diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/connection.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/connection.rb
index 51a6befd5..cf282c357 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/connection.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/connection.rb
@@ -139,7 +139,16 @@ module JamRuby
       true
     end
 
+    def join_the_session(music_session, as_musician)
+      self.music_session = music_session
+      self.as_musician = as_musician
+      self.joining_session = true
+      self.joined_session_at = Time.now
+      self.save!
+    end
+
     private
+
     def require_at_least_one_track_when_in_session
       if tracks.count == 0
         errors.add(:tracks, ValidationMessages::SELECT_AT_LEAST_ONE)
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/claimed_recording_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/claimed_recording_spec.rb
index 007da011c..42bb0148f 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/claimed_recording_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/claimed_recording_spec.rb
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ describe ClaimedRecording do
     @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
     @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)
-    @music_session.connections << @connection
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection
     @music_session.save
+    @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @recording.stop
     @recording.reload
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/connection_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/connection_spec.rb
index 2d4e1f51b..6fdaebf46 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/connection_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/connection_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
-describe Connection do
+describe JamRuby::Connection do
   let(:user) { FactoryGirl.create(:user) }
   let (:music_session) { FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user) }
 
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/mix_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/mix_spec.rb
index 7296140a1..fe4f84a54 100755
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/mix_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/mix_spec.rb
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ describe Mix do
     @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
     @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)
-    @music_session.connections << @connection
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection
     @music_session.save
+    @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @recording.stop
 	  @recording.claim(@user, "name", "description", Genre.first, true)
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/music_session_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/music_session_spec.rb
index 7e6efebe8..adcaa485b 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/music_session_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/music_session_spec.rb
@@ -396,8 +396,9 @@ describe MusicSession do
       @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
       @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
       @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user1, :musician_access => true)
-      @music_session.connections << @connection
-      @music_session.save
+      # @music_session.connections << @connection
+      @music_session.save!
+      @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     end
 
     describe "not recording" do
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/musician_search_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/musician_search_spec.rb
index 627918397..20be14059 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/musician_search_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/musician_search_spec.rb
@@ -113,8 +113,9 @@ describe 'Musician search' do
     instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => connection, :instrument => instrument)
     music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => usr, :musician_access => true)
-    music_session.connections << connection
+    # music_session.connections << connection
     music_session.save
+    connection.join_the_session(music_session, true)
     recording = Recording.start(music_session, usr)
     recording.stop
     recording.reload
@@ -127,8 +128,9 @@ describe 'Musician search' do
   def make_session(usr)
     connection = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => usr)
     music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => usr, :musician_access => true)
-    music_session.connections << connection
+    # music_session.connections << connection
     music_session.save
+    connection.join_the_session(music_session, true)
   end
 
   context 'musician stat counters' do
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/recording_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/recording_spec.rb
index 609701bac..7fc0f31d2 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/recording_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/recording_spec.rb
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ describe Recording do
     @instrument2 = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     @track2 = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection2, :instrument => @instrument2)
     
-    @music_session.connections << @connection2
-  
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection2
+    @connection2.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
+
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @user.recordings.length.should == 0
     #@user.recordings.first.should == @recording
@@ -176,8 +177,9 @@ describe Recording do
     @user2 = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
     @connection2 = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => @user2)
     @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection2, :instrument => @instrument)
-    @music_session.connections << @connection2
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection2
     @music_session.save
+    @connection2.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @recording.stop
     @recording.reload
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb
index 4e3c4b5e6..a1cd67c77 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb
@@ -155,8 +155,9 @@ describe AudioMixer do
       @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
       @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
       @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)
-      @music_session.connections << @connection
+      # @music_session.connections << @connection
       @music_session.save
+      @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
       @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
       @recording.stop
       @recording.claim(@user, "name", "description", Genre.first, true)
diff --git a/web/spec/controllers/api_claimed_recordings_spec.rb b/web/spec/controllers/api_claimed_recordings_spec.rb
index b860c7cff..f1977d400 100644
--- a/web/spec/controllers/api_claimed_recordings_spec.rb
+++ b/web/spec/controllers/api_claimed_recordings_spec.rb
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ describe ApiClaimedRecordingsController do
     @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
     @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)      
-    @music_session.connections << @connection
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection
     @music_session.save
+    @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @recording.stop
     @recording.reload
diff --git a/web/spec/features/social_meta_spec.rb b/web/spec/features/social_meta_spec.rb
index 50cdb79c1..ca368dc60 100644
--- a/web/spec/features/social_meta_spec.rb
+++ b/web/spec/features/social_meta_spec.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,13 @@ describe "social metadata" do
     let(:connection) { FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user) }
     let(:instrument) { FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument') }
     let(:track) { FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => connection, :instrument => instrument) }
-    let(:music_session) { ms = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true); ms.connections << connection; ms.save!; ms }
+    let(:music_session) {
+      ms = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true)
+      # ms.connections << connection
+      ms.save!
+      connection.join_the_session(ms, true)
+      ms
+    }
 
     it "renders facebook metadata" do
       visit "/sessions/#{music_session.id}"
@@ -85,8 +91,9 @@ describe "social metadata" do
       @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
       @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
       @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)
-      @music_session.connections << @connection
+      # @music_session.connections << @connection
       @music_session.save
+      @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
       @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
       @recording.stop
       @recording.reload
diff --git a/web/spec/helpers/recording_helper_spec.rb b/web/spec/helpers/recording_helper_spec.rb
index 626af2412..1220abc3e 100644
--- a/web/spec/helpers/recording_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/web/spec/helpers/recording_helper_spec.rb
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ describe MusicSessionHelper do
     @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
     @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
     @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => @user, :musician_access => true)
-    @music_session.connections << @connection
+    # @music_session.connections << @connection
     @music_session.save
+    @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
     @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, @user)
     @recording.stop
     @recording.reload
diff --git a/web/spec/requests/music_sessions_api_spec.rb b/web/spec/requests/music_sessions_api_spec.rb
index 82a80f2c5..bc453960d 100755
--- a/web/spec/requests/music_sessions_api_spec.rb
+++ b/web/spec/requests/music_sessions_api_spec.rb
@@ -698,8 +698,9 @@ describe "Music Session API ", :type => :api do
     connection = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user)
     track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => connection, :instrument => Instrument.first)
     music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true)
-    music_session.connections << connection
+    # music_session.connections << connection
     music_session.save
+    connection.join_the_session(music_session, true)
     recording = Recording.start(music_session, user)
     recording.stop
     recording.reload
diff --git a/web/spec/requests/users_api_spec.rb b/web/spec/requests/users_api_spec.rb
index c85be81b7..8d3c18d5c 100644
--- a/web/spec/requests/users_api_spec.rb
+++ b/web/spec/requests/users_api_spec.rb
@@ -981,7 +981,12 @@ describe "User API", :type => :api do
       let(:connection) { FactoryGirl.create(:connection, :user => user) }
       let(:instrument) { FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument') }
       let(:track) { FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => connection, :instrument => instrument) }
-      let(:music_session) { ms = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true); ms.connections << connection; ms.save!; ms }
+      let(:music_session) {
+        ms = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true)
+        # ms.connections << connection
+        ms.save!
+        connection.join_the_session(ms, true)
+        ms }
 
       it "fetches facebook successfully" do
         login(user.email, user.password, 200, true)
@@ -1115,8 +1120,9 @@ describe "User API", :type => :api do
           @instrument = FactoryGirl.create(:instrument, :description => 'a great instrument')
           @track = FactoryGirl.create(:track, :connection => @connection, :instrument => @instrument)
           @music_session = FactoryGirl.create(:music_session, :creator => user, :musician_access => true)
-          @music_session.connections << @connection
+          # @music_session.connections << @connection
           @music_session.save
+          @connection.join_the_session(@music_session, true)
           @recording = Recording.start(@music_session, user)
           @recording.stop
           @recording.reload