Core Skills Analysis
Language Arts and Communication
Gage practiced digital communication by uploading videos of his music to his YouTube channel, which meant he was sharing creative work with a real audience. He likely had to think about how to present his ideas clearly through titles, thumbnails, descriptions, or video sequencing, which are all part of effective media communication. Being inspired by LMAO and OMFG musicians online also showed that he was interpreting online content, noticing style choices, and using those influences to shape his own artistic expression. For a 12-year-old, this activity supported functional literacy in a modern format by combining creation, sharing, and audience awareness in a meaningful way.
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
Gage’s music-making in the Medley app involved mathematical thinking because music depends on patterns, timing, rhythm, and sequencing. As he built songs and arranged sounds, he was likely making choices about repetition, duration, and order, which are all forms of applied numeracy in a creative setting. Uploading videos to YouTube may also have introduced simple measurement thinking, such as deciding how long a clip should be or comparing versions of a track. For a 12-year-old, this activity used math in a practical way by turning abstract pattern recognition into something audible and shareable.
Science and Natural Inquiry
Gage explored cause and effect while using the Medley app, because changing a sound, beat, or arrangement would have produced an immediate audible result. He was essentially experimenting with digital tools, testing ideas, and adjusting them based on what he heard, which matches the habits of informal scientific inquiry. Learning from musicians online also meant he was observing models, comparing outcomes, and possibly trying new techniques to see how they changed the final sound. For a 12-year-old, this activity built technical curiosity and a hands-on understanding that small changes in a system can create different results.
Self-Management and Metacognition
Gage demonstrated planfulness by creating music, making videos, and uploading them to his YouTube channel, which required him to move through a sequence of steps to reach a finished product. He likely managed his own creative process by deciding what to make, how to present it, and when it was ready to share. Being inspired by other musicians online also suggested that he was noticing what he liked, forming personal goals, and using feedback from his own experience to guide future creations. For a 12-year-old, this activity showed initiative, persistence, and early reflective thinking as he developed his identity as a creator.
Tips
Tips: Encourage Gage to keep a simple creator journal where he notes what he changed in each song, what he liked about it, and what he wants to try next. He could also compare one of his videos with a favorite LMAO or OMFG track and write down 3 things he noticed about rhythm, structure, or sound choices, which would deepen his listening skills without copying. For a more hands-on extension, he might create a mini series of videos with a theme—such as “happy beats,” “fast beats,” or “instrument experiments”—so he can practice planning and develop a clearer artistic style. If he wants a broader challenge, he could invite a family member or friend to listen and describe the mood of each track, then use that feedback to revise one song and see how audience response shapes creative decisions.
Book Recommendations
- The Story of Music by DK: A visual guide to how music developed over time, with clear explanations of instruments, styles, and musical ideas.
- This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin: An accessible look at how music works in the brain and why rhythm, melody, and sound affect us so strongly.
- Music Is... by Stephen T. Johnson: A creative picture book that celebrates the many forms music can take and how it connects to imagination and expression.
Learning Standards
- SDE.LA.MC.1 — Gage used functional literacy through digital music creation, video uploading, and likely titles/descriptions or channel communication.
- SDE.LA.MC.2 — Gage showed critical inquiry by learning from online musicians and exploring how different creative choices affected music.
- SDE.MA.MC.1 — Gage applied mathematical reasoning through rhythm, timing, patterning, sequencing, and length of musical clips.
- SDE.SCI.MC.1 — Gage experimented with the Medley app, testing changes and observing cause-and-effect in sound production.
- SDE.META.1 — Gage demonstrated planfulness by setting up a creative process from making music to publishing videos.
- SDE.META.2 — Gage likely reflected on his results and adjusted his work as he continued creating new music.
Try This Next
- Write 5 quiz questions about how rhythm, pattern, and sequencing showed up in Gage’s music-making process.
- Draw a storyboard for one YouTube video from intro to finished upload.
- Create a simple song-analysis chart comparing one Medley creation to a track by LMAO or OMFG.
- Journal prompt: What did Gage change in his music, and how did the change affect the sound?