Soundtrap Helps Inspire Music Creation Among Youth in Juvenile Justice Facilities 

Soundtrap Teams with CEEAS for Music Competition Called UNSUNG: The Voices of Youth Justice 

Stockholm, Sweden, and Washington, D.C. – November 5, 2018 – Soundtrap, the online collaborative music and podcast recording studio, has been partnering with the Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings (CEEAS) to spark original musical creations among youth in American juvenile justice facilities. CEEAS works with instructors in these facilities to maximize teaching and learning in order to help students succeed after release, whether in further education or jobs. Soundtrap provided free licenses for its online musical creation tool to CEEAS for the organization's initiative - a competition called “UNSUNG: The Voices of Youth Justice.” 

The goal of UNSUNG is to inspire imagination by having participants create songs that spur awareness of the issues impacting the lives of these young adults. Seventy submissions from individuals and groups were turned into CEEAS, whose judges selected the 10 favorites from which a shortlist of five winners were picked. Topics range from social injustice to the desire to turn lives around. The ultimate favorite and winner was chosen by American musician, songwriter, record producer and philanthropist Aloe Blacc, creator of several international hit songs. The top five finalists and winners were: 

1st Place: Unsung  By Zakiyyah C., Edson C., Alfonso K., Anthony L., Michael P., Beau W. at New Bridge High School at Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon

2nd Place: System Failed  By Tofia Vailea at Naselle Youth Camp School, Washington

3rd Place: Fed Up By K.H. at Hogan Street Regional Youth Center, Missouri

4th Place: A His Story Buried in Time By L.M. at Hogan Street Regional Youth Center, Missouri 

5th Place: We All Belong  By TH at Cypress School at Okeechobee Girls Academy, Florida 

Cloud-based Soundtrap, known for its ease of use and cross-platform compatibility, is an ideal vehicle to enable students to write songs and music themselves or collaborate on musical compositions. "We encourage students to express themselves, especially as a way for their voices to be heard," explained Kat Crawford, director of technology solutions at CEEAS. "Writing songs can be incredibly helpful. The kids had a blast using the tool and lots of them who didn't create songs were still inspired by the work of those who submitted."

"We're very optimistic about teachers continuing to use this tool in the classroom for the rest of the year,” Crawford said. “Soundtrap will be helpful in their curriculum, both as a song creation tool and as a podcasting tool.”

Daniel Wynne, a teacher at a youth facility in Florida, said Soundtrap was a unique model for student engagement and critical thinking. “The platform requires that students negotiate many higher-order thinking challenges in order to incorporate the many moving parts required in the creative process,” he said, noting also that students’ focus piqued during the rollout of UNSUNG.

"Having access to simple, engaging tools that help express emotion creatively is great for all young people and particularly for youth within the justice system," said Aloe Blacc. "Allowing one's voice to be heard through music is a time-tested way to generate empathy and inspire others.”

According to Soundtrap Director Per Emanuelsson, "Music is something we can all tap into to express an emotion or feeling. Whether students are in local schools or juvenile justice facilities, Soundtrap helps inspire them to become excited about music and motivated about learning so that they can share their experiences and thoughts in a new and positive way."

Soundtrap: www.soundtrap.com. 

CEEAS: https://www.ceeas.org

Aoife Kimber: akimber@kimberpr.com +1 650 773 7288