diff --git a/edn/src/edn_item.rs b/edn/src/edn_item.rs
index d766f08f..831df995 100644
--- a/edn/src/edn_item.rs
+++ b/edn/src/edn_item.rs
@@ -41,14 +41,20 @@ impl<T: PartialEq> PartialEq for EdnItem<T> {
 impl<T: AsRef<str> + PartialEq + Default + Clone + std::fmt::Debug> EdnItem<T> {
     pub fn to_ref (&self) -> EdnItem<&str> {
         match self {
+            Self::Nil    => EdnItem::Nil,
+            Self::Num(x) => EdnItem::Num(*x),
             Self::Key(x) => EdnItem::Key(x.as_ref()),
-            _ => todo!()
+            Self::Sym(x) => EdnItem::Sym(x.as_ref()),
+            Self::Exp(x) => EdnItem::Exp(x.iter().map(|x|x.to_ref()).collect::<Vec<_>>()),
         }
     }
     pub fn to_str (&self) -> &str {
         match self {
+            Self::Nil    => "",
+            Self::Num(_) => "",
             Self::Key(x) => x.as_ref(),
-            _ => todo!()
+            Self::Sym(x) => x.as_ref(),
+            Self::Exp(_) => "",
         }
     }
     pub fn symbols <'a> (&'a self) -> EdnIterator<'a, T> {
diff --git a/edn/src/edn_view.rs b/edn/src/edn_view.rs
index cf9d91b6..93d9f71c 100644
--- a/edn/src/edn_view.rs
+++ b/edn/src/edn_view.rs
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ pub type EdnRenderCallback<'a, Engine, State> =
     Box<EdnCallback<'a, Engine, State>>;
 
 pub trait EdnViewData<E: Engine> {
-    fn get_bool    (&self,    _sym: &str) -> bool { false }
-    fn get_unit    (&self,    _sym: &str) -> E::Unit { 0.into() }
-    fn get_usize   (&self,    _sym: &str) -> usize { 0 }
-    fn get_content <'a> (&'a self, _sym: &'a str) -> RenderBox<'a, E> { Box::new(()) }
+    fn get_bool    (&self, _sym: EdnItem<&str>) -> bool { false }
+    fn get_unit    (&self, _sym: EdnItem<&str>) -> E::Unit { 0.into() }
+    fn get_usize   (&self, _sym: EdnItem<&str>) -> usize { 0 }
+    fn get_content <'a> (&'a self, _sym: EdnItem<&str>) -> RenderBox<'a, E> { Box::new(()) }
 }
 
 /// Renders from EDN source and context.
@@ -36,18 +36,15 @@ impl<E: Engine, T: EdnViewData<E> + Send + Sync> Content<E> for EdnView<E, T> {
         use EdnItem::*;
         match &self.layout {
             Nil    => ().boxed(),
-            Sym(t) => self.context.get_content(t.as_str()).boxed(),
+            Sym(t) => self.context.get_content(Sym(t.as_str())).boxed(),
             Key(t) => panic!("todo: add error handling to content() chain. unexpected key {t}"),
             Num(n) => panic!("todo: add error handling to content() chain. unexpected num {n}"),
             Exp(e) => if let [head, tail @ ..] = e.as_slice() {
                 let head = &head.to_ref();
+                let state = &self.context;
                 match (head, tail) {
-                    (Key("when"), [Sym(c), Sym(a)]) => When(
-                        self.context.get_bool(c.as_str()),
-                        self.context.get_content(a.as_str())).boxed(),
-                    (Key("bsp/s"), [Sym(a), Sym(b)]) => Bsp::s(
-                        self.context.get_content(a.as_str()),
-                        self.context.get_content(b.as_str())).boxed(),
+                    (Key("when"), [c, a])  => When(state.get_bool(c.to_ref()), state.get_content(a.to_ref())).boxed(),
+                    (Key("bsp/s"), [a, b]) => Bsp::s(state.get_content(a.to_ref()), state.get_content(b.to_ref()),).boxed(),
                     _ => todo!("{:?} {:?}", &head, &tail)
                 }
             } else {
diff --git a/src/groovebox.rs b/src/groovebox.rs
index ce865ae6..887bdbef 100644
--- a/src/groovebox.rs
+++ b/src/groovebox.rs
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ impl Groovebox {
 
 has_clock!(|self: Groovebox|self.player.clock());
 
-impl EdnViewData<Tui> for Groovebox {
-    fn get_bool (&self, item: &str) -> bool { todo!() }
-    fn get_unit (&self, item: &str) -> u16 {
+impl EdnViewData<Tui> for &Groovebox {
+    fn get_bool (&self, item: EdnItem<&str>) -> bool { todo!() }
+    fn get_unit (&self, item: EdnItem<&str>) -> u16 {
         use EdnItem::*;
-        match item {
+        match item.to_str() {
             ":sample-h"  => if self.compact { 0 } else { 5 },
             ":samples-w" => if self.compact { 4 } else { 11 },
             ":samples-y" => if self.compact { 1 } else { 0 },
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ impl EdnViewData<Tui> for Groovebox {
             _ => 0
         }
     }
-    fn get_content <'a> (&'a self, item: &str) -> RenderBox<'a, Tui> {
+    fn get_content <'a> (&'a self, item: EdnItem<&str>) -> RenderBox<'a, Tui> {
         use EdnItem::*;
-        match item {
+        match item.to_str() {
             ":input-meter-l" => Box::new(Meter("L/", self.sampler.input_meter[0])),
             ":input-meter-r" => Box::new(Meter("R/", self.sampler.input_meter[1])),
 
diff --git a/src/groovebox/groovebox.edn b/src/groovebox/groovebox.edn
index afca85a5..3682005a 100644
--- a/src/groovebox/groovebox.edn
+++ b/src/groovebox/groovebox.edn
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
-(sized
-  (bsp/s (fill/x (fixed/y 2 (lay
+(bsp/s
+  (fill/x (fixed/y 2 (lay
     (align/w :input-meter-l)
     (align/e :input-meter-r)
     (align/x :transport))))
-  (bsp/n (row :clip-play :clip-next :clip-edit :edit-stat)
-  (bsp/n (max/y :sample-h (fill/xy :sample-view))
-  (bsp/n (align/w (fixed/y 1 :sample-stat))
-  (bsp/n (fixed/x :pool-w :pool-view)
-  (fill/xy (bsp/e
-    (fixed/x :samples-w (push/y :samples-y :samples-view))
-    :midi-view))))))))
+  (bsp/n
+    (row :clip-play :clip-next :clip-edit :edit-stat)
+    (bsp/n
+      (max/y :sample-h (fill/xy :sample-view))
+      (bsp/n
+        (align/w (fixed/y 1 :sample-stat))
+        (bsp/n
+          (fixed/x :pool-w :pool-view)
+          (fill/xy (bsp/e
+            (fixed/x :samples-w (push/y :samples-y :samples-view))
+            :midi-view)))))))
diff --git a/src/groovebox/groovebox_tui.rs b/src/groovebox/groovebox_tui.rs
index 333a1e46..9f29c86a 100644
--- a/src/groovebox/groovebox_tui.rs
+++ b/src/groovebox/groovebox_tui.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ use std::marker::ConstParamTy;
 use tek_engine::Render;
 use EdnItem::*;
 
+const EDN: &'static str = include_str!("groovebox.edn");
+
+//impl Content<Tui> for Groovebox {
+    //fn content (&self) -> impl Render<Tui> {
+        //self.size.of(EdnView::new(self, EDN).expect("failed to build view"))
+    //}
+//}
+
 render!(Tui: (self: Groovebox) => self.size.of(
     Bsp::s(self.toolbar_view(),
     Bsp::n(self.selector_view(),