Players form into bands and collaborate to complete creative challenges that lead to a final project: an original music composition.

1. Players: form bands with 1-4 other students and work as a team. Players do not need previous experience reading music or with an instrument. Intermediate and advanced music students are encouraged to use their instruments in the virtual studio as they prefer.

2. Producers: coordinate and manage meetings, coordinate collaboration and communication, guide bands through challenges, collect work for assessment.

1. Players create a portfolio of music compositions with different instrumentation and varying levels of band collaboration.

2. Players keep a journal that describes their personal reflections of the unit challenges.

1. Bands receive unit challenges via Learning Management System (LMS).

2. Bands receive detailed instructions in the Light the Music game board. Players collaborate on units (and challenge modules) in sequential order, or as assigned.

3. Complete work (via Soundtrap, slides, and journals) by the assigned deadline. 

4. Repeat the steps listed above until all units and assigned modules are complete.

1. Form bands. Assign students (i.e., players) to bands. Number the bands until they are named by the players.

2. Create Google slides. Bands submit their creative work - from illustrations to MP3 files - in shared online documents. Templates provided to teachers. Create an index of bands with links to each Google slide deck (permissions set accordingly).

4. Configure student journals. Students should journal at the end of each unit, using sample questions provided to teachers. Journals may be shared only with the teacher, or can be shared with the band.

Generally, students are evaluated based on (1) virtual studio work; (2) completing journal entries; and (3) participation. Each teacher will establish specific grading criteria (e.g., creativity, KSHH feedback).

1. All band members participate on challenges equally (unless someone is absent).

2. All band members use the Code of KSHH feedback system to share appreciation and positive support on every challenge. You can be self-critical sometimes, but you cannot be critical of other band members' work.

3. Challenges must be completed as described. Bands cannot change the challenge requirements - only the producer can modify challenges.

4. Band members must work with their assigned band unless re-assigned to another band by the teacher. 

1. There is no ‘wrong’ music. There is no perfection here. It's messy. ‘Good’ music is in the ear of the beholder. 

2. Have fun! Use the players’ stage names and band name. Go on the journey with a band as they imagine and create. Being in a band can be awesome!

3. Players, and especially the band as a unit, make decisions. Producers serve as advisors. 

4. KSHH Feedback = Kind, Specific, Helpful, Honest. KSHH feedback is the lifeblood of this experience - producers and players, please use it often!

Kind: Unkind feedback blocks creativity and collaboration - always prioritize the K.
Specific: In commenting on players’ work - try more specificity, less value/judgement, (eg. “I notice your chords are more on the beats this time” vs “You’re doing better playing in time”).
Helpful: Occasionally, helpful means offering constructive criticism, but much more often, it means being empathetic, and supporting the player.
Honest: Not an excuse to tell a player what you think they should do, more an opportunity to be open and share your own similar struggles!

5. Producers: silence is good - ask a question and let players think. They’ll speak up when they’re ready.

6. Producers: model responses when helpful, especially KSHH. The producer is part of this experience, and  can participate in discussions. Band names and other aesthetic ‘band’ decisions should always be up to just the players.

7. Stuff happens, especially in the virtual world. Patiently and empathetically work through challenges (tech, wifi, life), with the group. Give KSHH to support and encourage players’ patience and tenacity to deal with these challenges.

8. Process over product. The goal is not an amazing piece of music. The goal is for each person to have a fun experience, make progress, learn something, and to have a good story to tell.

9. Aesthetics: Each of us has spectrums of musical tastes that vary with context, change all the time, and even evolve, just like our palettes: 
Tonality // Atonality
Variance // Predictability
Density // Space
Genres, lyrics, chords...etc! It's all valid. In other words… Don’t yuck my yum!