The Gurl/Bro Code - STEM Session Music Maker Lab

The Gurl/Bro Code is back at the Central Library on Saturday, November 14, from 11 AM to 3 PM. It's part of the STEM Session series, which runs at the library and is aimed at girls aged 7 to 17. The sessions combine music, coding, engineering, and creativity, and they're offered in partnership with Music Maker Lab.

If you're wondering what that actually looks like in practice, it's a hands-on afternoon rather than a lecture. Participants get to build their own Bluetooth speakers from the ground up, use Makey Makey to turn everyday objects into musical instruments, and take on music coding challenges. There's also beat making and sound design, and team collaboration activities that bring everyone together on the same project. It's the kind of thing that lets a kid see how the technical side of music—the coding and the engineering—actually works, and then let them use it to make something they can hear.

The series is described as a way to inspire the next generation of innovators and creators, and the partnership with Music Maker Lab brings in the gear and expertise to make that happen. It's a long session—four hours—so there's plenty of time to move between the different stations and really get into the building part without feeling rushed. Snacks are provided, and parent drop-off is allowed, which makes it a lot easier to fit into a Saturday morning.

It all goes down at the Central Library, 40 East Saint Clair Street, on Saturday, November 14, from 11 AM to 3 PM. If you've got a daughter or a younger relative in that 7-to-17 range who's into music or just likes to build things, this is a great way to spend a Saturday.