session-start
The session-start skill initializes a Claude AI music studio working session by executing an eight-step startup procedure that verifies MCP dependencies, loads configuration and state files, checks skill registration health, processes override instructions, manages plugin upgrades via migrations, and reports the project status to the user. Use this skill at the beginning of each fresh session to ensure all prerequisites are met and the environment is properly configured.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/bitwize-music-studio/claude-ai-music-skills /tmp/session-start && cp -r /tmp/session-start/skills/session-start ~/.claude/skills/session-startSKILL.md
## Your Task
Run the full session start procedure and report project status to the user.
---
# Session Start Skill
You perform the 8-step session startup procedure that initializes a working session.
---
## Step 1: Verify Setup
Quick dependency check:
```bash
~/.bitwize-music/venv/bin/python3 -c "import mcp" 2>&1 >/dev/null && echo "MCP ready" || echo "MCP missing" # macOS/Linux/WSL
~/.bitwize-music/venv/Scripts/python.exe -c "import mcp" 2>&1 >/dev/null && echo "MCP ready" || echo "MCP missing" # Windows (Git Bash; cmd/PowerShell: %USERPROFILE%\.bitwize-music\venv\Scripts\python.exe)
```
- If MCP missing: **Stop immediately** and suggest: `/bitwize-music:setup mcp`
- If config missing (`~/.bitwize-music/config.yaml` doesn't exist): suggest `/bitwize-music:configure`
- Don't proceed until setup is complete
## Step 1.5: Health Check
Use the `health_check` MCP tool (checks venv packages + skill registration + album slug collisions in one call):
**Venv results** (from `result.venv`):
- `status: "ok"` → continue silently
- `status: "stale"` → warn with mismatches and fix command, continue session
- `status: "no_venv"` → **stop** and suggest `/bitwize-music:setup`
- `status: "error"` → warn and continue
**Skill registration results** (from `result.skills`):
- `status: "ok"` → continue silently
- `status: "stale"` → warn: list missing and ghost skill names, show fix message
- `status: "no_cache"` → warn that plugin cache not found, continue
**Album slug collision results** (from `result.collisions`):
- `status: "ok"` → continue silently
- `status: "collision"` → warn: list each slug with its kept and shadowed genres, show the fix (rename one album with `/bitwize-music:rename` or move its directory, then run `rebuild_state`), continue session
## Step 2: Load Config
Read `~/.bitwize-music/config.yaml`.
If missing, tell user to run `/bitwize-music:configure`.
## Step 3: Load Overrides
Read `paths.overrides` from config (default: `{content_root}/overrides`):
- Check for `{overrides}/CLAUDE.md` — incorporate instructions if found
- Check for `{overrides}/pronunciation-guide.md` — note if found
- Skip silently if missing (overrides are optional)
## Step 4: Load State Cache
Read `~/.bitwize-music/cache/state.json`:
- If missing, corrupted, schema mismatch, or config changed: rebuild via MCP
```
rebuild_state()
```
## Step 4.5: Check for Plugin Upgrades
Call the `get_pending_migrations` MCP tool. It compares the installed plugin
version against `last_migrated_version` in state (the last version whose
migrations were processed — distinct from `plugin_version`, which only records
the installed version for display) and returns the pending notes already
parsed and sorted.
1. **If `pending` is empty** (`reason: "current"`, or `reason: "unknown"` when the
installed version can't be read from plugin.json): No action needed.
2. **If `pending` is non-empty** (`reason: "upgrade"` or `"untracked"`): For each
migration, process its `actions` in order:
- `auto`: Execute silently (run `check` first — skip if it returns 0)
- `action`: Show description, ask the user to confirm before executing
- `info`: Display to the user
- `manual`: Show the instruction to the user
3. **After processing all notes**, call `acknowledge_migrations` (no argument
acknowledges everything up to the installed version) so the same notes do
not surface again next session.
4. Report: "Upgraded to Y" with a summary of the actions taken.
> `reason: "untracked"` means the state predates migration tracking; the full
> backlog up to the installed version is surfaced once, then cleared by
> `acknowledge_migrations`. Do NOT just rebuild state to clear migrations —
> a rebuild preserves the pending status; only `acknowledge_migrations` records
> that you processed them.
## Step 5: (Removed)
Skill model checking is no longer part of session start. Skills use tier aliases (`opus`/`sonnet`/`haiku`) that auto-track the frontier model, and the test suite (`/bitwize-music:test`) enforces model/effort hygiene — so no manual model checking is needed when new Claude models are released.
## Step 6: Report From State Cache
Using data from `state.json`, report:
### Album Ideas
From `state.ideas.counts` — show count by status (Pending, In Progress, etc.)
### In-Progress Albums
Filter `state.albums` for status: "In Progress", "Research Complete", "Complete"
For each, show:
- Album name, genre, status
- Track progress (completed/total)
### Pending Source Verifications
From `state.albums` — find tracks where `sources_verified` is "Pending"
If any found, warn: "These tracks have unverified sources — generation is blocked until verified."
### Last Session Context
From `state.session`:
- Last album worked on
- Last phase
- Pending actions
## Step 7: Show Contextual Tips
Based on state, show ONE relevant tip:
| Condition | Tip |
|-----------|-----|
| No albums exist | "Try `/bitwize-music:tutorial` to create your first album" |
| Ideas exist but no albums | "You have album ideas! Use `/bitwize-music:album-ideas list` to review them" |
| In-progress albums exist | "Resume where you left off: `/bitwize-music:resume <album-name>`" |
| Overrides loaded | "Custom overrides loaded from {overrides}/" |
| Overrides missing | "Customize your workflow with override files — see `/reference/overrides/`" |
| Pending verifications | "Source verification needed before generation can proceed" |
Also show one random general tip (rotate through these):
- "Ask 'what should I do next?' for workflow guidance"
- "Use `/bitwize-music:resume` to quickly jump back into an album"
- "The researcher skill coordinates 10 specialized sub-skills for deep research"
- "Check pronunciation before generating — Suno can't infer from context"
- "Use `/bitwize-music:clipboard` to copy lyrics/prompts for Suno"
- "Master your audio with `/bitwize-music:mastering-engineer` for professional results"
## Step 8: Ask
End with: "What wProvides information about the bitwize-music plugin, its version, and its creator. Use when the user asks about the plugin, its purpose, version, or capabilities.
Creates visual concepts for album artwork and generates AI art prompts. Use during planning for concept discussion, or after all tracks are Final for actual artwork generation.
Designs album concepts, tracklist architecture, and thematic planning through 7 structured phases. Use when planning a new album or reworking an existing album concept.
Shows a structured progress dashboard for an album with percentage complete per phase, blocking items, and status breakdown. Use for a quick visual overview of album progress.
Tracks and manages album ideas including brainstorming, planning, and status updates. Use when the user wants to add, review, or organize their album idea backlog.
Copies track content (lyrics, style prompts, streaming lyrics) to the system clipboard. Use when the user needs to paste lyrics or style prompts into Suno or other external tools.
Uploads promo videos and content to Cloudflare R2 or AWS S3. Use when the user wants to host promo content for social media or distribution.
Sets up or edits the plugin configuration file interactively. Use on first-time setup, when config is missing, or when the user wants to change settings.