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Celebrate Juneteenth by meeting Black composers from three different time periods.

-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.***Meter: The Musical! Music and lyrics by Faith Murphy and Kiana Del; book by Faith MurphySpecial thanks to our guest musicians: Noah Barker, Trevin Little, Jailynn Lake-Noel, Fiona Palenski, and Stephen MurphyRecording and mixing engineer: Eric Matthews***Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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! *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

It's another visit to the magical land of Arpeggio, as the inhabitants learn what repetition and practice really mean. *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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) *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** 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. Brundibár - Wikipedia entry Brundibár article on Music & the Holocaust 60 Minutes segment on Brundibár (2016) *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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! *** 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 *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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. *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.

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? *** Donate to support this and future seasons of The Music Box.