diff --git a/packages/core/cyclist.mjs b/packages/core/cyclist.mjs
index c54887dd..711903ed 100644
--- a/packages/core/cyclist.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/cyclist.mjs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export class Cyclist {
             }
           });
         } catch (e) {
-          console.warn('scheduler error', e);
+          console.warn('scheduler error: ', e.message);
           onError?.(e);
         }
       }, // called slightly before each cycle
diff --git a/packages/core/util.mjs b/packages/core/util.mjs
index 85b11b90..7b8a72d1 100644
--- a/packages/core/util.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/util.mjs
@@ -55,9 +55,13 @@ export const midi2note = (n) => {
 export const mod = (n, m) => ((n % m) + m) % m;
 
 export const getPlayableNoteValue = (hap) => {
-  let { value: note, context } = hap;
+  let { value, context } = hap;
+  let note = value;
   if (typeof note === 'object' && !Array.isArray(note)) {
     note = note.note || note.n || note.value;
+    if (note === undefined) {
+      throw new Error(`cannot find a playable note for ${JSON.stringify(value)}`);
+    }
   }
   // if value is number => interpret as midi number as long as its not marked as frequency
   if (typeof note === 'number' && context.type !== 'frequency') {
diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/useStrudel.mjs b/packages/react/src/hooks/useStrudel.mjs
index 833cc4cd..8fb0eafa 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/hooks/useStrudel.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/useStrudel.mjs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ function useStrudel({ defaultOutput, interval, getTime, evalOnMount = false, ini
           setActiveCode(code);
           setPattern(_pattern);
           setEvalError();
+          setSchedulerError();
           if (autolink) {
             window.location.hash = '#' + encodeURIComponent(btoa(code));
           }