Busy Kids Love Music

Carly Seifert
  • 4.6 (74)
  • Kids & Family
  • Updated Biweekly

Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for the whole family, brought to you by Carly Seifert, the creator of Busy Kids Do Piano. Join Carly as she explores musical styles, composers and terms. You'll listen to loads of great music on the way!

  1. Folk Music of Norway

    Jun 16

    Folk Music of Norway

    Our summer world tour continues — and for Stop 2, we're trading the warm Caribbean rhythms of Puerto Rico for something entirely different: the misty fjords, ancient forests, and hauntingly beautiful folk music of Norway. In this episode, we explore Norway's deep folk music roots, from the Norse storytelling tradition to the extraordinary sound of the Hardanger fiddle — an instrument that doesn't just play a melody but seems to fill the air around it. We also talk about the athletic halling dance, the improvised poetry of the stev, and how composer Edvard Grieg (the very first composer we ever featured on this podcast, back in Episode 2) deliberately wove Norwegian folk traditions into classical music that eventually reached concert halls around the world. Norway's folk music survived centuries of foreign rule because ordinary people held onto it tightly. That's a story worth hearing. What We Cover in This Episode Norway's geography and why the landscape shaped its music The Norse people, the Vikings, and the rich storytelling tradition behind Norwegian folk music How folk music became an act of cultural survival during centuries of Danish and Swedish rule The Hardanger fiddle — what makes it unlike almost any other instrument in the world (hint: it has strings you never touch) Dance forms of Norwegian folk music: the springar and the halling The stev — improvised sung poetry, and how it connects to the décima tradition we heard in Puerto Rico Edvard Grieg and how he translated Norwegian folk music into classical compositions heard around the world How Norwegian folk traditions are being carried forward by younger musicians today Free Downloads for This Episode 🪄 Download your Norway Passport Stamp (Stop 2 of 5 — add it to your musical passport) 🎵 Listen to the Curated Norwegian Folk Music Playlist (Hardanger fiddle performances, halling dance music, and Grieg pieces that will sound brand new now that you know where they came from) All downloads are available at busykidsdopiano.com/podcast/178 Instrument We Learned About Hardanger fiddle (Hardingfele) — a Norwegian folk instrument that looks similar to a violin but has four or five additional "sympathetic strings" running underneath the main playing strings. These understrings are never touched directly — they vibrate in response to the notes being played above them, creating a resonant, layered sound that many listeners describe as haunting or ancient. The instrument takes its name from the Hardanger region of western Norway, where it was developed in the 1600s. Music & Traditions Featured in This Episode Traditional Norwegian folk melodies Hardanger fiddle music The halling — a solo acrobatic dance form accompanied by fiddle, where the dancer and musician carry on a musical conversation (similar in spirit to the bomba tradition we explored in Episode 177) The stev — four-line improvised sung poetry performed as a kind of musical duel between singers Edvard Grieg's Norwegian Dances and Peer Gynt Suite Episodes Mentioned Episode 177: Folk Music of Puerto Rico (Stop 1 of the summer tour) Episode 2: Edvard Grieg (the very first composer we ever featured on Busy Kids Love Music) Keep Exploring The curated playlist in the show notes is a great next step — especially if you want to hear what the Hardanger fiddle actually sounds like in context. Try listening to a piece of Grieg after you've heard some traditional Hardanger fiddle music and see if your ears pick up the connection. Enjoying the Podcast? If Busy Kids Love Music has been a good addition to your family's learning, would you take just a minute to rate and review the show? It helps other families find us, and that means more kids getting to experience music like this. You can leave a review right in your podcast app — it takes less than two minutes, and I'm so grateful for every single one. Next Time on Busy Kids Love Music Three more passport stamps to go. Join us in two weeks for Stop 3 on the summer world tour — subscribe so you don't miss it. Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for music-loving families, created by Carly Seifert of Busy Kids Do Piano. New episodes every two weeks.

    15 min
  2. Folk Music of Puerto Rico

    Jun 2

    Folk Music of Puerto Rico

    We're officially stamping our passports for the first stop on this summer's Around the World with Busy Kids Love Music tour — and we're heading to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. In this episode, we explore the rich, layered history of Puerto Rican folk music, from the ceremonial traditions of the indigenous Taíno people to the vibrant rhythms of bomba and plena, to the intricate melodies of the cuatro in música jíbara. Along the way, we also talk about how those deep folk traditions connect to the contemporary music families are listening to today — including a Super Bowl performance you might have seen. Puerto Rico's folk music tells the story of a people who have carried their culture through centuries of hardship and change, and the music is still alive, evolving, and worth celebrating. What We Cover in This Episode What folk music is and why it matters The Taíno people and their ceremonial music tradition called areyto How Spanish and African influences shaped Puerto Rican folk music over centuries Bomba — the drum-driven tradition rooted in the experience of enslaved Africans, where the dancer leads the drummer Plena — the "sung newspaper" of Puerto Rico, with its distinctive pandereta (frame drum) sound Música jíbara and the cuatro, Puerto Rico's national instrument The décima — a form of improvised sung poetry that takes real musical intelligence to perform How Puerto Rico's folk traditions connect to contemporary artists like Bad Bunny Free Downloads for This Episode 🗺 Download your Musical Passport (print and collect stamps as you travel through the summer tour) 🪄 Download your Puerto Rico Passport Stamp (your first stamp of the summer) 🎵 Listen to the Curated Puerto Rican Folk Music Playlist (explore bomba, plena, música jíbara, and more) All downloads are available at busykidsdopiano.com/podcast/177 Music Featured in This Episode Taíno areyto ceremonial music Bomba — barril de bomba drum tradition Plena — pandereta ensemble music Música jíbara — cuatro melodies and décima singing Instruments We Learned About Barril de bomba — a barrel drum at the heart of the bomba tradition, often historically made from repurposed rum or salt cod barrels Pandereta — a handheld frame drum similar to a tambourine (without the metal jingles), used in plena ensembles in multiple sizes playing interlocking rhythms Cuatro — Puerto Rico's national instrument, a small guitar-like instrument with ten strings arranged in five pairs Keep Exploring If you want to keep listening after this episode, the curated Puerto Rican folk music playlist linked above is a great place to start. You can listen together as a family and try to pick out the different instruments — can you hear the difference between the deep barrel drums of bomba and the lighter pandereta sound of plena? Enjoying the Podcast? If Busy Kids Love Music has been helpful for your family, would you take just a minute to rate and review the show? It makes a huge difference in helping other families find us — and it means more kids getting to experience music from around the world. You can leave a review right in your podcast app, and it takes less than two minutes. Thank you so much. Next Time on Busy Kids Love Music Our summer world tour continues in two weeks with Stop 2. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next destination. Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for music-loving families, created by Carly Seifert of Busy Kids Do Piano. New episodes every two weeks. busykidsdopiano.com

    12 min
  3. Meet the String Family

    May 19

    Meet the String Family

    If you've been listening along to our last few episodes, you've heard a lot of violin — Vivaldi wrote for it constantly, and it's easy to understand why. But the violin has a whole family of relatives, and today we're finally introducing all of them. In this episode, we meet the four members of the string family: The violin — the smallest, brightest member of the family, and the one you've been hearing in our Vivaldi series The viola — slightly larger, with a warmer and darker sound (think: a quiet, golden afternoon compared to the violin's bright, sunny morning) The cello — deep, rich, and almost voice-like in quality (you may remember it from Episode 30, when we listened to Bach's Cello Suites together!) The double bass — the largest member of the family, producing a sound so low you almost feel it as much as you hear it We also do a fun listening comparison near the end of the episode — all four instruments played back-to-back so your ears can really start to notice the differences. FREE PRINTABLE: STRING FAMILY SPOTTER SHEET I created a String Family Spotter sheet to go along with this episode. As you listen to music over the next few weeks — whether from this podcast or anything else you come across — you can use it to check off which string instruments you hear. It's a wonderful way to keep those listening ears active and engaged between episodes. 👉 Download your String Family Spotter Sheet here EPISODE PLAYLIST Want to keep listening to the music from today's episode? I've put together a playlist with all the pieces featured, which is perfect to use alongside your String Family Spotter sheet. 🎵 Listen to Episode 176 Playlist here Music featured in this episode: Beethoven: String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 Vivaldi: Spring from The Four Seasons Bartók: Bratschenkonzert (viola concerto) — Tabea Zimmermann, Christoph Eschenbach Yo-Yo Ma: Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude Xavier Foley: Foley Etude No. 12, "Reconstruction" (double bass) EPISODES MENTIONED Episode 173: Antonio Vivaldi — Life in Venice Episode 174: The Four Seasons Episode 175: Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor Episode 30: Bach's Cello Suites ABOUT BUSY KIDS LOVE MUSIC Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for music-loving families, exploring the stories behind classical music one composer (and one piece) at a time. I'm your host, Carly Seifert, creator of Busy Kids Do Piano. Thanks so much for listening — I'm cheering you on as you listen, learn, and create music! 🎹 Learn more about Busy Kids Do Piano: busykidsdopiano.com/membership

    11 min
  4. Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor

    May 5

    Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor

    In today's episode, we're wrapping up our three-part series on Antonio Vivaldi with a piece that feels both intimate and expressive—the Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor. If you've been listening along with this series, you already know how much I've loved exploring Vivaldi with you. Today's piece gives us something a little different from The Four Seasons—and it invites us to listen in a whole new way. 🎧 What You'll Learn in This Episode In this episode, we explore: What makes a concerto unique (and why this one is extra special with two soloists) The difference between major and minor keys—and how that affects the mood of the music How Vivaldi uses musical "conversation" between two violins What counterpoint is (in a way that kids can actually hear and understand!) Why this piece has remained one of Vivaldi's most performed works 📝 Listening Activity (Free Printable) To go along with today's episode, I've created a Musical Conversation Map—a simple, engaging way for your child to follow along as they listen. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT As your child listens, they can: Notice when one violin "speaks" and the other responds Track when the violins echo or overlap Observe how the mood shifts throughout the piece (It's such a fun way to make listening feel active and meaningful.) 👂 Try This While You Listen As you listen to the concerto together, ask your child: Can you hear the two violins taking turns? Does one sound like it's asking a question and the other answering? Do they ever sound like they're finishing each other's musical sentences? You might be surprised how quickly they start to hear it. 🎥 Watch + Listen Want to take it a step further? Check out this playlist of performances of Concerto for 2 VIolins in A Minor. 🎹 Want to Go Further? Enrollment for Busy Kids Do Piano is now open! If your child is enjoying listening to music and you're ready to take the next step into playing, I'd love to support you inside the membership. 👉 Learn more: busykidsdopiano.com/membership 💛 Loved This Episode? If this episode (or this series!) has been helpful for your family: Share it with another music-loving family Leave a quick review—it truly helps more families find the show Thanks so much for being here and learning alongside your kids. I'm cheering you on as you create a home filled with music.

    9 min
  5. The Four Seasons

    Apr 21

    The Four Seasons

    In this episode of Busy Kids Love Music, we continue our three-part series on Antonio Vivaldi with a deep dive into one of the most famous pieces of classical music ever written: The Four Seasons.Even if you've never heard Vivaldi's name before, there's a good chance you've heard this music! Today, we explore how Vivaldi used sound to paint vivid pictures of nature—from birds singing in spring to icy winds in winter.As you listen, you'll discover how music can tell a story without using any words. Download Your Four Seasons Weather Map Make listening interactive and fun! Download your Four Seasons Weather Map + Musical Meteorologist Badge by clicking here. With this printable, your child can: Draw or write what they hear in each season Act like a "musical weather reporter" Color and earn their Musical Meteorologist badge Key Concepts Concerto: A piece featuring a solo instrument (like the violin) with orchestra Program Music: Music that tells a story or paints a picture Baroque Style: Energetic rhythms, contrast, and expressive musical storytelling Links Mentioned in This Episode Explore different performances and interpretations of The Four Seasons with my curated playlist here. Enrollment for Busy Kids Do Piano opens May 1! If your child is inspired to not just listen to music—but to play it, join the waitlist here. Keep Listening Until next time… 🌿 Listen for the sounds of nature around you 🎶 Imagine how those sounds could become music And as always…keep listening, learning and making music!

    13 min
  6. The Life of Antonio Vivaldi

    Apr 7

    The Life of Antonio Vivaldi

    In this episode of Busy Kids Love Music, we begin a brand-new three-part composer series all about Antonio Vivaldi—one of the most famous composers of the Baroque period. You may already recognize Vivaldi's name from some of his nature-inspired music, but in this series, we're slowing down to take a closer look at his life, his music, and what makes his style so unique. In today's episode, we explore Vivaldi's early life, family, and musical training, and discover how a boy growing up in Venice became a composer known all across Europe. Download Your Audio Treasure Map Make listening interactive! Click here to download your Audio Treasure Map to follow along and answer questions as you listen. This printable helps students: Listen more carefully Remember key details Engage with the story of the music What You'll Learn in This Episode 🎻 How Vivaldi's father helped shape his musical path 🌊 What it was like growing up in Venice—a city full of music and ⛪ Why Vivaldi became known as "The Red Priest" 🎶 How the Ospedale della Pietà influenced his career 🎻 What a concerto is 🎨 How Vivaldi "painted pictures" with music Links Mentioned in This Episode Be sure to check out the curated playlist of Vivaldi music by clicking here. Learn more about the Baroque period of music by listening to this podcast episode. Want to Go Further? If your child is inspired to not just learn about music—but actually play it… Check out Busy Kids Do Piano, where kids learn step-by-step through engaging, easy-to-follow lessons designed for busy families. Thanks for listening to Busy Kids Love Music! See you next time as we continue discovering the stories — and the sounds — behind classical music.

    11 min
  7. Why Were So Many Women Composers Forgotten?

    Mar 24

    Why Were So Many Women Composers Forgotten?

    March is Women's History Month, and in this special episode of Busy Kids Love Music, we explore a powerful and important question: If women have been composing for centuries…why were so many of their names forgotten? Instead of focusing on just one composer, this episode looks at the bigger historical picture — uncovering the social, cultural, and publishing barriers that kept many brilliant women composers from being widely remembered. You'll hear excerpts from stunning works and discover why these composers deserve a permanent place in music history. Featured Composers & Works Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847) Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 11 – I. Allegro molto vivace Clara Schumann (1819–1896) Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 Florence Price (1887–1953) Symphony No. 1 in E Minor  Amy Beach (1867–1944) Romance, Op. 23 In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why women composers were often discouraged from writing large-scale orchestral works How publishing, performance, and teaching influence which music survives Why genre bias shaped the way music history was written How modern musicians are rediscovering and performing long-overlooked works Why listening itself can be an act of honoring history Listener Challenge This week, choose a female composer you don't know well. Listen to: One of the podcast episodes linked below OR A piece of her music  A free printable listening guide is available here to help you go deeper. Previous podcast episodes on female composers to check out and use with your Listening Challenge printable: Episode 15: Fanny Mendelssohn | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 42: Clara Schumann | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 66: The Life and Music of Florence Price | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 92: Lili Boulanger | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 116: Nina Simone | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 118: Fanny Crosby | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 160: The Life of Imogen Holst | Busy Kids Do Piano Episode 171: Margaret Bonds | Busy Kids Do Piano Thanks for listening to Busy Kids Love Music! See you next time as we continue discovering the stories — and the sounds — behind classical music.

    9 min
  8. Margaret Bonds

    Mar 10

    Margaret Bonds

    In our last episode, we explored the vibrant creativity of the Harlem Renaissance. Today, we zoom in on one extraordinary composer who stood right in the center of that artistic world: Margaret Bonds. Margaret Bonds was a pianist, composer, teacher, and trailblazer whose music blended spirituals, jazz, and classical traditions into something uniquely powerful. She believed music could speak up for fairness, dignity, and hope—and she used her voice boldly. In this episode, you'll discover:  How Bonds' childhood home in Chicago became a gathering place for Black artists and performers Her early success as a teenage piano soloist with a major orchestra Her studies at Northwestern University and how she learned to combine classical forms with jazz and spiritual melodies Her creative partnership with poet Langston Hughes How her music reflected the hopes and struggles of the Civil Rights Movement 🎧 Featured Pieces in This Episode 🎹 Troubled Water A virtuosic piano piece that weaves together the spiritual "Wade in the Water" and the hymn "Amazing Grace" inside a classical sonata structure. Listen for how Bonds blends traditions seamlessly. 🎵 Three Dream Portraits (with Langston Hughes) A song cycle based on Hughes's poetry, including the powerful setting of his poem "I, Too." Bonds' piano writing doesn't just accompany the singer—it helps tell the story. ✨ The Ballad of the Brown King A cantata that tells the Christmas story from the perspective of Balthazar, one of the Three Kings. This moving collaboration highlights Bonds' gift for capturing the emotional heart of poetry. ✊ Montgomery Variations Inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, this orchestral work reflects the courage and determination of the Civil Rights Movement. Bonds believed music could be a voice for justice—and this piece shows exactly how.  Why Margaret Bonds Matters Margaret Bonds helped open doors for future generations of Black musicians. Though her music was overlooked for many years after her death in 1972, it is now being rediscovered and performed on concert stages around the world. Her legacy connects: Poetry and music Tradition and innovation Personal expression and American history Listening Challenge As you listen to her music this week, ask yourself: Can you hear elements of jazz or spirituals inside classical forms? How does the piano part help tell the story? What emotions does the music bring out in you? 🎧 Explore the curated Margaret Bonds playlist by clicking here. If your family enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and help more kids discover the stories behind classical music. Thanks for listening to Busy Kids Love Music!

    8 min
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4.6
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About

Busy Kids Love Music is a podcast for the whole family, brought to you by Carly Seifert, the creator of Busy Kids Do Piano. Join Carly as she explores musical styles, composers and terms. You'll listen to loads of great music on the way!

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