Photo Credit: Marc Tyler Nobleman
Songbook is (probably) the world’s first part-reality/part-scripted, musical/literary, educational, comedy web series for kids!
Each episode stars a different young person who wrote a poem inspired by a book, then comes to the Kennedy Center to set that poem to music with the help of a professional musician. The two meet for the first time on camera and begin collaborating mere moments later. The session culminates with the world premiere of their new song, which they jointly perform in front of a live audience.
Genuine surprises, big laughs, songwriting tips, and playlist-worthy tunes!
Host: Vaughn Ryan Midder
Musician: Randy Preston
Executive Producers: Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess
Created, Written, Directed, and Produced by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Photo Credit: Marc Tyler Nobleman
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
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Become a songwriter and create a song that is all about you! Music teaching artist Groovy Nate shows how you can use just one word—your own name—and turn it into a rhythmic song. Concentrate on keeping a steady beat, explore different sounds with your voice, and see how your name can become an entertaining song for all!
You’ve learned how to compose music using household objects, now take it a step further and use chance to create a work of art! Following in the footsteps of composers like John Cage, you too can rely on the randomness of a coin flip or the flick of a spinner to make artistic decisions. In this video, Danny Clay provides step-by-step instruction on how sounds, chance, and rhythm can come together to make an original piece of music.
Every blues song follows a pattern that creates a story full of emotion. With a heartbeat and a two-sentence story, you, too, can create a living blues story. Join violinist Teagan Faran as she walks you through the steps and gives you a backing track to perform!
Learn how to rap about the easiest subject out there...yourself! In this video, rapper and educator Harold "Fyütch" Simmons will guide you through counting beats and creating rhymes in order to create a rap. By the end of the video, you’ll have an original introduction rap that you can perform for others!
In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore “singable” picture books. They will analyze rhyme and musical meter in poetry. Students will write musical note poems to create a singable picture book.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will develop a musical from a book, play, or short story. Students will bring the story to the stage through movements and song by analyzing elements of a story and adopting creative team roles.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will analyze the sound, rhythm, and improvisation of jazz music. They will explore the works of Yusef Komunyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, and Langston Hughes. Students apply musicality and sound elements to original poems.
In this 3-5 lesson, students will explore jazz music and dance, then write a jazz-inspired cinquain poem. They will build their background on the history of jazz and its use of improvisation to demonstrate jazz dance movements.
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;
Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; and Volkswagen Group of America. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
