How is Tristen Durocher using his voice in a powerful way?

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Extension B: Indigenous Activism

Instructor Dialogue:

Not only is music a space to use our voice in powerful ways, but advocating for change is another space in which Indigenous peoples around the country are using their voice to advocate for change.

Indigenous activists around the country engage in activism regarding pipelines and resource development, land rights, language rights and more.

For example, Tristen Durocher, a Métis youth who you will see play the fiddle in Module 6, also uses his voice to advocate for systemic change.

Instructor Cue:

Show students this Facebook video clip of Tristen’s advocacy work: (approx 4:14-8:29)�“Tristen Durocher - Walking with our Angels (Documentary”

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/thegetupsk/videos/tristen-durocher-walking-with-our-angels-documentary/267889284203492/

Ask students the following question: “How is Tristen using his voice in a powerful way?”

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Choose an Indigenous activist to research and present to the class about the following:

Activist’s background
Issues that inspire them to take action
The impact they are having

Example: Nanook Gordon founded a queer and Two-Spirit Indigenous grassroots collective.

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Extension B: Indigenous Activism

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THANK YOU!

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