The Music Box

The Music Box

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.

Episodes

Tiny Technique with the Mini Midnight Yodelers

August 21, 2025 • 11 mins
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, hocketing, throat singing and more in the season 8 premiere! Go to musicboxpod.org for more.
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Behind the Music: I'm a Radio Host

October 31, 2024 • 16 mins
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 WFPK’s very own Destiny Carter, a.k.a DJ Lady Dee, learn all you need to know about starting your DJ journey and some fun facts about DJing along the way!


Find out how to bring 90.5 WUOL and the Music Box to your classroom at lpm.org/music-educ...

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Creating a Story with Music

October 24, 2024 • 11 mins
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’ll listen to the music of The Fretless, Sergei Prokofiev, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Paquito D’Rivera while talking about what inspired them to write their stories. Then, Kiana and Fiona encourage you to write and tell us your story.


Find ou...

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Found Sound

October 17, 2024 • 8 mins
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 community's sounds to make music, art and field recordings. So, have your headphones ready for this episode all about found sound!

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Bird Music

October 10, 2024 • 11 mins
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 Higdon, Kiana and Fiona show us the musical aviary, and how nature has inspired composers for centuries.

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Music of Ancient Cultures

October 3, 2024 • 10 mins
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 on the train, and end up waaaaay back in ancient Mesopotamia! And they're just in time for a musical performance like none they've ever heard before. Come along!

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Indian Classical Music

September 26, 2024 • 9 mins
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 this musical style that's over 6,000 years old! And we'll hear some cool instruments that might sound familiar, even if you don't know their names... yet!

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Tiny Technique

September 19, 2024 • 9 mins
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 lesson is coming from INSIDE THE VIOLIN! And there are... pigs? Tiny pigs in there. Listening to Béla Bartók. Because of course they are. You won't want to miss these sounds, folks (but you might want to miss the smells).

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Anything, Anywhere, All Together

September 12, 2024 • 11 mins
What does a sound designer do? Turns out, a lot more than Kiana and Fiona think! On this episode, our own sound designer Alex Biscardi shows the power of sound design to transport us through time and space, make us laugh, and even get us out of some tight spots. Turn on your listening ears and come along!

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Oh, No! It's Baroque!

September 5, 2024 • 8 mins
The Music Box is back! And it's a good thing, because it looks like Baroque needs some fixing. Luckily, Dr. Kiana and Dr. Fiona are on the case! The music "doctors" cauterize Baroque's counterpoint, malleate its melodies, and assess its appoggiaturas... but can they bring Baroque back to all its intricate glory? Find out on this episode of The Music Box!

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Experimentation Station!

November 10, 2022 • 16 mins
For season six’s FINALE, we’ll board the finest time traveling locomotive this side of the train soundboard once again to explore experimental music throughout history! We’ll be going all the way from Pauline Oliveros to Bjӧrk, remembering all the things we’ve talked about this season, like improvisation, drum machines, and more! Learn about musical experiments, meet up with an old friend, and get your ticket to hop aboard...

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The Music Doctors: Funk’s Got a Brand New Groove

October 20, 2022 • 7 mins
In the words of James Brown, “get funky with me! C’mon!” We’re back in the operating room this week, so put on your lab coats and get ready to examine all the elements of our next patient - Funk! Join us as we explore rock steady beats, staying on the one, and grooving supporting guitar chords.

This episode ...

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Music Made By Bugs?!

October 13, 2022 • 8 mins
Creepy crawlies, wriggling worms, buzzing bees, singing cicadas, oh my! Get your daily dose of music AND science as we dive into the bug's life and the music they inspire.


This episode is recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can join in on the flying fun. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org

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Behind the Music: I'm a Music Therapist!

October 7, 2022 • 11 mins
We’re going behind the music once again this week! We’ll learn all about what it means to be a music therapist in an interview with an expert from the field. Join as we talk about how music affects your brain with music therapist Marissa Thomas of Sharing Music and Mindfulness! Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org Read more
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Meeting Asian Composers with Kojin Tashiro

September 30, 2022 • 10 mins
This episode is a special one! We’ll board violinist and sound designer Kojin Tashiro’s private jet and fly all around the Asian continent, meet 4 great composers and learn about the music they make.


Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can embark on this ethereal journey.

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Synthesizer to Space!

September 22, 2022 • 14 mins
Blast off on the SS Wendy Carlos with the Music Box team and learn about all things synthesizers. From sine waves to square waves, we’ll explore the musical galaxy together to uncover all there is to know about these otherworldly electronic instruments.


Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can embark on this ethereal journey.

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Broke Down Somewhere near Jupiter

August 18, 2022 • 1 min
Oh, no! Looks like Kiana and Fiona need a little more time to fix up their spaceship before you can come aboard. Luckily, they have everything under control (they took the manual with them).


Get ready to blast off on September 7th. Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. Recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can have a seat on the spaceship.

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Behind the Music: I'm a Producer!

August 11, 2022 • 17 mins
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!


Additional lessons and resources at musicboxpod.org. This episode is recommended for grades 6-8 and 9-12, but younger students can join in fun with some guidance.

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Pass The Melted Butter! Polyrhythms and Polymeters

August 3, 2022 • 13 mins
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!)


This episode is recommended for grades K-5, but everyone can join in on the polyrhythmic groove. Additional lessons and resources at musicb...

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I Scream! You Scream! We All Scream for the Drum Machine!

July 28, 2022 • 12 mins
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!


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