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What IS a producer anyway? How many hats do they wear? How does a producer help a music track come to life? Find out the answers to all your questions on this episode of The Music Box! We’re going behind the music with producer Antonio Garder, AKA Yons!

Have you ever tried to count rhythms with an apple or a pineapple? Tried to pass the melted butter? Maybe a hot cup of tea? Find out what all these wacky expressions mean on this episode of The Music Box. We’re exploring all things polymeters (and their super fun mnemonic devices!)

You’ve heard about the instrument families from woodwinds, to brass, to strings, even percussion, but have you explored the mean green drum machine?! On this episode of The Music Box, we’ll be learning all about how musical legends like J Dilla and Sly & the Family Stone used the drum machine as a tool, and how you can too!

We’re going on a completely different journey for this episode! We’ll learn all about what it means to be a recording engineer in an interview with an expert from the field. Join as we go behind the music with Anne Gauthier from La La Land Studios right here in Louisville, Kentucky!

This episode, we’ll board the finest time traveling locomotive this side of the train soundboard to explore improvisation through time! Some very special Louisville legends will join us as magical musical guests, taking us from the medieval period all the way to the future of improvisation.

Today’s episode is quite the operation. We’ll put on our lab coats and be doctors, examining all the elements of our first patient — jazz! Join us as we explore blue notes, call and response, and syncopation. -

-This episode is an extra special musical journey that explores the world of time signatures, also known as meter. We're calling it "Meter: The Musical," which features original music from host Faith Murphy and Kiana Del, WUOL's engagement manager for music education. In the musical, two kids find a magical music box that transports them to Meter World, where they learn about different genres of music and try to find where they really belong.

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Meter: The Musical! Music and lyrics by Faith Murphy and Kiana Del; book by Faith Murphy

Special thanks to our guest musicians: Noah Barker, Trevin Little, Jailynn Lake-Noel, Fiona Palenski, and Stephen Murphy

Recording and mixing engineer: Eric Matthews

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

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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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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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We’ll take a look at how some of our favorite songs have been inspired by stories and books, including how you can make songs out of your favorites stories too! From fairy tales to Maurice Sendak and J.M. Barrie, we’ll take a trip around the library and find the songs that are hidden there.

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Featured music:
Whitney Houston: “Impossible” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”
Alex Newell: “Mama Will Provide” from “Once On This Island” New Broadway Cast Recording
Carole King: “Chicken Soup With Rice” from “Really Rosie”
Carole King: “Pierre” from “Really Rosie”
Cast of The Wiz Live: “Ease On Down the Road”
Idina Menzel: “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked”

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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:
Nobuo Uematsu: Final Fantasy Prelude 1987 / Final Fantasy XIV, Prelude
Koji Kondo: Super Mario Bros. Theme / Super Mario Bros. Star Theme
Hajime Wakai: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Riding: Day
Hans Zimmer: Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2
Mick Gordon: Doom, Main Theme
Jeremy Soule: Skyrim Theme
Gustavo Santaolalla: The Last Of Us, Theme
Christopher Tin: Baba Yetu
John Siegler & John Loeffler: Pokemon Theme (Gotta Catch ‘Em All)
Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty & Sueco the Child: Speed Me Up

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