The Music Box

Latest Episodes:

Fascinating Rhythm May 27, 2021

Show notes

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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Practice Makes Perfect May 20, 2021

Show notes

It's another visit to the magical land of Arpeggio, as the inhabitants learn what repetition and practice really mean.

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Time Traveling with America's Black Composers - Part Two May 14, 2021

Show notes

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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Time Traveling with America's Black Composers - Part One May 13, 2021

Show notes

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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Tone It Up May 06, 2021

Show notes

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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Run, Rondo, Run Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

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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What Aria Talking About? Opera Plots Explained Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

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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Composers and Musicians of Latin America! Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

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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Dynamic Dinosaurs Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

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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The Hunt for Buried Measure Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

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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