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:

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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:

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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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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:

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We’re using some of our favorite happy songs to power an imaginary train ride, with a lesson in fast and slow tempo. From grave to presto and everything in between, we’ll move our bodies to the beat.

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Featured music:

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Continuing our explorations of music outside the European tradition with our guide Charles Amewudah, a native of Ghana and a drumming teacher. We’ll learn about the different kinds of percussion instruments used in Ghanaian music, and how drumming is part of life in Ghana.

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Aseye Ensemble, the drum group led by Charles Amewudah

We're taking a (virtual) trip to different parts of the world and learning about music from different places! Today, we'll learn about music from Thailand and Iran with multi-instrumentalist and composer Jon Silpayamanant.

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Born in Udon Thani, Thailand, Jon Silpayamanant is an intercultural multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music educator based in the greater Louisville area. As a biracial Thai American with musical families on both sides of the world, he has been navigating musical code switching and bimusicality for much of his life and uses that experience to inform his understanding of how music ecosystems interact, hybridize, and evolve into new styles and genres.

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More information on the Saw U

More information on the kamancheh

Getting along with friends can be a challenge, but we've got the musical solution! We’re returning to the magical land of Arpeggio for today’s adventure. Sing along with the Three Fierce Fairies!

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National Standards incorporated:

Exploring and demonstrating music concepts (such as beat and melodic contour)

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Additional resources: 

Activity – Can you write a melody just like our three fairy friends? Grab one other person, sing a melody you created, and see if they can sing it back to you. Then, switch places!

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It's a time-traveling musical adventure as we learn about beat and rhythm. We’ll put on a pair of magical boots that will help us save the future of music!

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National Standards incorporated:

Exploring and demonstrating music concepts (such as beat and melodic contour)

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Additional resources: 

Music Lesson: Beat vs Rhythm – Sing! Step! Grow!

Suggested activity – Listen to a group of your favorite songs, and see if you can find and clap along with the beat. Then, try it with a family member’s music from a different era.

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Featured music:

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We'll explore the world of dynamics (how loud or soft a sound is) with a big box of fireworks! KA-BOOM! You’ll hear some very special pyrotechnics and learn some special words to describe dynamics.

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National Standards incorporated:

Understanding the relationships between music and other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.

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Additional resources:

Music Theory for Beginners: Dynamics

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