Mission 8: Make a Third Song
What your child learns in Mission 8 of Rainbow DJ Lab, blending two songs long enough to sound like a new one, plus the progress check-in.
Mission 8 · Green · Make a Third Song
Mission: "My blend sounds like a new song."
Mission 8 is past the halfway point of the 14 Missions. Your child now matches tempo, hears when two songs drift apart, and keeps the bass from getting muddy. In this Mission they hold two songs together long enough that the blend becomes its own thing: a "third song."
The Lab is proposed and not running yet. Children work through the Missions at their own pace.
What came before
| Mission | Color | Title | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Yellow | Tempo with the Lights On | Match two songs' speed using the arrow lights under the jog wheels |
| 6 | Yellow | Beatmatch by Ear | Hear the "galloping horses" when beats drift, and fix it with the jog wheel |
| 7 | Green | The Three Knobs | EQ: low is bass, mid is voices, high is sparkle. Never two basslines at once. |
Mission 6 was the first listen-back Mission. Your child recorded 2 minutes of mixing and reviewed it with a mentor: one glow, one grow, one goal. That review happened where other adults could see and step in, like every one-on-one moment in the Lab.
What your child does in this Mission
- Watch Me Think: the coach does a long 16- to 32-bar blend, with the instrumental of one song under the vocal of another. They read the key on screen and turn on key lock, which keeps voices from sounding like chipmunks. Listen for: "Both songs are in neighbor keys, so the vocal will sit right on top. Key lock on."
- Deck Time 2 levels:
- Mild: blend for 16 bars.
- Medium: blend an instrumental under a vocal.
- Spicy: find two songs in matching keys and blend for 32 bars.
- Move Break: mirror dance in pairs. One leads, one follows, and they swap on the phrase.
- Wordplay Lab: Mashup Title. Kids name their blend by smashing the two titles together. Best pun wins.
Passport skills in this Mission
- Blend for 16 bars
- Use key lock
- Name a mashup
By the end of Mission 8, your child has had the chance to earn 24 of 42 stamps and four color badges: red, orange, yellow and green.
What's coming next
Mission 9 switches to Serato DJ Lite, adds hot cues and loops, and starts the wordplay that leads to the Theme Clash in Mission 11.
What a 9-year-old might feel
- Like a real DJ. A long blend that sounds good is a big moment.
- Stuck on one skill. Beatmatching by ear can take a while. A "Not yet" light on the traffic light is useful information, not failure. Coaches talk with kids whose self-rating differs from what the coach saw.
- Ready for more, or ready for a break. Both are normal at the halfway point.
What to ask at dinner
This Mission's home question: "What did you name your mashup?"
Also try: - "Which knob is the bass, and why do you turn it down?" - "What do the arrow lights on the controller tell you?" - "What's your rescue line if a mix crashes?" (They wrote one in Mission 6.)
The progress check-in
Around now is a good time for a progress check-in: how is your child finding it, what's working, and what needs to change? You can always reach Stephen Henry at 872-255-9333 or stephen@selassiefest.com.