Get ready to explore a musical zoo like no other!

In this episode of Busy Kids Love Music, we’re diving into one of Camille Saint-Saëns’ most imaginative and beloved works—Carnival of the Animals. This whimsical suite features 14 short movements, each representing a different animal or creature, from regal lions and squawking roosters to gliding swans and even... piano students!

 You’ll hear musical excerpts that bring each animal to life and learn:

• Why Saint-Saëns wrote Carnival of the Animals in secret

• What instrument represents the elephant

• Why The Swan was the only movement published during his lifetime

• How this suite became one of his most popular works after his death

PLUS: It’s an Audio Treasure Hunt episode! Hidden throughout today’s episode are six musical clues. Download your free Treasure Hunt printable and see if you can answer them all as you listen.

Want to explore even more? Sign up for my FREE 5-Day Online Music Camp inspired by Carnival of the Animals! Each day features music exploration, fun piano activities, and creative ways to bring the animals to life. Perfect for music-loving kids of all ages! 🔗 Link to join in the show notes.

Next Week: We wrap up our Saint-Saëns series with a spine-tingling piece—Danse Macabre—just in time for spooky season. Don’t miss it!

Resources Mentioned:

• Download the Audio Treasure Hunt Printable

• Join the FREE Carnival of the Animals Online Music Camp

• Listen to Carnival of the Animals in its entirety here

Busy Kids Love Music is created by Carly Seifert, piano teacher and founder of Busy Kids Do Piano, helping families explore the joy of music from their own homes.

📌 Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and keep your ears open for more musical adventures!

We’re kicking off a brand-new composer series—and this one’s all about the brilliant French composer Camille Saint-Saëns! 🎼

In this first episode of our 3-part series, your child will discover:

• What made Saint-Saëns a child prodigy 

• His early musical education and incredible memory

• How travel and science inspired his compositions 

• The tragedies and triumphs that shaped his life

• Why his music stood apart from others in his time

Plus! This episode includes a FREE Audio Treasure Hunt to make listening extra interactive and fun. Can your child catch how old Saint-Saëns was at his first public concert? Or what inspired his “Egyptian” piano concerto?

🎧 Featured Music Includes:

• Organ Symphony

• Piano Concerto No. 5 “The Egyptian”

• Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor

Don’t forget to download your free Audio Treasure Hunt worksheet and explore my curated playlist of Camille Saint-Saëns’ most beloved compositions.

🎹 Enrollment Now Open: If you’ve been thinking about starting piano lessons at home, now’s the perfect time! Public enrollment for Busy Kids Do Piano is open through August 18th. Learn more and sign up here.

Don’t miss Episode 157, where we’ll take a closer listen to The Carnival of the Animals—a delightful musical zoo full of lions, kangaroos, and the famous swan.

Until next time, keep listening and keep making music! 

Welcome to the final stop on our Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music summer series! In this episode, we journey to the breathtaking island of Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, where folk music and dance are central to cultural life.

From the energetic rhythms of the ʻoteʻa dance to the booming beats of the toʻere and pahu drums, Tahitian music is filled with movement and joy. We’ll explore the traditional instruments, musical styles, and even group choral chants like himene tarava, which blend Polynesian harmonies with European influences.

You’ll also:

• Hear samples of traditional Tahitian drumming and singing

• Learn how music and dance are celebrated at the Heiva Festival

• Discover how Tahitian children carry on musical traditions today

• Explore how modern musicians are blending traditional instruments with new sounds

Don’t forget! Download your Tahiti Passport Stamp to complete your musical journey around the world.

Check out this playlist on YouTube to view incredible Tahitian performances.

🎹 Plus, exciting news! Public enrollment for Busy Kids Do Piano and Busy Moms Do Piano opens August 4th! Learn more about Busy Kids here and Busy Moms here.

Thanks for joining us on this global musical adventure—see you in two weeks for more musical exploration!

In today’s episode of Busy Kids Love Music, we head to the vibrant country of Colombia—a place full of colorful landscapes, rich traditions, and joyful rhythms! Part of our special summer series Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music, this musical journey introduces your child to the diverse folk styles that make Colombian music so special.

From the African-influenced drums of the coastal regions to the haunting melodies of Indigenous flutes and the lively accordion tunes of vallenato, we’ll explore how Colombia’s music reflects its unique blend of cultures: Indigenous, African, and Spanish.

🎶 Highlights from this episode include:

• A deep dive into cumbia, one of Colombia’s most iconic musical styles.

• Listening to the gaita—a traditional Indigenous flute—and how it’s used in folk ensembles.

• Learning about the tambora, a drum essential to Afro-Colombian rhythms and celebrations.

• Discovering the accordion’s role in vallenato and its European roots.

• Exploring how Colombian folk music is still a vibrant part of everyday life—from school songs to street parades!

📌 Episode Resources:

• 🎟 Download your free Colombia Passport Stamp here

• 🎵 Curated YouTube Playlist of Colombian Folk Music featuring cumbia, vallenato, and more

🗺️ Previous Stops on Our Around the World Series:

• Folk Music of Ethiopia

• Folk Music of Ukraine

• Folk Music of South Korea

📍Next stop: Our final destination of the summer series—don’t miss it in two weeks!

This episode will transport your family to Colombia through the power of music. Don’t forget to grab your musical passport stamp and explore even more music with my bonus playlist!

🎧 Subscribe to Busy Kids Love Music on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.

💬 Let’s Connect: Have a question or want to share your child’s musical discoveries? Tag me on Instagram @busymomsdopiano or send us message to [email protected]!

Welcome back to Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music! In today’s episode, we journey to the eastern side of Asia to explore the rich folk music traditions of South Korea.

From heartfelt folk songs to energetic drumming ensembles, Korean traditional music—known as gugak—is a vibrant part of the country’s culture and history. Join me as we explore:

🎶 Minyo – Traditional Korean folk songs passed down through generations 🎤 Arirang – One of Korea’s most beloved and historic songs 🎭 Pansori – Dramatic musical storytelling with a single singer and drummer 🥁 Samulnori – A thrilling percussion style performed with four instruments 🎼 Traditional Korean instruments including:

• The janggu (hourglass drum)

• The gayageum (12-string zither)

• The haegeum (two-string fiddle)

Along the way, we’ll learn how these beautiful sounds continue to influence modern music—from classrooms to K-pop stages.

👉 Don’t forget to:

• Download your South Korea passport stamp

• Check out the YouTube playlist featuring instruments and performances mentioned in today’s episode

• Revisit any of the previous episodes in this global series

In this episode of our Around the World summer series, we’re traveling to Ukraine, a country with a deep love of singing, a powerful history, and some truly fascinating folk instruments!

Join me as we:

• Discover the meaning of folk music and why it matters.

•  Learn about Ukraine’s journey to independence and how music has helped preserve its culture.

• Explore the beautiful three-part harmonies often sung a cappella by Ukrainian choirs.

• Hear traditional instruments like:

  • Bandura – a harp-like instrument with up to 60 strings.

  • Trembita – one of the world’s longest instruments used in mountain villages.

  • Tsymbaly – a hammered dulcimer that creates rhythmic dance music.

• Understand how folk music varies from region to region in Ukraine.

You’ll hear snippets of folk songs throughout the episode and learn how modern Ukrainian artists are keeping these traditions alive today.

📍 Download your Ukraine Passport Stamp Add to your musical passport collection by downloading this week’s stamp here.

🎧 Bonus Playlist Want to keep listening? Check out the curated playlist of Ukrainian folk music linked on YouTube by clicking here.

Subscribe & Follow: Never miss an episode! Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow me on Instagram @busymomsdopiano for updates, behind-the-scenes, and extra resources.

Busy Kids Love Music is the podcast that helps kids explore composers, musical styles, instruments, and cultures from around the world—one note at a time.

Welcome to a brand new season of our summer series, Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music! Every 2 weeks this summer, we’re visiting a different country to explore its folk music traditions—and today, we’re heading to the Horn of Africa to discover the rich and unique sounds of Ethiopia!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What makes Ethiopian music sound so different from Western music

• The special musical scales called qignit (including the Tizita scale)

• The fascinating traditional instruments of Ethiopia: the krar, masenqo, and washint

• How music is woven into celebrations, faith, and storytelling

• The unique Ethiopian dance called eskista, full of fast footwork and expressive shoulder movements

Plus, we’ll hear musical clips throughout the episode to bring these traditions to life!

🧳 Don’t forget your passport stamp! Download your printable Ethiopia stamp to add to your musical passport as we travel the world this summer. You’ll find it linked here.

▶️ YouTube Playlist Be sure to check out the curated playlist I’ve included so you can see these amazing instruments and dances in action—especially the mesmerizing eskista dance!

Thanks for joining me on this exciting musical adventure. See you in two weeks as we journey to another corner of the globe for more incredible folk music traditions.

As we approach Memorial Day in the United States, this episode honors one of the most poignant and powerful pieces of American music — Taps. Although this bugle call is only 24 notes long, it carries deep meaning and emotion, used to honor those who have served and sacrificed in the military.

In this episode, you and your young listeners will:

• Discover the origins of Taps during the Civil War.

• Learn about the bugle and how it was used to signal soldiers throughout the day.

• Hear different performances of Taps, including from Arlington National Cemetery.

• Reflect on how a simple melody can express gratitude, peace, and remembrance without a single word.

🎧 Musical excerpts featured:

• Taps – USMC Drum & Bugle Corps

• Reveille – West Point Band

• Taps – Live recordings from Arlington National Cemetery

• Semper Fidelis – “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band

📝 Mentioned in this episode: Visit this link for a short playlist of a few full-length performances of Taps

🎶 What’s Next: Join me in two weeks as we launch our Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music summer series! We’ll explore folk music traditions from across the globe — and your child can collect printable passport stamps along the way!

Welcome back to Busy Kids Love Music! In today’s episode, we’re celebrating the blossoming beauty of spring with classical music inspired by flowers! This episode is the perfect follow-up to our April Showers adventure, and it’s all about music that captures the feeling of blooming gardens, delicate petals, and peaceful springtime scenes.

🌸 Here’s what we’re listening to today:

• Waltz of the Flowers by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – A graceful dance from The Nutcracker ballet that brings a garden of twirling flowers to life.

• Voices of Spring (Frühlingsstimmen) by Johann Strauss II – A joyful waltz celebrating the arrival of spring, with sparkling melodies and fluttering flutes. (Psst… you’ll recognize the opening from the podcast theme!)

• Flower Duet from Lakmé by Léo Delibes – A stunning vocal duet that transports us to a peaceful riverside garden, blooming with flowers and calm.

🌷 Imagination Prompts: As you listen, picture yourself surrounded by colorful blossoms, dancing petals, and chirping birds. What does the music feel like? What colors or movements do you imagine?

🎨 Extras for Today’s Episode:

• 🎵 YouTube Playlist featuring full-length performances of each piece

• 🖍️ Printable Flower Coloring Page to enjoy while listening

📣 Reminder: This episode airs during Busy Kids Do Piano’s spring public enrollment period! Learn more about how to join before May 15th by visiting busykidsdopiano.com/membership or busymomsdopiano.com/membership.

Thanks for joining me for this beautiful musical bouquet! I’ll see you next time with a brand-new episode.

Happy Earth Day! Today, we’re celebrating our beautiful planet the best way we know how—through music! 🎶 For centuries, composers have found inspiration in nature, and in this episode, we’re exploring three stunning pieces that bring the sounds of the Earth to life.

🎼 Featured Music: Beethoven’s "Pastoral Symphony" – A joyful musical journey through the countryside, filled with singing birds, flowing streams, and even a thunderstorm! Smetana’s "The Moldau" – A breathtaking piece that follows the journey of a mighty river as it winds through forests, villages, and castles. John Luther Adams' "Become Ocean" – A modern, atmospheric work that captures the vastness and movement of the deep blue sea.

Your Turn! After listening, step outside and create your own "Earth Symphony" using the sounds of nature around you. Can you hum like the wind, tap like raindrops, or play an instrument to mimic the outdoors?

More Music: Want to listen to the full recordings of the pieces from this episode? Find them in our special playlist by clicking here.

🌍 Let’s celebrate Earth Day by listening, creating, and caring for our planet! 💚

📆 Next Episode: I’ll be back in two weeks with more musical fun—see you then!