Readme nudges

README.md

@@ -3,33 +3,35 @@
   <br /><br />
 
   [![CI Status](https://github.com/elemaudio/elementary/actions/workflows/main.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/elemaudio/elementary/actions)
-  ![PRs Welcome](https://img.shields.io/badge/PRs-welcome-brightgreen.svg)
   [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](https://github.com/elemaudio/elementary/blob/main/LICENSE.md)
   [![Discord Community](https://img.shields.io/discord/826071713426178078?label=Discord)](https://discord.gg/xSu9JjHwYc)
+  [![npm installs](https://img.shields.io/npm/dt/%40elemaudio/core?label=npm%20installs&color=%23f472b6)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elemaudio/core)
 
 </div>
 
 ---
 
-[**Elementary**](https://elementary.audio) is a JavaScript/C++ library for building audio applications.
+[**Elementary**](https://elementary.audio) is a JavaScript library for digital audio signal processing.
 
 * **Declarative:** Elementary makes it simple to create interactive audio processes through functional, declarative programming. Describe your audio process as a function of your application state, and Elementary will efficiently update the underlying audio engine as necessary.
 * **Dynamic:** Most audio processing frameworks and tools facilitate building static processes. But what happens as your audio requirements change throughout the user journey? Elementary is designed to facilitate and adapt to the dynamic nature of modern audio applications.
-* **Portable:** By decoupling the JavaScript API from the underlying audio engine (the "what" from the "how"), Elementary enables writing portable applications. Whether the underlying engine is running in the browser, an audio plugin, or an embedded device, the JavaScript layer remains the same.
+* **Portable:** By decoupling the JavaScript API from the underlying audio engine (the "what" from the "how"), Elementary enables writing portable applications. Whether the underlying engine is running in the browser, an audio plugin, or an embedded device, your JavaScript layer remains the same.
 
 ## Getting Started
 
 Every Elementary application starts with the [@elemaudio/core](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/packages/core) package ([npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elemaudio/core), [source](./js/packages/core)), which provides the
 framework for defining your audio processes and a generic set of utilities for performing the graph rendering and reconciling steps.
 
 Next, because Elementary is designed to be used in a number of different environments, there are several different ways to integrate.
-If you're new to the project, we recommend starting with one of the following workflows to get the feel of working in Elementary:
+If you're new to the project, we recommend studying the following workflows to get the feel of working in Elementary:
 
 * Use the [@elemaudio/web-renderer](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/packages/web-renderer) package ([npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elemaudio/web-renderer), [source](./js/packages/web-renderer)) with your favorite frontend UI library to make an audio web application
 * Use the [@elemaudio/offline-renderer](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/packages/offline-renderer) package ([npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elemaudio/offline-renderer), [source](./js/packages/offline-renderer)) with Node.js for static file processing
 
-Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can dive deeper into integrating and extending Elementary with your existing stack:
+Once you're ready to dive in, we suggest starting with one of these ideas:
 
+* Jump into the [online playground](https://www.elementary.audio/playground) for the quickest way of experimenting with sound
+* Make an audio effects plugin following the [SRVB plugin template](https://github.com/elemaudio/srvb)
 * Try the small [command line tool](https://github.com/elemaudio/elementary/tree/main/cli) here in this repository to explore an example native integration
 * Check out the [Native Integrations](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/guides/Native_Integrations) guide for embedding Elementary's C++ engine in your own native code
 * Read the [Custom Native Nodes](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/guides/Custom_Native_Nodes) guide for extending Elementary's built-in DSP library with your own low-level processors
@@ -39,8 +41,8 @@ Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can dive deeper into integrating an
 You can find the Elementary documentation [on the website](https://elementary.audio/), or if you like, you can jump straight into:
 
 * [Guides](https://elementary.audio/docs/guides/Making_Sound/)
-* [Tutorials](https://www.elementary.audio/resources)
-* [API Reference](https://elementary.audio/docs/reference)
+* [Tutorials](https://www.elementary.audio/docs/tutorials/distortion-saturation-wave-shaping)
+* [Project Showcase](https://www.elementary.audio/showcase)
 
 If you need help, join the community on the [Elementary Audio Discord](https://discord.gg/xSu9JjHwYc) and ask any questions you have!
 
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ focusing on the community around Elementary, the immediate goals in this reposit
 careful and slow to add new features, so if there's a particular feature you want to see here, please [open an issue](https://github.com/elemaudio/elementary/issues/new) to start a conversation around your
 proposal first.
 
-If you wish to become involved in the project beyond developpement, you could [become a sponsor](https://github.com/sponsors/nick-thompson). This form of assistance is deeply valued and instrumental in propelling the project forward. We are genuinely grateful for any support you choose to provide.
+If you wish to become involved in the project beyond development, you could [become a sponsor](https://github.com/sponsors/nick-thompson). This form of assistance is deeply valued and instrumental in propelling the project forward. We are genuinely grateful for any support you choose to provide.
 
 ## License