Aria is a collaborative musical experience for the Jam-O-Drum. In the center of the projected environment is a single tree. The tree is home to many diverse, music-loving birds. The birds can be summoned out of the tree by playing percussion instruments in accompanance to the music. Once they leave the tree, the birds will fly and circle around the environment, following dynamic flocking behaviors, until they grow tired of the music and return to their home inside of the tree.
Participants are stationed around the Jam-O-Drum at one of the four drum pads. They interact with the environment by playing their drum in accordance with the music. Each participant's performance is rated at regular intervals. This rating affects the participant's popularity with the birds in the environment. A player with a high rating will attract more birds to his region of the table.
To aid the participants in their performance, a woodpecker has agreed to help by tapping out the music's beat. Following the woodpecker's example will help the participant's learn to become better performers.
The experience had be enjoyed by one to four participants. The participant's share the same environment and the same flock of birds. This introduces a competitive element to the experience, and because the only way to improve one's score is to improve one's playing, this also encourages the collaborative creation of better music.