The Center’s new online trivia game, Music Frivia, has been created to test people’s knowledge, both serious and frivolous, of local, national, and world music using the Sousa Archives’ historical collections.

Starting in early January the Center’s computer science student, Jake Maro, and two of our graduate assistants, Kelli McQueen and Maia Perez, began work on a new Jeopardy game knock-off. Our version draws on different historical themes — such as Modern Music Madness, America’s Dance Crazes, and World Music, Tours and Fairs. Currently it includes over three hundred questions, ranging from the serious to the silly, about music history and culture drawn from the Sousa Archives’ diverse collections.

Each version of our game consists of nine multiple choice questions related to a particular historical theme. When a question is answered correctly on the first try, the player earns 100 points, and a portion of a mystery photograph is revealed. Two attempts answering a question earns the player 50 points, and after the third try just 25 points.

Once the full mystery image is revealed after successfully answering all nine questions, the game’s final question tests the player’s knowledge about who or what is displayed in the photograph. Depending on the number of attempts needed to answer the last question, a final tabulated score displays on the game screen as well as a little more information about who is displayed in the mystery photograph. The player can either post their score on Facebook as a Music Frivia throw down for other music trivia devotees to challenge, or they can replay the game with another set of questions selected from the game program.

For those folks looking for a new online game to fritter away some time or to avoid mowing the lawn, then play our game at Music Frivia and test your knowledge of local, national, and world music history and culture. Since this is our first attempt creating an online trivia game, we are interested in learning from our game’s players what does and does not work. Our hope is that people of all ages will enjoy playing Music Frivia. For further information about the game and the Center’s collections email sousa@illinois.edu.