diff --git a/app/controllers/api_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39dd9c5fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/api_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+class ApiController < ApplicationController
+
+  # define common error handlers
+  rescue_from 'JamRuby::StateError' do |exception|
+    @exception = exception
+    render "errors/state_error.rabl", :status => 500
+  end
+  rescue_from 'JamRuby::JamArgrumentError' do |exception|
+    @exception = exception
+    render "errors/jam_argument_error.rabl", :status => 500
+  end
+  rescue_from 'JamRuby::PermissionError' do |exception|
+    @exception = exception
+    render "errors/permission_error.rabl", :status => 500
+  end
+  rescue_from 'ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound' do |exception|
+    render :json => {:message => exception.message}, :status => 404
+  end
+
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/controllers/api_invitation_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api_invitation_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc1321bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/api_invitation_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApiController
+
+  # have to be signed in currently to see this screen
+  before_filter :signed_in_user
+
+  respond_to :json
+
+  def initialize
+    @mq_router = MQRouter.new
+    @message_factory = MessageFactory.new
+
+  end
+
+  def index
+    @invitations = Invitation.paginate(page: params[:page])
+  end
+
+  def create
+    ConnectionManager.active_record_transaction do |connection_manager|
+
+      client_id = params[:client_id]
+
+      if client_id.nil?
+        raise JamArgumentError, "client_id must be specified"
+      end
+
+      @music_session = MusicSession.new()
+      @music_session.creator = current_user
+      @music_session.description = params[:description]
+      genres = params[:genres]
+
+
+      unless genres.nil?
+        genres.each do |genre|
+          loaded_genre = Genre.find_by_description!(genre)
+          @music_session.genres << loaded_genre
+        end
+      end
+      
+      saved = @music_session.save
+
+      if saved
+        # auto-join this user into the newly created session
+        connection_manager.join_music_session(current_user.id, client_id, @music_session.id)
+      end
+    end
+
+    if @music_session.errors.any?
+      # we have to do this because api_session_detail_url will fail with a bad @music_session (or something like it)
+      response.status = :unprocessable_entity
+      respond_with @music_session
+    else
+      respond_with @music_session, responder: ApiResponder, :location => api_session_detail_url(@music_session)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def show
+    @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:id])
+  end
+
+  def delete
+    @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:id])
+    @music_session.delete
+
+    respond_with @music_session, responder: ApiResponder
+  end
+
+  def participant_show
+    @connection = Connection.find_by_client_id(params[:id])
+  end
+
+  def participant_create
+    @music_session = nil
+    @connection = nil
+
+    ConnectionManager.active_record_transaction do |connection_manager|
+      @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:id])
+
+      if @music_session.nil?
+        raise JamArgumentError, "no session found"
+      end
+
+      client_id = params[:client_id]
+
+      connection_manager.join_music_session(current_user.id, client_id, @music_session.id)
+
+      @connection = Connection.find_by_client_id(client_id)
+    end
+
+    # send out notification to queue to the rest of the session
+    user_joined = @message_factory.user_joined_music_session(current_user.id, current_user.name)
+    @mq_router.user_publish_to_session(@music_session, current_user, user_joined, sender = {:client_id => @connection.client_id})
+
+    respond_with @connection, responder: ApiResponder, :location => api_session_participant_detail_url(@connection.client_id)
+  end
+
+  def participant_delete
+
+    ConnectionManager.active_record_transaction do |connection_manager|
+      @connection = Connection.find_by_client_id(params[:id])
+
+      if @connection.nil?
+        raise JamArgumentError, "no client found with specified client_id #{id}"
+      end
+
+      if @connection.user.id != current_user.id
+        raise PermissionError, "you do not own this connection"
+      end
+
+      connection_manager.leave_music_session(current_user.id, @connection.client_id, @connection.music_session_id)
+    end
+
+    respond_with @connection, responder: ApiResponder
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
index decd6d81f..0a7d714ee 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
@@ -1,23 +1,5 @@
-class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApplicationController
-
-  # TODO: roll these into a base ApiController class?s
-  rescue_from 'JamRuby::StateError' do |exception|
-    @exception = exception
-    render "errors/state_error.rabl", :status => 500
-  end
-  rescue_from 'JamRuby::JamArgrumentError' do |exception|
-    @exception = exception
-    render "errors/jam_argument_error.rabl", :status => 500
-  end
-  rescue_from 'JamRuby::PermissionError' do |exception|
-    @exception = exception
-    render "errors/permission_error.rabl", :status => 500
-  end
-
-  rescue_from 'ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound' do |exception|
-    render :json => {:message => exception.message}, :status => 404
-  end
-
+class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApiController
+  
   # have to be signed in currently to see this screen
   before_filter :signed_in_user