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 Kiana Del and Fiona Palensky. Each episode gets listeners involved in making music! Short episodes are perfect for a car ride or just hanging out at home. Get printable lesson plans and ideas for extending the learning at musicboxpod.org. The Music Box is produced by Louisville Public Media and made possible in part by support from PNC and the Grace Hopkins Ruml Children's Fund.
Latest episodes
-
53 min
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 co…
-
25 min
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 joi…
-
11 min
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 Hallowee…
-
8 min
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 d…
-
24 min
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 fro…
-
13 min
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 di…
-
11 min
Music Doctors: Flamenco Fiasco!
Paging Doctor Kiana and Nurse Practitioner Fiona to the Musical Unit STAT! Another music doctors episode is back, and this time Kiana and Fiona are solving a flamenco fiasco! Learn…
-
12 min
Water Music: The Curse of the Sunken City
Have you ever been on a submarine?! Join Kiana and Fiona as they dive into music written about water. Explore music by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and John Cage while you meet a…
-
10 min
Behind the Music: I'm a Radio Host!
What do you want to be when you grow up? Kiana and Fiona are taking you Behind the Music to learn about hosting a show on the radio live on air! Dig into the history of radio, talk…
-
10 min
PEDALMANIA!!!
Can Fiona become the ultimate guitar master?! This week, Kiana and Fiona meet Rex “The Earthquaker” Dallas to learn all about guitar pedals and their effects. Listen and learn how…
-
11 min
Music the Earth Makes
Music really is all around us! In this week’s episode, sound designer and mystical wizard Alex Biscardi guides Kiana and Fiona through music made with water, singing rocks, even wi…
-
13 min
Carnival: The Festival Music of Brazil
Kiana and Fiona try to pull an all-nighter and end up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during Carnival! Explore the blocos (blah-co) of Brazilian Carnival to learn about different styles…
-
11 min
Tiny Technique with the Mini Midnight Yodelers
Have you ever learned about extended vocal technique from a tour bus full of yodeling gnomes?? There’s a first time for everything! Join Kiana and Fiona as they explore yodeling, h…
-
16 min
Behind the Music: I'm a DJ!
What do you want to be when you grow up? Kiana and Fiona are taking you Behind the Music to learn about being a DJ! Dig into the history of DJing, talk with a special guest, 91.9 W…
-
11 min
Creating a Story with Music
Kiana, Fiona, and YOU?! We’re bringing the classroom right to your living room in this week’s episode all about musical storytelling. Grab your pen, notebook, and imagination! We’l…
-
8 min
Found Sound
Shhh! Do you have your listening ears on? Kiana and Fiona are at Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky tuning our ears to the sonic environment. We explore how to use your commun…
-
11 min
Bird Music
Break out your binoculars! We're heading through the musical forest in search of bird music. No, not actual birds, but music meant to sound like them. From Saint-Saëns to Jennifer…
-
11 min
Music of Ancient Cultures
All aboard the Music Box Express! Kiana wants to visit 1953 and meet a renowned jazz theorist, and Fiona wants to travel to the future to hear some tunes. But they get distracted o…
-
9 min
Indian Classical Music
Ready for your brain to get bigger? Come along with us as we all fill our heads and ears with Indian classical music! We'll learn about the melodies, rhythms and beats that make up…
-
9 min
Tiny Technique
There's more than one way to play a violin, and on this episode, we're learning all about non-traditional ways of playing, also called extended techniques. But what's this? The les…