Retro Sounds: BBC-Micro-inspired music competition for The National Museum of Computing

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Following the success of its Microlympics online games tournament, The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) has launched a new competition inspired by the BBC Micro. Contestants will be asked to create an original piece of music for the introduction screen to a fictional game using a Raspberry Pi.

The Retro Sounds competition is part of TNMOC’s year of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the BBC Micro. It highlights the Micro’s role as a popular gaming platform enjoyed by millions of children and adults, playing such favourites as Chucky Egg and Elite.

Why the Raspberry Pi? It was inspired by BBC Micro - a fun tool to help foster greater computer literacy and skills in STEM among young people and students.

Gavin Clarke, Interpretation and Content Strategist at Blended Past who works with the museum and is the brains behind the competition, commented: "We created Retro Sounds to excite and inspire creatives of all ages and backgrounds. The BBC Micro was conceived to drive up the UK’s levels of computer literacy yet projected sales were conservative. The Beeb dramatically shattered expectations precisely because it unleashed the imaginations and the creative potentials of children and teens. The result was a flowering of programmers and entrepreneurs writing programs and setting up games companies.

“TNMOC’s Retro Sounds competition honours that history in the 40th anniversary year of the Beeb with the modern computing platform it inspired – the Raspberry Pi.”

 

Who will be judging and what are they judging on? 

The competition will be judged by:

  • Matthew Applegate, British Composer of the Year nominee, better known as his stage name Pixelh8, CEO & Founder of the Creative Computing Club Charitable foundation that helps young people from low-income families access technology, and BAFTA YGH Mentor winner.

  • David Housten, a BAFTA and Ivor Novello nominated composer who has worked on music for award-winning video game titles such as Lost Words, QUBE 2 and noir horror hit Once Upon A Time in Roswell

Entrants will be judged in three categories, including:

  • Authenticity - seeing if contestants used or emulated the sounds from original computers as well as bore in mind the limitations of the original machines.

  • Original concept behind the music.

  • Catchiness - could this be a song outside of the nostalgic value of it being played on a retro computer.

 

Who can enter, how, and what’s up for grabs? 

Potential contestants can enter into four different categories, including:

  • Aged under 8s

  • Ages 9-13

  • Ages 14-19

  • Aged 18+

Entries are to be submitted by web form accessible through the museum website and the deadline for the competition is the 19th August, with winner announced on 25th August. 

Contestants will be encouraged to work in three ways. At home or chosen place of work through their own Raspberry Pi or emulator, through various Raspberry Jam clubs local to them, or come into the museum and use one of its own Raspberry Pis.

Prizes up for grabs will include books, items from the museum shop and free museum entry.