Kids Commute

Welcome to another installment of the Kids Commute Story Challenge! We select music and ask young artists to create artwork or a story to go with it. We then turn the stories into a radio drama voiced by Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Students.

We've chosen a new piece of music for our Kids Commute Story Challenge! First, we asked young artists to write a story or create visual art inspired by "The New Lobby Boy" by Alexandre Desplat. Our second music option is, "Vianne Confronts the Comte" by Rachel Portman.

Welcome to another installment of the Kids Commute Story Challenge! We choose a piece of music, and ask you to make some art or write a story to go with it!

This time, we have a story by nine-year-old Roya McAllister of Ann Arbor, Michigan! Her tale, "Mickey and Millie," is set to "The New Lobby Boy" by Alexandre Desplat.

Thanks to Bill Church and our actors from the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Department!

Welcome to another installment of the Kids Commute Story Challenge! We present listeners with a piece of music, and ask them to create a work of art or story to go with it.

This week, our young artist has provided both! Nina Wheeler, age 5, created both the art and story for this episode. Thanks and congrats, Nina!

Story: "Bears in the Woods"
Music: "Vianne Confronts the Comte" from "Chocolat" by Rachel Portman
Author: Nina Wheeler, age 5
Narrator: Claudia Schlomer

Welcome to another installment of the Kids Commute Story Challenge, in which we set a piece of music and invite young listeners to write us a story to go with it! Learn more about how to enter the Story Challenge by clicking here.

Today's story is "Alex and the Stranger" by Ella Fernandez, 12, of Wyoming Ohio. It's voiced by members of the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Department (thanks to Bill Church!). Our producer is Tony Bero.

CAST:

The Kids Commute Story Challenge continues! Recently, we asked you to come up with short stories and art inspired by "The New Lobby Boy" by composer Alexandre Desplat. Now, we have a new piece of music for you to play with. Please give a listen to "Vianne Confronts the Comte" by Rachel Portman, from the movie "Chocolat" and write a short story to go with it (the music is 1 minute and 22 seconds long).

Our Kids Commute Story Challenge continues on IPR! We've given you a piece of music and asked you to create a story or artwork to go with it - find all the details on how to participate, and hear the piece of music, by clicking here. Future entries will be voiced by Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Students!

Hi Kids Commuters! We’re always talking about musical imagery on Kids Commute, and we’re issuing a challenge to you.

The Kids Commute team wants to hear your stories inspired by a specific piece of music. The music is "The New Lobby Boy" from "The Grand Budapest Hotel" by Alexandre Desplat. You can listen to it below.

UPDATE! Submissions are coming in! Take a look at these pictures inspired by the music, created by Aspen Clayton, 10,  from Downers Grove, Illinois!

Welcome to the encore of Old West Week on Kids Commute - music appreciation for kids from Interlochen Public Radio! This week, we'll ride across a range of music inspired by the American West. We'll hear music inspired by the Grand Canyon, music from an old west ballet, and more! There's lots of fun music to capture your imagination and keep you entertained. Thanks for listening to Kids Commute - classical music for kids from Interlochen Public Radio!

We found your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - it’s Irish Week on Kids Commute - your source for music appreciation for kids from Interlochen Public Radio! St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17, and the Kids Commute team thought it would be fun to put together a week full of Irish music. We’ll hear traditional Irish melodies; music from John Field, the inventor of the nocturne; and a bit of modern Irish music. Make sure to listen for the hint for this week’s Kids Commute Quizlet. We’ll send you a Kids Commute Prize Pack if you text us the correct answer.

Hello, Kids Commuters. Welcome to From the Top Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! From the Top is a radio program from NPR.The show celebrates the stories, talents, and character of young classically-trained musicians. Through live events, NPR and video broadcasts, scholarships, and arts education programs, we empower these extraordinary young people to engage and inspire music lovers of all ages. All week we’ll hear performances from folks who were featured on From the Top when they were teenagers, or even younger.

Zdravstvuyte! Hello, Kids Commuters it’s Mighty Handful Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! This week, we’re playing music by five self-taught Russian composers who shook up the world of Russian Classical Music. Mily Balakirev, Cesar Cui, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov wanted to create a distinct Russian sound in their compositions. We’ll tell you how they did it, and why they got the name “The Mighty Handful.” Keep your ears open for the hint to this week’s Kids Commute Quizlet.

In 1812,the Brothers Grimm wrote many stories and fables and published them as “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. This week on Kids Commute, we’ll hear the story of “Hansel and Gretel,” in the form of an opera by Englebert Humperdinck in 1893. We’ll share the highlights of the story and the beautiful music that helps it all come to life. Of course, we’ll remember to give you the Kids Commute Quizlet. Text us the correct answer and you’ll win yourself a Kids Commute Prize Pack. Thanks for listening to Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio!

Kids Commuters, take cover! It’s Pop Goes the Classical Week 2.0 on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio. All week we’ll be hearing pop songs played on classical instruments. Back in the day, it was called a theme and variation; one composer takes another composer’s theme and makes changes to put their own twist on it. Nowadays, we call that a cover song. Regardless of what label you put on it, the Kids Commute theme thought you’d like to hear a new batch of pop music performed with a classical spin by today’s classical performers.

Hello Kids Commuters and welcome to Sleeping Beauty Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! This week, we’re highlighting selections from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, “Sleeping Beauty.” Many know the story from the Disney animated movie, but well before the artists at Disney made it famous to a new generation of fans, the story came to life as a popular ballet. You have an opportunity to see that ballet in real life. Come to Winterlochen - a free family-friendly festival featuring arts exploration and creative fun for children of all ages.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amoré . . . OR it’s Couples Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! Music has brought people together since the dawn of civilization. Music has also helped people fall in love for almost as long. Valentine’s Day is soon, so the Kids Commute team decided we should celebrate couples who express their love for each other by performing together. Don’t forget to listen for the hint to this week’s Kids Commute Quizlet. If you text us the correct answer, you’ll win a Kids Commute Prize Pack!

One of our goals is to keep you informed on what’s new in classical music, and the Kids Commute team is really excited to bring you Alma Deutscher Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! Alma is a child prodigy, who not only plays piano and violin, but has also been composing since she was four years old. We’ll tell you all about her background, her philosophies and method of composing, and introduce you to her music. As always, we’ll give you a hint to the Kids Commute Quizlet so you can win a Kids Commute Prize Pack.

Welcome to a new week on IPR's Kids Commute. This week starts out on Monday, January 20, which is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In his honor, we've put together Civil Rights Week, with history and music that celebrates his legacy.

This week is a big week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio. It’s Beethoven Week! One of our loyal listeners, Landon, requested Beethoven Week over a year ago and his patience has finally been rewarded. Beethoven is a favorite composer for many people because he wrote so many beautiful pieces of music. He has such a broad body of work, the Kids Commute team decided to focus on his compositions that feature the piano. Beethoven lived a fascinating life, and wrote about 722 compositions over forty five years.

Brrr! It’s Snow Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! Winter is in full swing, complete with all the wintery weather so the Kids Commute team thought it would be fun to choose some great music to help you enjoy this winter wonderland. We’ll learn about the Snow Maiden from Russian folklore, hear music from two classic movies. We’ll also hear a piece by Florence Price that was almost lost forever, and music from a new contemporary composer, Elodie Jolette. Lots of great music to enjoy, whether you enjoy the snow or not!

Hi Kids Commuters - it’s Nutcracker B-Sides Week on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! The Nutcracker is one of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s most famous compositions. It’s performed in the winter because the story takes place around Christmas time. However, it’s so famous that we hear many of the “greatest hits” quite often. So the Kids Commute team thought it would be a good idea to play for you some of the music that’s not heard as frequently, but is still really good. We hope you enjoy this week’s selections.

Hi, Kids Commuters. Now is not the time to sit on a shelf. It’s ELF WEEK on Kids Commute from Interlochen Public Radio! People have been telling stories about elves for centuries, so we thought it would be fun to highlight some music inspired by elves. These creatures were first imagined in old German folklore, and since then, they’ve been useful characters in all kinds of stories. This week’s music features all kinds of elves: mystic, house elves, dancing elves, and silly elves.