Last month we set the challenge of sampling some of the audio recordings included on NASA’s Golden Record to create a new song that represents what life is like on Earth. The submissions that came in really rocked our eardrums with their playfulness and experimental tones. We had a blast playing these songs and listening for the sampled noises that inspired each one. Thanks again for so many fantastic submissions!

Grand Prize

Our Grand Prize winner titled “Concrete Jungle” was made by dreco.dash at Hope Community in Minneapolis, MN! We especially enjoyed this entry because a member of our team happened to witness its creation and could hear each one of the coauthors’ musical voices in the final product. dreco.dash teamed up with two other classmates to make this impressive song, that samples multiple sounds from the Golden Record while updating them with a more contemporary rhythm and hook. The sampled monkey shrieks in the song work surprisingly well as a sort of snare! Excellent work, dreco.dash!

1st Runner Up

Our 1st Runner up is “Adam Mouse Squad Music” by roscomouse5a from Roscomare Road Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA! roscomouse5a’s song really captured the essence of a summer afternoon at the beach. You can hear birds cawing, waves rolling and an awesome guitar riff that ties everything together. Awesome stuff, roscomouse5a!

2nd Runner Up

Our 2nd Runner up was an untitled song made by fireboy386 at Mountain Elementary School in Soquel, CA! Fireboy386’s entry was a high energy mix with 8-bit samples, guitars, drums and voices singing in other languages! The way all of the sounds included in this song build on one another and add to the overall tone impressed us and we enjoyed the included chorus and cheer toward the end. Great work, fireboy386!

Our honorable mentions go out this month to:

• ytan0003's "Earth" made excellent use of the train sample and other recordings from the Golden Record to create a unique mix.

Our Grand Prize winner will receive a $50 Adafruit Gift Certificate for their school, and our 1st and 2nd Runners up will each win a prize of their choice from our new prize chest!

Spring has finally arrived and so has our annual D.I.Y. competition! This month your challenge is to create a tutorial for others on how to do something you’ve already learned.