diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index bd32b1897..09d185771 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ group :development, :test do
   gem 'rspec-rails', '2.11.0'
   gem 'guard-rspec', '0.5.5'
   gem 'jasmine' 
+  gem 'pry'
 end
 
 # Gems used only for assets and not required
diff --git a/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
index f65a393b2..a177d5056 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 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 :status => 404
+  end
+
   # have to be signed in currently to see this screen
   before_filter :signed_in_user
 
@@ -8,6 +26,7 @@ class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApplicationController
   def initialize
     @mq_router = MQRouter.new
     @message_factory = MessageFactory.new
+
   end
 
   def index
@@ -15,10 +34,26 @@ class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def create
-    @music_session = MusicSession.new()
-    @music_session.creator = current_user
-    @music_session.description = params[:description]
-    @music_session.save
+    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]
+      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
+
+
     respond_with @music_session, responder: ApiResponder, :location => api_session_detail_url(@music_session)
   end
 
@@ -34,33 +69,50 @@ class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def participant_show
-    @music_session_client = MusicSessionClient.find(params[:id])
+    @connection = Connection.find(params[:id])
   end
 
   def participant_create
-    @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:id])
+    @music_session = nil
+    @connection = nil
 
-    client_id = params[:client_id]
-    @music_session_client = MusicSessionClient.new()
-    @music_session_client.ip_address = params[:ip_address]
-    @music_session_client.client_id = client_id
-    @music_session_client.music_session = @music_session
-    @music_session_client.user = current_user
-    saved = @music_session_client.save
+    ConnectionManager.active_record_transaction do |connection_manager|
+      @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:id])
 
-    if saved
-      # 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 => client_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
 
-    respond_with @music_session_client, responder: ApiResponder, :location => api_session_participant_detail_url(@music_session_client)
+    # 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
-    @music_session_client = MusicSessionClient.find(params[:id])
-    @music_session_client.delete
 
-    respond_with @music_session_client, responder: ApiResponder
+    ConnectionManager.active_record_transaction do |connection_manager|
+      @connection = Connection.find_by_client_id(params[:client_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/views/api_music_sessions/create.rabl b/app/views/api_music_sessions/create.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e34b6943d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/api_music_sessions/create.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+object @music_session
+
+extends "api_music_sessions/show"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/api_music_sessions/member_show.rabl b/app/views/api_music_sessions/member_show.rabl
index d6959b545..175084104 100644
--- a/app/views/api_music_sessions/member_show.rabl
+++ b/app/views/api_music_sessions/member_show.rabl
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-object @music_session_client
+object @connection
 
 attributes :id, :ip_address, :client_id
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/api_music_sessions/show.rabl b/app/views/api_music_sessions/show.rabl
index 518a4eb75..e8f52a010 100644
--- a/app/views/api_music_sessions/show.rabl
+++ b/app/views/api_music_sessions/show.rabl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ object @music_session
 
 attributes :id, :description
 
-child(:music_session_clients => :participants) {
+child(:connections => :participants) {
     collection @music_sessions, :object_root => false
     attributes :id, :ip_address, :client_id
 }
diff --git a/app/views/errors/jam_argument_error.rabl b/app/views/errors/jam_argument_error.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..adeea51da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/errors/jam_argument_error.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+object @exception
+
+attributes :message
+
+node "type" do
+    "ArgumentError"
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/errors/permission_error.rabl b/app/views/errors/permission_error.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3132a738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/errors/permission_error.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+object @exception
+
+attributes :message
+
+node "type" do
+    "PermissionError"
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/errors/state_error.rabl b/app/views/errors/state_error.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9aab70130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/errors/state_error.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+object @exception
+
+attributes :message
+
+node "type" do
+    "StateError"
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/database.yml b/config/database.yml
index 6c9631f21..644020af3 100644
--- a/config/database.yml
+++ b/config/database.yml
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ test: &test
   timeout: 5000
 
 production:
-  adapter: sqlite3
-  database: db/production.sqlite3
+  adapter: postgresql
+  database: jam
+  username: postgres
+  password: postgres
+  host: localhost
   pool: 5
   timeout: 5000
 
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 2b4a66d46..aad155e5e 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ SampleApp::Application.routes.draw do
   scope '/api' do
     # music sessions
     match '/sessions/:id/participants' => 'api_music_sessions#participant_create', :via => :post
-    match '/participants/:id' => 'api_music_sessions#participant_show', :via => :get, :as => 'api_session_participant_detail'
-    match '/participants/:id' => 'api_music_sessions#participant_delete', :via => :delete
+    match '/participants/:client_id' => 'api_music_sessions#participant_show', :via => :get, :as => 'api_session_participant_detail'
+    match '/participants/:client_id' => 'api_music_sessions#participant_delete', :via => :delete
     match '/sessions/:id' => 'api_music_sessions#show', :via => :get, :as => 'api_session_detail'
     match '/sessions/:id' => 'api_music_sessions#delete', :via => :delete
     match '/sessions' => 'api_music_sessions#index', :via => :get
diff --git a/spec/factories.rb b/spec/factories.rb
index 649e5259f..2fb64bde0 100644
--- a/spec/factories.rb
+++ b/spec/factories.rb
@@ -10,4 +10,8 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     end
   end
 
+  factory :connection, :class => JamRuby::Connection do
+
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/music_session_pages_spec.rb b/spec/requests/music_session_pages_spec.rb
index c24a6fc37..303a93c07 100644
--- a/spec/requests/music_session_pages_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/music_session_pages_spec.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ describe "Music Session API ", :type => :api do
 
     it "should create session" do
       # create the session
-      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      # create a client connection
+
+      client = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user, :ip_address => "1.1.1.1", :client_id => "1")
+      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session", "client_id" : "' + client.client_id + '"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
       last_response.status.should eql(201)
 
       # now fetch it's data
@@ -44,7 +47,9 @@ describe "Music Session API ", :type => :api do
       list.length.should == 0
 
       # create the session
-      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      client = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user, :ip_address => "1.1.1.1", :client_id => "2")
+      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session", "client_id" : "' + client.client_id + '"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      last_response.status.should eql(201)
 
       # now fetch it's data
       get last_response.headers["Location"]
@@ -65,43 +70,33 @@ describe "Music Session API ", :type => :api do
 
     it "should add/remove member from session" do
       # create the session
-      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      client = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user, :ip_address => "1.1.1.1", :client_id => "3")
+      post '/api/sessions.json', '{"description" : "a session", "client_id" : "' + client.client_id + '"}', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      last_response.status.should eql(201)
 
       # now fetch it's data
       get last_response.headers["Location"]
       music_session = JSON.parse(last_response.body)
-      music_session["participants"].length.should == 0
 
-      # create a member
-      post "/api/sessions/#{music_session["id"]}/participants.json", '{ "ip_address" : "1.2.3.4", "client_id" : "1" }', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
-      last_response.status.should eql(201)
-
-      musician = JSON.parse(last_response.body)
-
-      # re-fetch the session now that there is a musician
-      get "/api/sessions/#{music_session["id"]}.json"
-      music_session = JSON.parse(last_response.body)
-
-      # there should be one musician in the response
+      # and the creator should be in the session
       music_session["participants"].length.should == 1
       musician = music_session["participants"][0]
 
       # and that musician should have the same IP address
-      musician["ip_address"].should == "1.2.3.4"
+      musician["ip_address"].should == "1.1.1.1"
 
-      # and that musician should have the same IP address
-      musician["client_id"].should == "1"
+      # and that musician should have the correct IP address
+      musician["client_id"].should == "3"
 
       # now delete that musician
-      delete "/api/participants/#{musician["id"]}.json", '', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
+      delete "/api/participants/#{musician["client_id"]}.json", '', "CONTENT_TYPE" => 'application/json'
       last_response.status.should eql(204)
 
-      # re-fetch the session now that there is not a musician
+      # re-fetch the session now that there is not a musician;
+      # we auto-delete sessions when the last person leaves
       get "/api/sessions/#{music_session["id"]}.json"
-      music_session = JSON.parse(last_response.body)
+      last_response.status.should eql(404)
 
-      # there should be no musicians in the response
-      music_session["participants"].length.should == 0
     end