The Music Box

By Louisville Public MediaKids & Family

The Music Box episodes

October 01 Songs of the Gullah Geechee
Kiana and Fiona dig into the music and language of the Gullah Geechee people including the incredible true story of one song, one recording, a decades-later discovery thousands of miles away, and the history of some of the music we still sing today!
11 min
September 18 Happy Birthday to You: The History of the Happy Birthday Song
A wild night time traveling lands Kiana and Fiona somewhere they definitely weren't supposed to be, and they realize something huge: nobody around them knows the Happy Birthday song. That sends them chasing its real history, starting right here in Louisville, and a legal fight you won't believe.
8 min
September 03 You Spin Me Right 'Round: How Record Players Work
Fiona is nowhere to be found on recording day, and Kiana tracks her down at a vinyl factory where things get weird fast! This episode is a zany adventure into how a song goes from a recording to a record you can actually play.
11 min
August 20 Giddy Up 'n' Go: Music About Horses!
Kiana and Fiona hit the racetrack to help their friend Lightning Larry prep for a big race, and end up on a musical trip spanning the Kentucky Derby, an opera about a Swiss folk hero, a Lakota horse song, and Tuvan throat singers imitating a gallop. Turns out horses might have more in common with those singers than you'd think.

Find out more at musicboxpod.org and follow us on Instagram @learnwithlpm
13 min
December 15, 2025 Shapes of America: An audio special about shape-note singing
The Music Box will be back with a new season in the fall. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this special about shape note singing — one of the oldest musical traditions in this country. It’s a practice that began in colonial America, and after centuries of ups and downs in popularity, today it’s finding an expanded and surprisingly diverse new following… and some of its singers believe the music can teach democracy a thing or two.
Join Louisville Public Media’s Laura Atkinson and Justin Hicks as they trace this tradition, from its origins 200 years ago to the largest Sacred Harp singing in living memory. “Shapes of America” is an hour-long special from Louisville Public Media and the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.
53 min
November 06, 2025 Behind the Music with Christian McBride: I'm a Professional Musician!
In the season 8 finale, Kiana and Fiona are taking you Behind the Music to learn about what it takes to be a professional musician. And we’re lucky to have a very special guest join us on this episode – bassist Christian McBride. Interested in knowing more about careers in music, the secrets of touring and playing music for a living? This one is for you!
26 min
October 30, 2025 Help! My Piano is Haunted!
This week on The Music Box, Kiana and Fiona find themselves on the case, investigating a haunted piano with a mysterious character. Everything is not what it seems in this Halloween episode. Help the gang find clues to uncover the ghost of music's past!
11 min
October 23, 2025 The Mad Scientist's Auditory Laboratory
The Music Box team is getting into the Halloween spirit a little early with this one. Fiona stumbles on mad scientist Kiana and her creations. This week, go a little mad breaking down auditory illusions like the Doppler effect and Shepard’s tone.
8 min
October 16, 2025 Behind the Music: I'm a Sound Designer!
What do you want to be when you grow up? Kiana and Fiona are taking you Behind the Music to learn about what it takes to work in sound design, and what better way to learn than from LPM’s very own Alex Biscardi? The Music Box is for all ages, however today's episode is recommended for high school-aged students and older who are interested in knowing more about careers in music and audio fields.
24 min
October 09, 2025 Whistle While You Work!
This week on The Music Box, Kiana and Fiona travel all around the world, going to Japan, Tanzania, and West Virginia to explore the history of work songs and their places across different cultures. Get shot out of a cannon, deal with some unruly pirates, and… GET SCURVY?? 😳 This week’s episode is a big adventure.
14 min

About The Music Box

From the publisher's feed

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…