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My Entry to the LEGO Music to Our Ears Contest

by Thita (admin) on April 6, 2020

(Written by William)

Like many of you during these unusual times, I found myself stuck at home with a bit more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. So, I turned to the LEGO Ideas platform, which is the home of the majority of official LEGO contests. Sure enough, one of the current contests caught my eye…

We already talked about the LEGO Ideas Music to Our Ears Contest (see links at the end of this post), but to recap, the challenge is to create a model that has something to do with music. The only major restriction is that the entries should remain under 3,000 pieces, so nothing too big, but other than that you can create whatever you like within the general contest and platform rules. The contest runs until April 20th, then there is the judging phase where LEGO Ideas judges select ten entries for a fan vote. There will be one grand prize winner and three runner up winners, and will receive a generous selection of prizes. But that’s not all. The LEGO Ideas Review Board will also look at the ten selected entries, and may consider it to become an official LEGO set!

As you know, from my first attempt at a LEGO Ideas project (see links at the end of this post), obtaining 10,000 votes is the biggest hurdle for anyone to get their project considered to become an official LEGO set. Contests like this however give you a shot to get your project reviewed in another way. I was actually working on my second LEGO Ideas project when this contest popped up. So, while I was waiting for parts to arrive for my project, I figured I give the contest a shot. Below, I will share my contest entry, as well as what you can expect if you enter the contest.

LEGO CONTEST – SUBMISSION PROCESS

Much of the submission process to LEGO Ideas contests is the same as entering a standard LEGO Ideas project; you have a limited number of characters to describe your model, you must insert every tag you can think of that might apply, and you must indicate if the creation is related to an already existing IP.

The only major differences are that you need to enter the submission through the contest link, and you are limited to 10 images rather than 15 like in a normal LEGO Ideas projects. Another noteworthy difference is that you don’t have all the stats from the LEGO Ideas site like you get with the standard LEGO Ideas projects. This is because the entries are sorted by judges and note by votes.

One thing I did different for the contest is that I created a video to show off the model and loaded it up to YouTube. I then took the link and inserted it into the description. This turned out well since it gave me another opportunity to talk a bit more about the design. You can do this for standard LEGO Ideas project too.

LEGO CONTEST – MY ENTRY

So I took notes of everything I learned from my attempts at pushing my Ahoy’s Seafood Restaurant project and applied it to this contest entry. I still wanted something original and not tied to an IP since I feel more comfortable talking about and sharing something entirely unique. Besides, what if I made a creation involving a band only for that band to be involved in some sort of scandal the following week. Additionally, the selection process for the winners is very different for this contest. I don’t have to try to stir up an existing fan base to help push my project forward. I need to start by impressing the LEGO designers that will pick the best models for a fan vote.

With all this in mind, I thought back on the LEGO Ideas projects that didn’t have an original IP and considered what they did to get their models to the 10k mark. Most of them involved something mechanically dynamic. The #21318 LEGO Ideas Tree House involved some interesting structural mechanisms, while the #21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book and #21305 LEGO Ideas Maze sets were more obvious in their mechanical abilities. The #21301 LEGO Ideas Birds set is kind of odd in that it was just so unique and pretty.

I decided I wanted to make a kinetic sculpture. For those of you unaware of what that is, a kinetic sculpture is simply a model that has a moving element to it. Usually the creation is some type of sculpture, like the #81000 LEGO Forma Koi model. It’s slightly different than, for example, the #10261 LEGO Creator Roller Coaster which has a kinetic element to it. For my sculpture, I wanted a drummer. I felt confident that I could get a couple of arms moving to hit a drum. As for the character that was doing the drumming, I’ve always been partial to robots and they are fairly inoffensive. Below, you can see an early prototype of how I built it.

I created the drum first so I had a scale to work with. Then it was figuring out the moving parts. At some point I realized I could give the model a bit more life if the head also bobbed in time with each beat of the drum.

Granted, the thing may look like a mess at this point, but what I ended up with was a right and left mechanism that could be operated by knocking peddles up. I will say, it took a while before I got into building models like this. The biggest barrier had nothing to do with the techniques involved. Rather, I just didn’t know what parts were even available in the realm of LEGO Technic. Currently, my grasp is better than the average LEGO system user, but I’m in no way close to what a seasoned LEGO Technic user is capable of doing.

LEGO CONTESTS – GENERAL ADVICE

After submitting my entry, I did think there were things I could have done better. Fortunately, I don’t think anything I did is going to hurt me in the end. First and foremost, you should read the official rules before beginning a project. I kind of just heard about it and started building. It was only later that I learned of the 3,000-piece limitation.

Next, if enough time has elapsed, try looking at some of the entries that are already submitted. This is a great way to make sure you’re not on the exact same wave length as another builder. Just to warn you, this can intimidate some builders. I want to remind you that rarely is something perfect and you always have a chance.

If there is a model you think is hands down better than the rest, try examining it with a critical eye. Is there some part of it that doesn’t mesh well with what the contest is asking? Is the story a bit weak? Did they do something that might disqualify them? Armed with these insights that can better prepare you for creating your own thing. Personally, I only looked at the other entries after mine was ready to go. I might have changed something about what I made or I might not, but preparation is an advantage that can’t be overlooked.

I hope you all are staying safe and can find a LEGO contest that speaks to you. Remember, builders don’t get bored even during hard times, they get creative! Are you participating in any of the current LEGO contests? Or are you planning to? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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LEGO Supports Families Impacted by COVID-19

by Thita (admin) on April 4, 2020

in Community News

A couple of days ago, John Goodwin, CEO of the LEGO Foundation, and Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, announced a series of important initiatives that launched to help support families through these unprecedented times, whatever circumstances they may be in. Below is the full press-release with all the relevant information, links, etc.

The LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation Support Children and Families Impacted by COVID-19

With many families staying at home and millions more facing job, food, and medical insecurity, the LEGO Foundation and the LEGO Group have joined forces to address the critical needs of children in these unprecedented times.

We have created two important initiatives to aid all children – from the most vulnerable in refugee camps and war-torn countries to those waiting out a community quarantine.

The first initiative is a US $50 million donation by the LEGO Foundation to support children most in need and ensure they continue to have access to learning through play which helps develop life-long skills. The donation will be split between three groups of partners. They are: Education Cannot Wait, which provides education for children caught in emergencies and protracted crises; a selection of existing LEGO Foundation partners whose work with children and families is under additional pressure from COVID-19; and charity partners serving communities where the LEGO Group has a significant presence. Our aim is to urgently reach crisis-affected children with essential supplies and provide support to continue learning through play.

“We know it is difficult that children are away from their classrooms and their regular learning environments. We want to help parents and families do their best and we know that when children play, they learn. They learn life-long skills such as collaboration, communication and problem solving. We’re committed to continuing to support, develop, and inspire children through this tumultuous time.” – Niels B Christiansen, CEO, the LEGO Group

Our second initiative is inspired by the magnitude of the impact of the crisis on children’s education. UNESCO estimates that more than 160 countries have implemented nationwide school closures, impacting 87% of world’s student population. That’s more than 1.5 billion school-aged children who are currently out of school, a number that is only likely to increase in the coming weeks.

So we’ve assembled our designers, STEM gurus, creatives and play experts. We’ve dug through our archives and come up with new ways to provide fun, play-based learning ideas to children and parents. Our hope is to alleviate some of the strain and stress for families while keeping children engaged and curious. We’ve created LEGO.com/LetsBuildTogether and launched #letsbuildtogether across our social channels as a way to share building ideas, daily challenges set by LEGO designers, retro builds, and live build-a-longs with fans everywhere.

Play experts from the LEGO Foundation will also share ways to inspire learning through all types of play, which will help children develop life-long skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving while out of school.

“We cannot let COVID-19 setback a generation of children. Research shows that while learning through play is vital for children’s psychological, emotional and cognitive health and development, it also hones the resilience they need to overcome adversity and build their futures. We must support all children, including the most vulnerable in society, to ensure they continue to have access to education and develop skills critical for them to thrive in a constantly changing world. We are honored to be able to collaborate and support Education Cannot Wait and our other partners who are working extremely hard in unforgiving circumstances to bring education, hope and a future to the most vulnerable children.” – John Goodwin, CEO, the LEGO Foundation

Many of us are fortunate to have technology. Our hope is that while we may not be able to meet physically, we can connect, share our creativity, and inspire each other. Caring for children’s wellbeing and development has been at the heart of our culture for more than 85 years. We are proud to continue this tradition and to do our part. It’s an extraordinarily difficult time, but together we can support each other, be inspired, be safe and learn through play.

“We are grateful that the LEGO Foundation has stepped forward as the first private sector partner to contribute to our COVID-19 response. This generous donation will allow Education Cannot Wait to scale up its support of a coordinated response among governments, UN agencies, and civil society organizations to bring a glimmer of hope to children of all ages in the most crisis-affected countries in the world. Learning must continue in the midst of the pandemic. The LEGO Foundation’s commitment to learning through play is a shining example of what’s possible and we encourage more philanthropic, private sector and government donor partners to come forward.” – Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Director

This latest donation adds to the US$212 million in grants the LEGO Foundation has made during the past 18 months to bring learning through play to children affected by crises. This includes a US$100 million grant awarded to International Rescue Committee and its consortium of partners in December 2019; a US$12.5 million grant awarded to Education Cannot Wait in September 2019 and US$100 million grant awarded to Sesame Workshop in December 2018. For more information about the LEGO Foundation and Education Cannot Wait, visit LEGOFoundation.com and EducationCannotWait.org.

“We’ve been amazed by the creativity shown by children and adults around the world while they stay at home. We’re grateful for the calls, emails and messages from fans who say LEGO play is helping to comfort them. It’s more important than ever that we find ways to stay connected, supported and inspired in order to safeguard our health and wellbeing. Play is a great way to do this, and we want to support LEGO fans of all ages to build and play. The amazing team at the LEGO Group came up with the idea for #letsbuildtogether as a way to offer support and inspiration to parents as they face the challenge of keeping children engaged and educated at home while juggling their own work and wellbeing.” – Julia Goldin, Chief Marketing Officer, the LEGO Group

“With many parents worried about juggling work with childcare and schooling, play could be one of the easiest, and most fun ways of supporting a child’s education and development. Children say they learn best when activities feel like play, while 9 in 10 parents feel that play helps their child develop key skills such as resilience, collaboration, creativity and communication. Not only is play essential to a child’s development, but it benefits the whole family too. Parents say that playing with their child is good for their own wellbeing and happiness and importantly in tough times, it also helps them relax and connect with their children.” – David Pallash, LEGO Play Agent

In addition to these initiatives, the LEGO Ideas team also launched an activity where anyone can share their great ideas of what to play, build, create while at home – to help and inspire families with children at home. Ideas could include fun games, learning math, numbers, and shapes, making stop-motion videos, drawing, crafts, etc. If you have a step-by-step guide, video, etc. for a LEGO project that educational or entertaining and could be built by a child, the LEGO Ideas team would love to see it. Approved project will be posted on the LEGO Ideas page, and possibly on LEGO’s social media channels. Visit LEGOIdeas.com/Activities/LetsBuildTogether.

What do you think? Do you use LEGO for educational purposes in your family? Do you have any ideas that you would like to let others know about? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!