“One Kid Hit 2 Million”: Music, Games, and Small Wins at John Laidlaw
— Overture Games•Lead Teacher: Tommy Shermulis
“One Kid Hit 2 Million”: Music, Games, and Small Wins at John Laidlaw
John Laidlaw School · Fall 2025 · Overture Games (Fall B)
The class began on October 28. Introductions. Rhythm sticks. Tambourines. Whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes. Then Chromebooks came out, and students explored Overture Music Labs and other games freely.
Today was a great start,” instructor Tommy Shermulis wrote. “Will definitely be looking forward to this class again.
That mix — hands-on music first, games second — became a theme.
Singing First, Games Second
On November 12, the lesson opened with a familiar song.
We started with singing If You’re Happy and You Know It while I played the chords on piano,” Tommy wrote.
From there, the class talked about melody versus harmony, guessing major and minor chords together as a group before jumping into Rocket Race.
Afterward, students spread out into games they liked, while Tommy moved around the room helping one-on-one.
It was a solid class,” he reflected. “Having an activity before giving out the Chromebooks usually leads to a successful class.
Piano Clicker, Stars, and a Very Big Number
By early December, the class had found its groove.
On December 3, students watched short videos about instrument families, played Rocket Race, and then spent most of the class in Piano Clicker. Tommy worked through Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with them, then let them choose what to play next.
A week later, on December 9, things escalated — joyfully.
I accidentally inflated the star economy of the class,” Tommy admitted.
He had told students they could earn a star for every song they played for him on the piano.
A bunch of the kids played three songs for me and got their handfuls of stars,” he wrote. “They had a lot of fun upgrading their muses.
One moment stood out.
One of the kids managed to hit 2 million in Piano Clicker and was very proud of it lol.
Ending the Semester on a Calm, Happy Note
The final week, December 17, felt exactly like the end of a semester should.
Since it’s the last week of the semester, the kids are all anxious for their break,” Tommy wrote.
They talked about holiday plans, played Rocket Race, and learned more Piano Clicker songs together.
It was a relaxed day.
Even when things weren’t perfect — a sub day that started rocky, tech that didn’t cooperate, or energy that dipped — classes kept moving forward. Students played their favorite games. They sang. They experimented. They created. They composed. They helped each other. And when it mattered, they showed up ready to make music.
By the end of Fall B, John Laidlaw wasn’t just a place kids played games after school. It was a room where singing led into harmony, stars turned into motivation, and hitting 2 million on a piano game felt like a real achievement. Students all finished the class with their own compositions to share and show off to other students.
And that’s the kind of win we like to end a semester on.