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...

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. ]]>

Get your daily dose of music AND science as we dive into the bug’s life and the music they inspire.

Marissa Thomas teaches us about this music career path

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. ]]>

We meet a music producer named Yons and learn more about it.

Exploring polymeters (and their super fun mnemonic devices)

Musical legends like J Dilla and Sly & the Family Stone used the drum machine as a tool, and you can too!

Meet Anne Gauthier from La La Land Studios.

Let's travel through time to learn how people use improvisation to liven up their music.

Pull out your stethoscope and help Doctors Kiana and Fiona figure out what’s got Jazz in a funk.

Celebrate Juneteenth by meeting Black composers from three different time periods.

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...

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! *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

It's another visit to the magical land of Arpeggio, as the inhabitants learn what repetition and practice really mean. *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons...

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and...

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. *** 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:...

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** SPECIAL NOTE FOR GROWNUPS: “Brundibár” is best known for being premiered at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943, performed by a cast of interned...

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! *** 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 *** Donate...

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. *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.