Graduation: The Rainbow Showcase
What happens at the Rainbow Showcase, where your child plays their set for a crowd that includes you.
Mission 14 · Violet · Rainbow Showcase
Mission: "I play my set for a real crowd."
The last Mission is the Rainbow Showcase. A child plays at the next Showcase after earning all 42 stamps. Showcases are planned for spring, midyear and year-end. Families attend. Every child gets a slot to play their set, and every performer gets glow cards.
The Lab is proposed and not running yet. No showcase date is set.
Getting there: Missions 9 to 13
| Mission | Color | Title | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Blue | Hot Cues and Loops | Switch to Serato DJ Lite. Mark moments on pads and loop a single word. |
| 10 | Blue | Word Flip | Make songs talk with call and response. Build a sentence from lyrics. (Listen-back Mission.) |
| 11 | Indigo | Theme Clash Lab | Drop a cartoon or game theme into a hit: Tease, Swap or Stack. |
| 12 | Indigo | Mic, MC and Live Lab | Say one MC line on the beat, read the crowd, and play with a young live musician. |
| 13 | Violet | Build Your Set | Fill in a Set Map (Opener, Build, Theme Clash, Peak, Exit) and a Plan B card. (Listen-back Mission.) |
In Mission 13, your child plans what they'll do if a song won't load, the laptop freezes, or they blank. The coach models it: "If my laptop freezes, Plan B: I talk on the mic and load my backup song."
What happens at the showcase
- Crowd warm-up: the whole room, families included, learns one dance step together.
- Every child gets a slot to play. Your child chooses:
- Mild: 5 minutes with a partner.
- Medium: their own 10-minute set.
- Spicy: their set with a Theme Clash and an MC line.
- Glow cards: each child writes one glow for every performer.
- Passport: the last 3 stamps, toward the "full spectrum" of 42.
Before your child starts, the coach's words are: "Deep breath. Find the 1. You've already done this."
If your child doesn't want to perform
That's okay. Playing with a partner is always an option, and no child is ever forced on stage. Talk to the coach before the showcase, and see Performing: opt out. Performance photos and recordings follow the consents you gave. See Performance consent and Photos and recordings.
Safety at the showcase
The showcase is a busier day, with more adults in the room. The same rules apply:
- You sign your child in. They're released only to an adult on the authorized-pickup list, after a photo ID check.
- Restroom buddy system, with an adult at the entrance.
- Children stay out of the zone in front of the speakers, and the main speaker is kept at a level checked with a sound meter. The Lab's safety lead has the final say on volume and the stage. Earplugs are free.
- Sound and stage crew (Q-Ality Sound) run the sound and lights only. They never supervise children and take no photos or recordings.
- Clean lyrics only.
- No alcohol, tobacco, vaping or cannabis, for anyone.
Your Passport passes
| Passport | What it means |
|---|---|
| 42 stamps | The full spectrum: 3 skills × 14 Missions |
| 7 color badges | Six stamps complete each color |
There are no grades. Stamps show skills a mentor saw your child do.
What to ask at dinner
This week's home question: "You played for a crowd. What was the best moment?"
Also try: - "What glow did you get?" - "What glow did you give?" - "Did you need your Plan B?"
The graduation guarantee
Every graduate is guaranteed an Open Decks slot at Rainbow Wednesdays, the free summer DJ series. Rainbow Wednesdays is also proposed, so the guarantee applies when Rainbow Wednesdays runs. See the Graduation guarantee.
Who graduates is decided by published criteria, not anyone's opinion: all 42 Passport skills stamped and a final set ready to play. A coach records each one as met or not met, the program coordinator confirms it, and no one can waive a criterion. Performing at the showcase isn't one of them.