Experimental Tunes and Children

This episode takes a look at the recorder! Looking at its role in children’s music education and different teaching approaches, the beauty of wonky school recorder concerts, arrangements for recorder and experimental approaches to playing it through graphic scores, improvisation and deconstructed playing. 

Found Sounds are non-musical, everyday environmental noises, recorded material manipulation or field recordings used in music compositions or sound design. This episode looks at how these sounds and objects feature in live sound art, music, musique concrète, and various foley sound experiments created with children.

This month’s episode focuses on the spoken word. Inspired by the act of learning to speak, it presents works that play with speech through repeated words and phrases, delivery style, word play, talking technologies and synthesised voices from educators, sound poets and musicians.

Take a sonic trip to Ahmedabad and Kutch in India, through collaged sounds of transport, wildlife, children’s toys and Diwali celebrations. Collected renditions of Indian children’s songs and pop favourites, an introduction to Indian drumming styles and a visit to a rural school. The rhythms of weaving and cow bell making from craft families in Kutch, and a special performance of folk songs.

This episode looks at bad girls in children’s culture and music. Rebellious, outspoken, the bad girl defies social expectations and does things her own way. Inspired by the likes of Minnie the Minx and pioneering punk musicians Poly Stryene, riot grrl bands and young rebels girls Power Child Amanda and Emily’s Sassy Lime. Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole) I Want It Now, 1971 Fancy Rosy, Punk Police, 1...

This episode takes on the theme of nonsense and explores lyrics, sound and structures that embrace the odd, absurd and whimsical through the spoken words of the clangers, Ivor Cutler and Vivian Stanshall and realms of psychedelia, noise, pop and rock. Clangers music machine, 1965 Nogu Svelo! Haru Mamburu, 1994 Ivor Cutler Jelly Mountain, 1996 Yximalloo , Too-Doo Bong, 1989 Captain Beefheart, Abba...

This months episode looks at children’s music that focuses on creative movement, defined as acting out what is envisaged in the mind through movement. Introducing musician educators, committed to using their work to support children’s learning and development, that recognised the power of simultaneously engaging the mind and body through action songs, group participation and imaginative play. Hap...

This episode explores how children’s toys have been used in experimental music. From bands solely consisting of toys and toy instruments, toy piano orchestras, toy pop and noise to electronic instruments designed to be playful, circuit bent toys and 17th century classical music composed for toys. B. Folten, Toy Drama 3 Trevor Helminski, Barcarolle, 2021 IKP, Hannah’s Dancing Lesson, 2023 Puzzle Pu...

This episode reflects on feelings experienced in childhood. The struggles of emotional regulation and trying to come to terms with the fears of the world. The show moves from anger, chaotic energy to more insular feelings of fear and uncertainty through jazz punk, crisis energy rock and experimental pop and ambient electronica. Electric Eels, Agitated, 1978 Guttersnipe, PIpa Pipa Portalspawn, 2018...

This episode of Experimental Tunes and Children looks at the use of music to learn the letters of the alphabet, numbers and counting and how they feature in experimental music. From songs about recognising letters to playful sesame street scenarios, learning numbers in different languages and sampled educational recordings in electronic music and counting song riffs in J-pop and noise music. They...

Follow Experimental Tunes and Children for a daily routine of waking in the morning, walking the dog, going to school, doing housework, hanging out at home, cooking, brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed, through an eclectic mix of bubble pop and domestic sound inspired musique concrete, folk rock, electronic music and noisy post punk pop. Kero Kero Bonito, Waking Up, 2016 Barry, Stretch Yo...

This episode of Experimental Tunes and Children considers the songs, sounds and stories of playgrounds. From sampled sounds of children playing to singing, skipping and clapping games across different locations and time periods, adventure playground soundscapes and retellings of childhood exploits and music inspired by them. XTC, Playground, 2000 Grethe Agatz, Play Song, 2005 Tony Schwartz, Clap G...