Many of us know that repetition facilitates the learning process. After all, “Repetitio est mater studiorum” (translated as “Repetition is the mother of learning” in English). But while adults have figured a way to keep on learning despite repetition’s monotonous “personality,” kids might find it difficult to keep pace with repetition’s quite boring rhythm. Unless… You follow Warner Music Group‘s (WMG) formula to “sprinkle” it with catchy tunes.

During this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday, we want to refresh our readers’ memory on an award-winning campaign that was designed to help children with speech sound disorders (SSD) discover a melodious way to practice the pronunciation of challenging sounds and have fun at the same time. Titled “Saylists,” the initiative is the brainchild of WMG in partnership with Apple Music and Rotcho — part of Accenture Interactive — programming it to work as an educational tool speech and language therapists can use to grab the little patients’ attention in an engaging way.

In the UK, 1 in 12 kids is believed to experience some form of SSD. In overcoming the condition, repetition of challenging sounds (syllables, words, or phrases) is an essential practice. However, kids are likely to think about repetition as being something boring. But with initiatives such as Saylists, things are likely to change for the better. In helping keep children engaged in their therapy, WMG developed a collection of captivating playlists, each focused on a different sound.

To create the Saylists, the team developed an algorithm, assigning it the task to analyze song lyrics that use certain speech sounds, such as “ch,” “d,” “f,” “g,” “k,” “l,” “r,” “s,” “t,” and “z.” The “job” required the algorithm to analyze over 70 million songs in Apple’s catalog, choose those in which these sound patterns repeat most often, and then categorize them in playlists. Working closely with a language therapist, the team identified 173 songs ready to help kids exercise their speech while singing their favorite songs.

Commenting on the project, language therapist Anna Biavati-Smith, who helped Warner Music and Rothco on the project, explained: “Saylists provide a fun new way to practice the sounds I teach children, without feeling pressured or getting bored.”

Warner Music Chief Executive, Tony Harlow, said: “Helping people express themselves is at the heart of what we do — and we hope that by creating a therapeutic tool that’s as engaging and accessible as Saylists, we can help anyone who’s struggling with their speech.”

Saylists received applause right from the first week of launch, enjoying the attention of therapists, who recommended and used the songs in therapy sessions. The campaign impressed the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy as well, which expressed their excitement at the initiative’s release. Also, the department of English Language Teaching at Cambridge University recognized Saylists’ potential in being a great tool teachers can use in the ELT classroom. In addition, thanks to the positive results (reaching over 42,5 million people through earned media and word of mouth), Apple Music is working on developing the project for music in other languages.

Credits:

Client: Warner Music Group // Apple Music

Agency: Rotcho