Winnetka Community House’s Fall 2025 Music Club
— Overture Games•Lead Teacher: Jeremy Weinstein
The Day Everyone Jumped In to Help
Winnetka Community House · Fall 2025 · Overture Games
Instructor: Jeremy Weinstein
One note from this class keeps standing out.
One student had not played some of the games today,” Jeremy wrote, “and the others jumped quickly to explain how to vote, how to play, etc.
That moment says a lot about how this group grew over the fall.
Starting with Rhythm and Movement
Early sessions focused on rhythm, often away from screens.
We started on our feet,” Jeremy wrote.
Students synced their steps to claps across the floor. Quarter notes meant one step per clap. Half notes stretched longer. Some students clapped as they stepped to help stay aligned.
Later, Jeremy connected movement to notation.
I plugged my personal iPad into the TV and invited students to write their own short rhythm for everyone to see,” he wrote. “We then synced our steps with the corresponding claps.
Some students pushed the ideas further.
Some students added repeats or dotted quarters and eighth notes,” Jeremy noted. “I praised them for their creativity, but encouraged simplicity for the sake of this game.
One student struggled at first with Beat Decoders.
He went through the five stages of grief trying to figure out how to play and sync his clicks with the beats,” Jeremy wrote. “But he eventually came out victorious and very happy.
Another moved quickly through the material.
He completed all 8 levels before most got through the first 3,” Jeremy wrote. “I gave him a speed-run challenge. His final time was 3:51.49.
Creativity Took Over
As the session continued, creation time became a highlight.
The creative challenge for Overture music lab today was to make a song in the shape of an animal,” Jeremy wrote. “I was very impressed by what they came up with.
On another day, Jeremy demonstrated songs in Composer mode.
I demonstrated some songs on the screen,” he wrote. “Each completed phrase or song was rewarded.
Students responded well to challenges.
I offered challenges while students were doing Melody Shaper,” Jeremy wrote. “Some even asked for harder ones in exchange for more MuseCash.
A Class That Took Care of Itself
By mid-session, the group showed growing independence.
When a student had to leave class early due to illness, Jeremy noticed how the rest of the group responded.
They could easily occupy themselves while I handled the situation,” he wrote. “Many stars were passed out for being helpful and focused on the task at hand.
Jeremy also captured the kinds of things students said out loud.
Anytime I see this class, I am signing up,” one student said after receiving a muse drop.
Another declared, “I love the Muses.”
Parents Noticed Too
Toward the end of the session, the questions expanded beyond the classroom.
A parent asked me after class if there would be new games or lessons next session,” Jeremy wrote. “They don’t want their child doing the same things over and over again.
Jeremy assured them that the curriculum continues to evolve and that new content is regularly being developed.
Ending the Session
The final weeks reflected a class that knew the routine and enjoyed it.
All missions were completed,” Jeremy wrote. “All students enthusiastically demonstrated the Step, Skip, and Repeat exercise using the keyboard on the TV.
The class finished with free play.
Looking back across the session, Jeremy summarized one strong day simply.
Excellent class today,” he wrote. “All students were focused, engaged, and motivated.
At Winnetka Community House, this group spent the fall moving, listening, creating, and helping each other along the way.