The Album
Requirements
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Requirements
Your band meets up in an empty classroom during lunch.
Mia: All right, everyone here? Good! First, I’d like to congratulate you all on your excellent show at the Blue Crown!
Payton: Woo! Go us!
Mia: And secondly, I’d like to congratulate myself on arranging your next gig at the Dolphin Room next month!
Nishan: Mia, we would’ve congratulated you, you didn’t even give us a chance!
Mia: I just want to get all the warm fuzzy stuff out of the way... Because it’s time to talk business! And our first order of business is recording an album!
Time - 6 hours
Julian: I’m all for getting our next album out, but shouldn’t we be practicing for our next gig?
Payton: Yeah, now might not be the best time to write a whole bunch of new songs...
Mia: New songs are exactly what we need though! I mean, how many original songs do we have? Two or three? For this gig, you’ll be playing a full set, and, unless you want to play an hour of covers, we’ll need new material.
Ezra: That is... very true. I didn’t even think of that.
Mia: That’s why I’m here. Besides, having an album out is practically required if you want to build a fanbase. There were hundreds of people at Red Canyon, but when they went home to buy your album online, there were no search results!
Nishan: That’s probably the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.
Mia: I know, especially from a financial perspective. But this Dolphin Room gig will be different, because we’ll bring copies of our album to sell at the door.
Ezra: Let’s not rush this. A band’s debut album is like a baby’s first word... it has to be perfect to really make an impression.
Payton: I think you’re asking a lot of babies everywhere, Ezra.
Ezra: You know what I mean. This album will define our band for the rest of our musical career, so we have to take this one step at a time. Step one: We need to decide our ‘sound’.
Payton: Ooh, I have an idea! What if we took every Top 40 artist and fused them into one amazing pop sensation?
Nishan: Why rehash what’s already popular? We should be pushing music in a new direction! Our album should change the way people think about music entirely!
Ezra: Okay, this is already getting complicated. We can’t have an album where every song is a totally different genre. We need a sense of unity... a recognizable sound that only our band is capable of!
Nishan: Exactly my point! Our sound should be so unique that it defies categorization!
Ezra: Thats... not what I said.
Payton; Nishan, were you even listening? We need to pick an established genre and put our own spin on it!
Ezra: That’s not quite...
Mia: Okay, you guys clearly have a lot of ideas, but ideas are just talk! Everyone needs to make some sample songs, and we’ll choose out of those to figure out what the band’s sound should be.
Ezra: All right, that works for me. Let’s all meet back here tomorrow!
As you head out the door, Payton catches up with you.
Payton: Hey, Danny, could you help me out real quick? I want to record a party anthem, but I’m going to need some inspiration...
Danny: I assume that means...
Payton: You guessed it! It’s time to party!
Requirements
After school, Payton’s party is in full swing!
Payton: OMG, Danny, this is one of the best parties I’ve ever thrown! Such a good idea to splurge on the fog machines!
Danny: So, are you inspired yet?
Payton: Definitely! Let’s go record!
Payton pulls you into a quieter room.
Danny: I’ll record your song on my phone, so just start whenever you’re ready.
Payton: I’m ready now!
Payton belts out a party anthem that sounds like Katy Perry having a house party with Pharrell!
Danny: Wow, Payton, did you just come up with those lyrics on the spot?
Payton: Yup! Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to explain my love of parties... singing is somehow easier, you know?
Danny: So, do you need any help writing music for the rest of the band?
Payton: We don’t really need to write that stuff, do we? I’ll provide a melody, and everyone else can follow along!
Danny: I don’t know if it’s that easy...
Just then, you get a text from Nishan... ‘about to change music history forever. bring someone with programming experience and a musically-inclined person to my house ASAP!’
Danny: Sorry, Payton, I’ve gotta go help Nishan with his song.
Requirements
You, Zayn, and Alexandra leave Payton’s party and head to Nishan’s house. You ring the doorbell.
Alexandra: What’s this all about, Danny? I wanted to stay for the afterparty!
Zayn: There was an afterparty? Wasn’t the before-party enough?
Danny: Sorry, Alexandra, Nishan needs both of you for some top secret project of his!
Nishan opens the door and pokes his head out.
Nishan: Who have you brought me, Danny? Ah, Zayn and Alexandra, I see. They’ll suffice. Come with me... there’s someone I’d like you to meet.
Nishan scurries back into his house.
Alexandra: Okay, can we just go back to Payton’s party? This is too weird.
Danny: I admit that Nishan is acting a little odd, but I’m sure there’s some explanation for... all this. Let’s go meet this person.
Time - 7 hours
You follow Nishan to his room, where he proudly presents a row of monitors displaying lines of code and musical scales.
Danny: Uh, Nishan, weren’t you going to introduce us to someone?
Nishan: I am! Say hello to ComposerBot! He’s a musical intelligence capable of composing original pieces!
Zayn: Original pieces? How does he do it?
Nishan: You just put some songs in his database, and he’ll create a new composition in that style!
Alexandra: So what? Your robot can’t make music like a human can... robots have no soul, no creativity!
Nishan: Oh really? Let’s test that theory. What’s a genre of music that you both like?
Alexandra: Oh, you know, all the basics. Classic rock, indie rock, alt rock, industrial metal, retro game soundtracks...
Zayn: I love retro game soundtracks! That’s actually all I listen to, to be honest.
Nishan: Perfect! I’ll just populate ComposerBot’s database with some songs from old games...
Lines of code flash across one monitor as the musical scale on the other monitor fills with notes.
Nishan: All right, he’s done! I’d like to see a human write a song that quickly, Alexandra.
Alexandra: Fast doesn’t necessarily mean good. Let’s see what he’s got.
Nishan enters a command, and ComposerBot starts to play back his song.
Zayn: I know this isn’t from an actual retro game, but if it were, I’d be scouring eBay for any remaining copies of it!
Nishan: So, is that a vote for ComposerBot?
Zayn: I don’t know about Alexandra, but I’m convinced... ComposerBot is amazing! The level of sophistication required for a program to replicate human creativity with such apparent ease is...
Alexandra: Yeah, yeah, we get it, Zayn. I have to admit, though... this is a seriously chill beat.
Nishan: Case closed! ComposerBot is the best musician in the band!
Danny: Yeah, he’s really amazing, Nishan... it’s almost like you don’t need the rest of us anymore...
Nishan: Oh, Danny, don’t be sad! One day, programs will make all the music we listen to. Now you can say you knew the first!
Danny: I can’t wait. So, did you actually need my help, or did you just want to introduce me to ComposerBot?
Nishan: I guess I don’t really need anything... but thanks for stopping by! You should probably check in with the rest of the band.
Danny: Yeah, I think I have a missed call from Julian. I’ll go see how his song is coming along.
You find Julian in the school computer lab, looking at drums online.
Julian: Danny! I was just thinking of you... think you could do me a favor?
Danny: Sure, what is it?
Julian: I really want to take my beats to the next level, but I’m going to need to expand my drum set to do that! Any chance you could spare some cash?
Requirements
You and Julian arrive at the music shop, cash in hand.
Julian: Thanks for covering me, Danny. I’ll pay you back when I get a chance.
Danny: You’d better. Let’s see what they’ve got in stock.
Julian: Definitely. I’ve already got a good-sized set, but a few more drums couldn’t hurt, right?
Danny: Within reason, I hope.
Julian: Oh yeah, of course. Let me just look around a bit.
You browse the sheet music section while Julian tries out various drums, hi-hats, and cymbals.
Julian: Okay, Danny, I think I’m ready to check out. Are you getting anything?
Danny: I don’t think so. There’s some cool stuff, but it’s not really necessary, you know? What about you?
Julian: Just a few drums.
Julian gestures to the drums section, where an employee is packing up a bass drum, two floor toms, three snares, two set of hanging toms, a hi-hat stand, and a triangle.
Danny: Did you buy their whole stock?
Julian: Not quite. I think this is enough to start with though, don’t you? Should I grab a few more?
Danny: No, no, this is... definitely enough. Let’s pay for these and get out of here before you spot anything else you want!
In Julian’s garage, you help set up the new drum rig and get ready to record Julian’s song.
Danny: Are you sure you can play all these drums? Maybe we should go back and buy you some extra arms.
Julian: Watch and learn, Danny. A drummer’s skill is directly proportional to the amount of drums in his kit.
Danny: That doesn’t sound right...
Julian: You’ll see! Just hit record. These drums are begging to be played!
You hit record on your phone, and Julian unleashes a thunderous barrage of beats and cymbal clashes, his drumsticks a blur in his hands!
Danny: What... is... happening?
With a final crash of the cymbals, Julian’s drum solo ends. He looks up at you, out of breath, and gently strikes the triangle.
Julian: What do you think?
Danny: It’s definitely very... loud. I’m just not sure how this would fit into a song. Like, with other instruments.
Julian: I was thinking this would be the drum solo, actually. We just need to write a song around it.
Danny: Okay, I guess that works... maybe we can coordinate with everyone tomorrow to flesh this out a bit.
Requirements
The next day, everyone assembles in the practice room.
Payton: I can’t WAIT to share my new song! It’s 110-percent guaranteed to make you get up and dance!
Nishan: While that’s literally mathematically impossible, I look forward to hearing it... ...but I believe you’ll be even more impressed with ComposerBot’s new composition!
Payton: Is that your new DJ name or something?
Danny: I think it’s time to stop talking and start listening to each other’s songs!
You take out your smartphone and plug it into a speaker.
Danny: Now let’s see here... whose song should I play first?
Time - 8 hours
Your band finishes listening to each other’s songs.
Mia: Okay, what does everyone think? Which song best captures the style we want?
Ezra: I think it’s pretty clear who wrote the best song. I know it’s just a long, glorious guitar riff right now, but I wrote up sheet music for your parts. It’d be great if you all had this down by tomorrow!
Julian: Uh, first of all, it’s not clear whose song was best, and secondly, I play by ear. I don’t know what any of these symbols mean!
Payton: Consider yourself lucky, Julian! See this note? Only a handful of vocalists in history have been able to hit this note! Ezra, we can’t play this!
Nishan: All right, Ezra, your song’s not bad, but I think my song is the best direction for our band to take. We need to step boldly into the future of music!
Ezra: The future of music? Your song just sounded like a bunch of bleeps and bloops! Who wrote that, a robot?
Nishan: As a matter of fact, yes, and one day he’ll be hailed as a genius! History will remember you as the man who stood in the way of progress!
Payton: Why are we worrying about the future? We should be looking at what’s popular today! That’s why MY song is best, it’s got mainstream appeal!
Julian: If by ‘mainstream’ you mean ‘generic bubblegum pop’, then I’ll have to agree with you!
Payton: ...says the guy whose ‘song’ is basically an attempt at setting a new ‘Most Unnecessary Drums’ record! It’s just noise! How are any of us supposed to be heard over all that?
Danny: Okay, maybe your styles are a bit different, but I’m sure we can reach some kind of compromise!
Ezra: Sorry, Danny, if there’s one thing I won’t compromise on, it’s music.
Nishan: We’d already be done with the album if you guys hadn’t brought your egos into this. You know who doesn’t have an ego? ComposerBot. As if he wasn’t already a superior bandmate in every way!
Mia: Enough! This is getting us nowhere! Why don’t you all just go home for now, and we’ll try this again tomorrow.
Mia: I can’t believe this, Danny. We don’t have an album... and we might not even have a band anymore after that blowup!
Danny: There’s still a way to make this right... we just have to show everyone that we’re still a team.
Mia: How are we going to do that?
Danny: I might have an idea... but I’m going to need some help from a DJ!
Requirements
You find Priya at a computer, clicking away at a music making program.
Danny: Hey, Priya... are you busy?
Priya: If by ‘busy’ you mean ‘in the middle of creating an album-length remix of the Frozen soundtrack, with overdubs of early-90’s hip hop’ then yes, I’m busy.
Danny: Any chance you can take a break from that to help me out with a little project?
Priya: I guess ‘All Eyez on Olaf’ can wait... what’s the project?
You hand over your phone.
Danny: It’s time to remix a few of these songs...
Time - 9 hours
A while later, Priya hands you your phone back.
Priya: Well, it wasn’t easy. You guys are working with a bunch of different styles here, but I got everything to mesh nicely.
Danny: Glad to hear it. Thanks for your help. I just hope the rest of the band likes it...
You find Mia in the cafeteria, clicking through a Wikipedia page on contract negotiations.
Danny: Okay, Mia... I think I’ve got something that’ll get the band back on the same page... It’s time for them to listen to MY song.
Mia: How is that going to help? Listening to people’s songs is what made everyone angry in the first place!
Danny: Trust me... this one is different.
Mia: It’d better be, or we might not have a band at all. I’ll get everyone to the practice room.
Requirements
In the practice room...
Danny: Okay, everyone... ready to hear one more song?
Payton: I’m sure it’ll be better than the ‘generic pop song’ I wrote.
Julian: ...or the ‘noise’ I wrote!
Danny: I know everyone is still upset about all the criticism from earlier... But TRUST me. You’re going to like this one!
You hit a button, and your song begins to play...
Time - 10 hours
The song plays...
Payton: Wait a second... this sounds familiar! Is that ME singing?
Julian: And those are MY drums in the background! They’re not as loud as I’d like, but they’ll do.
Ezra: Hey, you worked in samples from my guitar track!
Nishan: And ComposerBot’s bleeps and bloops!
Danny: Exactly! I had a friend mix all of your songs together... and it sounds like you guys like it!
Payton: Are you kidding? I love it!
Ezra: It’s everything our band’s songs should be! It takes a little something from each of us...
Nishan: ...and forms it into a gestalt that’s greater than the sum of its parts!
Julian: I’m pretty sure I agree with Nishan... except for the part where he was speaking in German.
Mia: That’s what I’m talking about! It sounds like we’ve got a band again!
Mia: Okay... now that Danny’s reminded us what it means to act like a band and not a bunch of whiny prima donnas, can we please get to work on this album?
Payton: Why don’t you start us out with a drumbeat, Julian?
Julian: Sure thing! And I can’t wait to hear your next melody!
Nishan: I’m going to start plugging some new data into ComposerBot. This is going to be his best work yet!
Ezra: And I’ll note out where my guitar riffs fit in with all your parts!
Requirements
The band gets to work...
Julian: How’s this for a beat?
Ezra: Nice! That gives me an idea for the guitar section...
Payton: I’ll get started on the lyrics!
Nishan: ...and ComposerBot is working on my section as we speak!
Danny: This album is going to be awesome!
Time - 11 hours
Many hours later, the band sits around the practice room, exhausted.
Payton: OMG... we actually have enough songs to fill an album!
Julian: I can’t believe we’re done!
Ezra: Not quite... there’s one more ultra-important task we’ve got to do.
Nishan: Code a virtual girlfriend for ComposerBot?
Ezra: No... we have to name our album! Any ideas, Danny?
Danny: Nameless.
Nishan: ‘Nameless...’ I like it. It’s both a name... and not at the same time.
Ezra: It’s like a one work poem. A single guitar string, plucked in the void.
Payton: It sounds like a perfume brand... which means I love it!
Julian: Okay then, ‘Nameless’ it is!
Mia: Okay, guys, you’ve done your job... now it’s time for me to do mine! The show at the Dolphin Room will be coming up soon... and by the time it’s here, I want you to have a real fanbase! It’s time to blow up social media! It’s time for merchandising!
Danny: I like where this is going!
Mia: Great, because we have a lot to do! I’m talking Twitter feeds! Viral marketing! T-shirts with your faces on them!
Nishan: I’ve always wanted a ‘Nishan’ t-shirt!
It sounds like Mia has some big plans for the band... Play the next quest to see how it goes!
- Danny
- Mia
Your band meets up in an empty classroom during lunch.
Mia: All right, everyone here? Good! First, I’d like to congratulate you all on your excellent show at the Blue Crown!
Payton: Woo! Go us!
Mia: And secondly, I’d like to congratulate myself on arranging your next gig at the Dolphin Room next month!
Nishan: Mia, we would’ve congratulated you, you didn’t even give us a chance!
Mia: I just want to get all the warm fuzzy stuff out of the way... Because it’s time to talk business! And our first order of business is recording an album!
Time - 6 hours
Julian: I’m all for getting our next album out, but shouldn’t we be practicing for our next gig?
Payton: Yeah, now might not be the best time to write a whole bunch of new songs...
Mia: New songs are exactly what we need though! I mean, how many original songs do we have? Two or three? For this gig, you’ll be playing a full set, and, unless you want to play an hour of covers, we’ll need new material.
Ezra: That is... very true. I didn’t even think of that.
Mia: That’s why I’m here. Besides, having an album out is practically required if you want to build a fanbase. There were hundreds of people at Red Canyon, but when they went home to buy your album online, there were no search results!
Nishan: That’s probably the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.
Mia: I know, especially from a financial perspective. But this Dolphin Room gig will be different, because we’ll bring copies of our album to sell at the door.
Ezra: Let’s not rush this. A band’s debut album is like a baby’s first word... it has to be perfect to really make an impression.
Payton: I think you’re asking a lot of babies everywhere, Ezra.
Ezra: You know what I mean. This album will define our band for the rest of our musical career, so we have to take this one step at a time. Step one: We need to decide our ‘sound’.
Payton: Ooh, I have an idea! What if we took every Top 40 artist and fused them into one amazing pop sensation?
Nishan: Why rehash what’s already popular? We should be pushing music in a new direction! Our album should change the way people think about music entirely!
Ezra: Okay, this is already getting complicated. We can’t have an album where every song is a totally different genre. We need a sense of unity... a recognizable sound that only our band is capable of!
Nishan: Exactly my point! Our sound should be so unique that it defies categorization!
Ezra: Thats... not what I said.
Payton; Nishan, were you even listening? We need to pick an established genre and put our own spin on it!
Ezra: That’s not quite...
Mia: Okay, you guys clearly have a lot of ideas, but ideas are just talk! Everyone needs to make some sample songs, and we’ll choose out of those to figure out what the band’s sound should be.
Ezra: All right, that works for me. Let’s all meet back here tomorrow!
As you head out the door, Payton catches up with you.
Payton: Hey, Danny, could you help me out real quick? I want to record a party anthem, but I’m going to need some inspiration...
Danny: I assume that means...
Payton: You guessed it! It’s time to party!
Requirements
- Complete a Party with Payton
After school, Payton’s party is in full swing!
Payton: OMG, Danny, this is one of the best parties I’ve ever thrown! Such a good idea to splurge on the fog machines!
Danny: So, are you inspired yet?
Payton: Definitely! Let’s go record!
Payton pulls you into a quieter room.
Danny: I’ll record your song on my phone, so just start whenever you’re ready.
Payton: I’m ready now!
Payton belts out a party anthem that sounds like Katy Perry having a house party with Pharrell!
Danny: Wow, Payton, did you just come up with those lyrics on the spot?
Payton: Yup! Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to explain my love of parties... singing is somehow easier, you know?
Danny: So, do you need any help writing music for the rest of the band?
Payton: We don’t really need to write that stuff, do we? I’ll provide a melody, and everyone else can follow along!
Danny: I don’t know if it’s that easy...
Just then, you get a text from Nishan... ‘about to change music history forever. bring someone with programming experience and a musically-inclined person to my house ASAP!’
Danny: Sorry, Payton, I’ve gotta go help Nishan with his song.
Requirements
- Nishan
- A Nerd Except Danny (Zayn)
- A Girl Musician (Alexandra)
You, Zayn, and Alexandra leave Payton’s party and head to Nishan’s house. You ring the doorbell.
Alexandra: What’s this all about, Danny? I wanted to stay for the afterparty!
Zayn: There was an afterparty? Wasn’t the before-party enough?
Danny: Sorry, Alexandra, Nishan needs both of you for some top secret project of his!
Nishan opens the door and pokes his head out.
Nishan: Who have you brought me, Danny? Ah, Zayn and Alexandra, I see. They’ll suffice. Come with me... there’s someone I’d like you to meet.
Nishan scurries back into his house.
Alexandra: Okay, can we just go back to Payton’s party? This is too weird.
Danny: I admit that Nishan is acting a little odd, but I’m sure there’s some explanation for... all this. Let’s go meet this person.
Time - 7 hours
You follow Nishan to his room, where he proudly presents a row of monitors displaying lines of code and musical scales.
Danny: Uh, Nishan, weren’t you going to introduce us to someone?
Nishan: I am! Say hello to ComposerBot! He’s a musical intelligence capable of composing original pieces!
Zayn: Original pieces? How does he do it?
Nishan: You just put some songs in his database, and he’ll create a new composition in that style!
Alexandra: So what? Your robot can’t make music like a human can... robots have no soul, no creativity!
Nishan: Oh really? Let’s test that theory. What’s a genre of music that you both like?
Alexandra: Oh, you know, all the basics. Classic rock, indie rock, alt rock, industrial metal, retro game soundtracks...
Zayn: I love retro game soundtracks! That’s actually all I listen to, to be honest.
Nishan: Perfect! I’ll just populate ComposerBot’s database with some songs from old games...
Lines of code flash across one monitor as the musical scale on the other monitor fills with notes.
Nishan: All right, he’s done! I’d like to see a human write a song that quickly, Alexandra.
Alexandra: Fast doesn’t necessarily mean good. Let’s see what he’s got.
Nishan enters a command, and ComposerBot starts to play back his song.
Zayn: I know this isn’t from an actual retro game, but if it were, I’d be scouring eBay for any remaining copies of it!
Nishan: So, is that a vote for ComposerBot?
Zayn: I don’t know about Alexandra, but I’m convinced... ComposerBot is amazing! The level of sophistication required for a program to replicate human creativity with such apparent ease is...
Alexandra: Yeah, yeah, we get it, Zayn. I have to admit, though... this is a seriously chill beat.
Nishan: Case closed! ComposerBot is the best musician in the band!
Danny: Yeah, he’s really amazing, Nishan... it’s almost like you don’t need the rest of us anymore...
Nishan: Oh, Danny, don’t be sad! One day, programs will make all the music we listen to. Now you can say you knew the first!
Danny: I can’t wait. So, did you actually need my help, or did you just want to introduce me to ComposerBot?
Nishan: I guess I don’t really need anything... but thanks for stopping by! You should probably check in with the rest of the band.
Danny: Yeah, I think I have a missed call from Julian. I’ll go see how his song is coming along.
You find Julian in the school computer lab, looking at drums online.
Julian: Danny! I was just thinking of you... think you could do me a favor?
Danny: Sure, what is it?
Julian: I really want to take my beats to the next level, but I’m going to need to expand my drum set to do that! Any chance you could spare some cash?
Requirements
- Spend 500 coins
You and Julian arrive at the music shop, cash in hand.
Julian: Thanks for covering me, Danny. I’ll pay you back when I get a chance.
Danny: You’d better. Let’s see what they’ve got in stock.
Julian: Definitely. I’ve already got a good-sized set, but a few more drums couldn’t hurt, right?
Danny: Within reason, I hope.
Julian: Oh yeah, of course. Let me just look around a bit.
You browse the sheet music section while Julian tries out various drums, hi-hats, and cymbals.
Julian: Okay, Danny, I think I’m ready to check out. Are you getting anything?
Danny: I don’t think so. There’s some cool stuff, but it’s not really necessary, you know? What about you?
Julian: Just a few drums.
Julian gestures to the drums section, where an employee is packing up a bass drum, two floor toms, three snares, two set of hanging toms, a hi-hat stand, and a triangle.
Danny: Did you buy their whole stock?
Julian: Not quite. I think this is enough to start with though, don’t you? Should I grab a few more?
Danny: No, no, this is... definitely enough. Let’s pay for these and get out of here before you spot anything else you want!
In Julian’s garage, you help set up the new drum rig and get ready to record Julian’s song.
Danny: Are you sure you can play all these drums? Maybe we should go back and buy you some extra arms.
Julian: Watch and learn, Danny. A drummer’s skill is directly proportional to the amount of drums in his kit.
Danny: That doesn’t sound right...
Julian: You’ll see! Just hit record. These drums are begging to be played!
You hit record on your phone, and Julian unleashes a thunderous barrage of beats and cymbal clashes, his drumsticks a blur in his hands!
Danny: What... is... happening?
With a final crash of the cymbals, Julian’s drum solo ends. He looks up at you, out of breath, and gently strikes the triangle.
Julian: What do you think?
Danny: It’s definitely very... loud. I’m just not sure how this would fit into a song. Like, with other instruments.
Julian: I was thinking this would be the drum solo, actually. We just need to write a song around it.
Danny: Okay, I guess that works... maybe we can coordinate with everyone tomorrow to flesh this out a bit.
Requirements
- Mia
- Julian
- Ezra
The next day, everyone assembles in the practice room.
Payton: I can’t WAIT to share my new song! It’s 110-percent guaranteed to make you get up and dance!
Nishan: While that’s literally mathematically impossible, I look forward to hearing it... ...but I believe you’ll be even more impressed with ComposerBot’s new composition!
Payton: Is that your new DJ name or something?
Danny: I think it’s time to stop talking and start listening to each other’s songs!
You take out your smartphone and plug it into a speaker.
Danny: Now let’s see here... whose song should I play first?
Time - 8 hours
Your band finishes listening to each other’s songs.
Mia: Okay, what does everyone think? Which song best captures the style we want?
Ezra: I think it’s pretty clear who wrote the best song. I know it’s just a long, glorious guitar riff right now, but I wrote up sheet music for your parts. It’d be great if you all had this down by tomorrow!
Julian: Uh, first of all, it’s not clear whose song was best, and secondly, I play by ear. I don’t know what any of these symbols mean!
Payton: Consider yourself lucky, Julian! See this note? Only a handful of vocalists in history have been able to hit this note! Ezra, we can’t play this!
Nishan: All right, Ezra, your song’s not bad, but I think my song is the best direction for our band to take. We need to step boldly into the future of music!
Ezra: The future of music? Your song just sounded like a bunch of bleeps and bloops! Who wrote that, a robot?
Nishan: As a matter of fact, yes, and one day he’ll be hailed as a genius! History will remember you as the man who stood in the way of progress!
Payton: Why are we worrying about the future? We should be looking at what’s popular today! That’s why MY song is best, it’s got mainstream appeal!
Julian: If by ‘mainstream’ you mean ‘generic bubblegum pop’, then I’ll have to agree with you!
Payton: ...says the guy whose ‘song’ is basically an attempt at setting a new ‘Most Unnecessary Drums’ record! It’s just noise! How are any of us supposed to be heard over all that?
Danny: Okay, maybe your styles are a bit different, but I’m sure we can reach some kind of compromise!
Ezra: Sorry, Danny, if there’s one thing I won’t compromise on, it’s music.
Nishan: We’d already be done with the album if you guys hadn’t brought your egos into this. You know who doesn’t have an ego? ComposerBot. As if he wasn’t already a superior bandmate in every way!
Mia: Enough! This is getting us nowhere! Why don’t you all just go home for now, and we’ll try this again tomorrow.
Mia: I can’t believe this, Danny. We don’t have an album... and we might not even have a band anymore after that blowup!
Danny: There’s still a way to make this right... we just have to show everyone that we’re still a team.
Mia: How are we going to do that?
Danny: I might have an idea... but I’m going to need some help from a DJ!
Requirements
- A DJ (Priya)
You find Priya at a computer, clicking away at a music making program.
Danny: Hey, Priya... are you busy?
Priya: If by ‘busy’ you mean ‘in the middle of creating an album-length remix of the Frozen soundtrack, with overdubs of early-90’s hip hop’ then yes, I’m busy.
Danny: Any chance you can take a break from that to help me out with a little project?
Priya: I guess ‘All Eyez on Olaf’ can wait... what’s the project?
You hand over your phone.
Danny: It’s time to remix a few of these songs...
Time - 9 hours
A while later, Priya hands you your phone back.
Priya: Well, it wasn’t easy. You guys are working with a bunch of different styles here, but I got everything to mesh nicely.
Danny: Glad to hear it. Thanks for your help. I just hope the rest of the band likes it...
You find Mia in the cafeteria, clicking through a Wikipedia page on contract negotiations.
Danny: Okay, Mia... I think I’ve got something that’ll get the band back on the same page... It’s time for them to listen to MY song.
Mia: How is that going to help? Listening to people’s songs is what made everyone angry in the first place!
Danny: Trust me... this one is different.
Mia: It’d better be, or we might not have a band at all. I’ll get everyone to the practice room.
Requirements
- Payton
- Nishan
- Mia
In the practice room...
Danny: Okay, everyone... ready to hear one more song?
Payton: I’m sure it’ll be better than the ‘generic pop song’ I wrote.
Julian: ...or the ‘noise’ I wrote!
Danny: I know everyone is still upset about all the criticism from earlier... But TRUST me. You’re going to like this one!
You hit a button, and your song begins to play...
Time - 10 hours
The song plays...
Payton: Wait a second... this sounds familiar! Is that ME singing?
Julian: And those are MY drums in the background! They’re not as loud as I’d like, but they’ll do.
Ezra: Hey, you worked in samples from my guitar track!
Nishan: And ComposerBot’s bleeps and bloops!
Danny: Exactly! I had a friend mix all of your songs together... and it sounds like you guys like it!
Payton: Are you kidding? I love it!
Ezra: It’s everything our band’s songs should be! It takes a little something from each of us...
Nishan: ...and forms it into a gestalt that’s greater than the sum of its parts!
Julian: I’m pretty sure I agree with Nishan... except for the part where he was speaking in German.
Mia: That’s what I’m talking about! It sounds like we’ve got a band again!
Mia: Okay... now that Danny’s reminded us what it means to act like a band and not a bunch of whiny prima donnas, can we please get to work on this album?
Payton: Why don’t you start us out with a drumbeat, Julian?
Julian: Sure thing! And I can’t wait to hear your next melody!
Nishan: I’m going to start plugging some new data into ComposerBot. This is going to be his best work yet!
Ezra: And I’ll note out where my guitar riffs fit in with all your parts!
Requirements
- Ezra
- Julian
The band gets to work...
Julian: How’s this for a beat?
Ezra: Nice! That gives me an idea for the guitar section...
Payton: I’ll get started on the lyrics!
Nishan: ...and ComposerBot is working on my section as we speak!
Danny: This album is going to be awesome!
Time - 11 hours
Many hours later, the band sits around the practice room, exhausted.
Payton: OMG... we actually have enough songs to fill an album!
Julian: I can’t believe we’re done!
Ezra: Not quite... there’s one more ultra-important task we’ve got to do.
Nishan: Code a virtual girlfriend for ComposerBot?
Ezra: No... we have to name our album! Any ideas, Danny?
Danny: Nameless.
Nishan: ‘Nameless...’ I like it. It’s both a name... and not at the same time.
Ezra: It’s like a one work poem. A single guitar string, plucked in the void.
Payton: It sounds like a perfume brand... which means I love it!
Julian: Okay then, ‘Nameless’ it is!
Mia: Okay, guys, you’ve done your job... now it’s time for me to do mine! The show at the Dolphin Room will be coming up soon... and by the time it’s here, I want you to have a real fanbase! It’s time to blow up social media! It’s time for merchandising!
Danny: I like where this is going!
Mia: Great, because we have a lot to do! I’m talking Twitter feeds! Viral marketing! T-shirts with your faces on them!
Nishan: I’ve always wanted a ‘Nishan’ t-shirt!
It sounds like Mia has some big plans for the band... Play the next quest to see how it goes!