'It sparks in their mind': Saskatoon students learn coding through music

Students from around Saskatoon gathered at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to learn more about coding, music and social justice.

The Your Voice Is Power competition was held at the U of S on Friday. Activities included a smudge ceremony, a performance by Dakota Bear and how-to-code lessons.

One of the organizers said the event was a way to get students working hands-on with coding.

“Music always tells a story right and so with when we can incorporate coding and technology into that we kind of incorporate art into like the whole stem idea and then the students get to be hands-on and create something that they're proud of,” organizer Jasmyn Albert said.

“They're listening to the lyrics or listening to the song, the beat all of those things and breaking it down, coding it into something new for themselves. And they're going to be submitting it for an opportunity to win a $5,000 scholarship.”

Students compete using the EarSketch platform to remix songs from Indigenous artists like Saskatoon’s Dakota Bear.

Bear told CTV News it was about breaking down barriers.

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“If you think about the technology sectors and technologies, there's not a lot of Indigenous peoples in these spaces. There's a lot of barriers that we have had to face in any field or any sector and it's moving past that and thinking about, ‘Okay, how can we create these things and make them not only sustainable but a more inclusive for others,” he said.

“Because when we work together, that's when the beautiful things happen.”

Student participant Adrian Reyes called the event fun.

“It's kind of refreshing also to like learn new ways to like communicate to music,” Reyes said. “[It’s] very interesting the way that he finds a way to send a message through music.”

Albert said that the focus of the event was inclusivity.

“The hope is that we open the door for youth of all backgrounds, male and female or non-binary, and they get the opportunity to experience it hands-on rather than just to learn about it in school or see a video of it.”

The program is an initiative of Amazon Future Engineer Canada, according to an Amazon news release.

Your Voice is Power has eight modules that go over the basics of coding while discussing social issues with students like residential schools, the Sixties Scoop and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, the release said.

As part of the event, two winners will receive $5,000 for college or to start a business, according to the YourVoiceIsPower website.

In an interview with CTV Morning Live, Albert said the experience could be life-changing for students.

“When you get to see yourself in these opportunities, it opens a door for you mentally,” she explained.

“They are being part of it. They are creating something where they can actually see the outcome. It sparks in their mind.”

With files by Tyler Barrow