The Music Box is an interactive music education podcast for kids, exploring fundamental music concepts through performing, responding and connecting. The current season is hosted by music educators Kiana Del and Fiona Palensky. Each episode gets listeners involved in making music! Short episodes are perfect for a car ride or just hanging out at home. Get printable lesson plans and ideas for extending the learning at musicboxpod.org. The Music Box is produced by Louisville Public Media and made possible in part by support from PNC and the Norton Foundation.
For season six’s FINALE, we’ll board the finest time traveling locomotive this side of the train soundboard once again to explore experimental music throughout history! We’ll be going all the way from Pauline Oliveros to Bjӧrk, remembering all the things we’ve talked about this season, like improvisation, drum machines, and more! Learn about musical experiments, meet up with an old friend, and get your ticket to hop aboard at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades 3-8, but all students can join in on the time traveling fun!
In the words of James Brown, “get funky with me! C’mon!” We’re back in the operating room this week, so put on your lab coats and get ready to examine all the elements of our next patient - Funk! Join us as we explore rock steady beats, staying on the one, and grooving supporting guitar chords.This episode is recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can groove with us! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org.
Creepy crawlies, wriggling worms, buzzing bees, singing cicadas, oh my! Get your daily dose of music AND science as we dive into the bug's life and the music they inspire. This episode is recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can join in on the flying fun. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org.
We’re going behind the music once again this week! We’ll learn all about what it means to be a music therapist in an interview with an expert from the field. Join as we talk about how music affects your brain with music therapist Marissa Thomas of Sharing Music and Mindfulness! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades 6-8 and 9-12, but younger students can join in on the fun with some guidance.
This episode is a special one! We’ll board violinist and sound designer Kojin Tashiro’s private jet and fly all around the Asian continent, meet 4 great composers and learn about the music they make. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can embark on this ethereal journey.
Blast off on the SS Wendy Carlos with the Music Box team and learn about all things synthesizers. From sine waves to square waves, we’ll explore the musical galaxy together to uncover all there is to know about these otherworldly electronic instruments. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can embark on this ethereal journey.
Oh, no! Looks like Kiana and Fiona need a little more time to fix up their spaceship before you can come aboard. Luckily, they have everything under control (they took the manual with them). Get ready to blast off on September 7th. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can have a seat on the spaceship.
What IS a producer anyway? How many hats do they wear? How does a producer help a music track come to life? Find out the answers to all your questions on this episode of The Music Box! We’re going behind the music with producer Antonio Garder, AKA Yons! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. This episode is recommended for grades 6-8 and 9-12, but younger students can join in fun with some guidance.
Have you ever tried to count rhythms with an apple or a pineapple? Tried to pass the melted butter? Maybe a hot cup of tea? Find out what all these wacky expressions mean on this episode of The Music Box. We’re exploring all things polymeters (and their super fun mnemonic devices!) This episode is recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can join in on the polyrhythmic groove. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org.
You’ve heard about the instrument families from woodwinds, to brass, to strings, even percussion, but have you explored the mean green drum machine?! On this episode of The Music Box, we’ll be learning all about how musical legends like J Dilla and Sly & the Family Stone used the drum machine as a tool, and how you can too! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. This episode is recommended for grades 3-5 and above, but all students can catch the beat with some guidance!
We’re going on a completely different journey for this episode! We’ll learn all about what it means to be a recording engineer in an interview with an expert from the field. Join as we go behind the music with Anne Gauthier from La La Land Studios right here in Louisville, Kentucky! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. This episode recommended for grades 6-8 and 9-12, but younger students can join in fun with some guidance.
This episode, we’ll board the finest time traveling locomotive this side of the train soundboard to explore improvisation through time! Some very special Louisville legends will join us as magical musical guests, taking us from the medieval period all the way to the future of improvisation. Join in on your own futuristic improvisation with THIS Playtronica Synthesizer. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. This episode is recommended for grades 3-5 and 6-8, but anyone can join in on the time traveling fun!
Today’s episode is quite the operation. We’ll put on our lab coats and be doctors, examining all the elements of our first patient — jazz! Join us as we explore blue notes, call and response, and syncopation. - Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org
In this musical short, we’ll celebrate Juneteenth by exploring liberation through music! We’ll journey around the U.S, taking a look at the lives of Black composers from three different time periods. We’ll briefly cover the history of the Juneteenth holiday, and through the lives of Florence Price, Scott Joplin, and Rhiannon Giddens, we’ll investigate how the African musical tradition continues to influence American music. Additional resources at musicboxpod.org.This episode was written by Kiana Del and Fiona Palensky. Special thanks to Michelle Tyrene Johnson and Stori Crawford. Support for the Music Box comes from PNC, the Norton Foundation, and the sustaining members of Louisville Public Media.
-This episode is an extra special musical journey that explores the world of time signatures, also known as meter. We're calling it "Meter: The Musical," which features original music from host Faith Murphy and Kiana Del, WUOL's engagement manager for music education. In the musical, two kids find a magical music box that transports them to Meter World, where they learn about different genres of music and try to find where they really belong.***Meter: The Musical! Music and lyrics by Faith Murphy and Kiana Del; book by Faith Murphy Special thanks to our guest musicians: Noah Barker, Trevin Little, Jailynn Lake-Noel, Fiona Palenski, and Stephen Murphy Recording and mixing engineer: Eric Matthews***Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.
We'll look at rhythm patterns in music and how they can change the sound of a song. You’ll learn about the different ways you could fill up a measure, and how rhythm adds texture and excitement to music!
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The second part of our feature on Black American composers features more time-traveling fun with Miss Kiana! Bring your dancing shoes and your listening ears.
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Featured music: Duke Ellington: Things Ain’t What They Used to Be Duke Ellington: Come Sunday, performed by Mahalia Jackson Sam Cooke: A Change Is Gonna Come Valerie Coleman: Red Clay and Mississippi Delta, performed by Imani Winds Valerie Coleman: Umoja, performed by Imani Winds
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We’re going on a musical journey with Miss Kiana this week, traveling through time to meet some of America’s Black composers! Bring your dancing shoes and your listening ears.
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Featured music: Florence Price: Symphony in E minor, performed by the Fort Smith Symphony Margaret Bonds: Bright Star, performed by Lara Downes Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water, performed by Joel Fan Margaret Bonds: The Ballad of the Brown King, performed by the Dessoff Choirs
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What does “tone color” mean in music? Isn't color something that you SEE? We'll dive into tone color and timbre today, using examples from pop, jazz, and classical music.
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Featured music: Antonio Carlos Jobim: The Girl from Ipanema Frank Sinatra: The Girl from Ipanema Amy Winehouse: The Girl from Ipanema Dizzy Gillespie: No More Blues Carmen McRae: No More Blues Chet Baker: I Talk to the Trees Vitamin String Quartet: Fake Plastic Trees Red Pants Trio: Hot Cross Buns Scott Bradlee: Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin/Queen Mashup)
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We're learning about patterns and song form on The Music Box today! From binary to ternary to rondo and more, you’ll be able to identify the forms of some of your favorite music.
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Featured music: Shenanigans: Cross Dance Jörg Demus: The Wild Horseman (Schumann) Frank Sinatra: Fly Me to the Moon Tchaikovsky: March from The Nutcracker Dave Brubeck: Blue Rondo à la Turk
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If you’ve ever been to the opera, you may have found yourself wondering what’s happening onstage. Sometimes opera plots can be tough to understand, especially if you’re a kid! Today we’ll learn about a couple of operas written specifically for kids: “L’enfant et les sortilèges” by Maurice Ravel, and “Brundibár” by Hans Krása.
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SPECIAL NOTE FOR GROWNUPS: “Brundibár” is best known for being premiered at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943, performed by a cast of interned children. We opted not to give these details in the podcast episode, because it’s a lot to explain to our youngest listeners. It’s an important part of the history of the opera, though, and a powerful example of art being used in the toughest circumstances. We’re linking some resources below so that you can choose to share this part of the story with your kids if you wish.
Brundibár - Wikipedia entry Brundibár article on Music & the Holocaust 60 Minutes segment on Brundibár (2016)
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Today’s episode is a virtual trip to Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and more, as we explore the work of Latinx musicians and composers. We’ll practice some call and response, we’ll walk on a tightrope, and we’ll learn about how a composer’s background and experiences affect her music. ¡Vámonos!
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Featured music:
Juventino Rosas: Sobre las Olas Maria Grever: Cuando Vuelva a tu Lado Leo Brouwer: Babalú Tania León: Alma Sergio Mendes: Fanfarra (Cabua-Le-Le) Arturo Márquez: Danzón #2
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What do dinosaurs have to do with music? You'll find out when you listen to this episode, as we explore the range of dynamics and accents through the sounds that dinosaurs made.
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We’re back in the magical Land of Arpeggio, going on a treasure hunt with a group of faun friends! Can you sing the right notes and help them find the treasure?
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We’ll take a look at how some of our favorite songs have been inspired by stories and books, including how you can make songs out of your favorites stories too! From fairy tales to Maurice Sendak and J.M. Barrie, we’ll take a trip around the library and find the songs that are hidden there.
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Featured music: Whitney Houston: “Impossible” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” Alex Newell: “Mama Will Provide” from “Once On This Island” New Broadway Cast Recording Carole King: “Chicken Soup With Rice” from “Really Rosie” Carole King: “Pierre” from “Really Rosie” Cast of The Wiz Live: “Ease On Down the Road” Idina Menzel: “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked”
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We’re kicking off Season 5 with an exploration of music from your favorite video games! From Mario to Final Fantasy, from Zelda to Among Us, we’ll learn about how music shapes and enhances the experience of playing a game.
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Featured music: Nobuo Uematsu: Final Fantasy Prelude 1987 / Final Fantasy XIV, Prelude Koji Kondo: Super Mario Bros. Theme / Super Mario Bros. Star Theme Hajime Wakai: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Riding: Day Hans Zimmer: Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2 Mick Gordon: Doom, Main Theme Jeremy Soule: Skyrim Theme Gustavo Santaolalla: The Last Of Us, Theme Christopher Tin: Baba Yetu John Siegler & John Loeffler: Pokemon Theme (Gotta Catch ‘Em All) Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty & Sueco the Child: Speed Me Up
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It's the holiday season, and that means holiday music! But you may not know as much about your favorite holiday songs as you think... In our final episode for this season, Miss Faith drops some holiday knowledge. And stay tuned after the show for a special holiday bonus!
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Featured songs: Andy Williams: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Alvin & the Chipmunks: Frosty the Snowman Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Eight Days of Hanukkah Wham!: Last Christmas Gene Autry: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gwen Stefani: Jingle Bells Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song José Feliciano: Feliz Navidad Barenaked Ladies: I Have A Little Dreidel Idina Menzel: Ocho Kandelikas Mary J. Blige: Petit Papa Noel La Rondallita: El Burrito de Belén Marcela Mangabeira: All I Want for Christmas Is You Faith Murphy: Cozy Corona Christmas
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Today’s the last installment of our series on music from around the world, where we’ll learn about the music of Nicaragua from Marlon Obando Solano, a native of San Lorenzo, Nicaragua, who now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. You’ll hear about different folk traditions, including dances that tell stories about Nicaragua’s people and history. You’ll also learn a new song about bananas!
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Featured music:
La Mora Limpia - Otredad El Solar de Monimbo Nicaraguan Marimba El Gueguense Baile del Toro Huaco Baile la Gigantona Suenos del Mar - Appalatin
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Resources to help Nicaraguans affected by recent hurricanes and flooding: Red Cross GoFundMe organized by Marlon Obando Solano’s family
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We’re going to the mountains today with musician Cari Norris, who teaches us about the traditional music of the Appalachian region. We’ll hear banjos and dulcimers, fun songs to sing along, and how this music can keep families connected.
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Featured music: Hillary Klug & Jim Wood: Arkansas Traveler Hillary Klug: Fire on the Mountain Jean Ritchie: Killy Kranky Jean Ritchie: Shady Grove
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