Easily scroll through and watch all episodes of Cliburn Kids below!
Then click on the buttons below each for accompanying worksheets and class activities.

STAND BY ME

KING "Stand By Me"

Play along with our new friends Charles and Peter as they perform this classic hit – with a surprise!

VIRTUOSO VARIATIONS

VIEUXTEMPS Souvenir d’Amérique, Variations on “Yankee Doodle”

Do you recognize that tune? In this episode, special guests share techniques that can make familiar songs sound like something new!

AQUARIUM

SAINT-SAËNS “Aquarium” from Carnival of the Animals

What does a piano sound like underwater? Can a piano imitate fish and sea creatures? Find out in this episode!

PATTERN PLAY: THE RONDO

BACH Rondo from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826

This episode is a musical matching game! See if you can spot the repeated tune as we explore rondo form.

DANCE OF THE ELVES

PRICE Elfentanz

Take a trip to the North Pole in this holiday episode! Can you tell what the elves are up to in this music?

ELEPHANTS AND REINDEER AND BASSES, OH MY!

SAINT-SÄENS "Elephants" from Carnival of the Animals / "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

How low can you go? Meet one of the lowest instruments in the orchestra and hear two fun performances in this holiday episode.

MEET PIANIST KENNY BROBERG

MEDTNER Primavera, op. 39, no. 3

Meet virtuoso pianist Kenny Broberg and learn what it’s like to be a professional pianist in this special episode of Cliburn Kids.

PIANOS AND HARPS, PT. 2

CRUMB Music of Shadows (For Aeolian Harp) / CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1 ("Aeolian Harp")

The piano can sound pretty SPOOKY when you play it like a harp! Discover the harp inside the piano in this Halloween episode of Cliburn Kids.

 

FUN WITH FIDDLES

LARK Le SOKA / O'CONNOR Emily is Real

Join Buddy and guest violinist Tessa Lark to learn about the versatile violin and hear some fun fiddle tunes!

PIANOS AND HARPS, PT. 1

D'RIVERA Bandoneon

In this episode, we meet harpist Bridget Kibbey and learn about her instrument! Join Buddy to find out what the harp and the piano have in common.

PATTERN PLAY

VINE Sonata for Flute and Piano

In this episode, join Buddy and our flutist friend Mehrdad to discover how to play with musical patterns! This music never slows down–can you keep up with all the changes?

PLAYING WITH NUMBERS: IN 6

MOZART Theme from Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331

In this episode, join our new friends Kevin and Shiv as they teach us to count in 6 with the Shiv Shuffle!

MUSICAL OPPOSITES: TEMPO AND DYNAMICS

CHOPIN Prelude in E Minor, op. 28, no. 4 / Etude in C Minor, op. 25, no. 12 “Ocean”| MUSSORGSKY Ballet of Unhatched Chicks in Their Shells / The Great Gate at Kiev

We’ve learned a little about pitch—let’s learn more about music’s other building blocks, tempo and dynamics, in this episode!

THE CHICKEN

RAMEAU La Poule ("The Hen")

In this episode, we listen to the piano become a chicken! How many chickens do you hear?

 

DO RE MI

CZERNY Etude from the School of Velocity, op. 299

How do singers and musicians learn new songs? Learn about solfege, and be ready to sing along!

MUSICAL OPPOSITES: PITCH

SAINT-SÄENS Bassoon Sonata in G Major, op. 168, mvt 1

How low can you go? Meet the bassoon, the lowest member of the woodwind family, in this episode!

PLAYING WITH NUMBERS: IN 9

BRUBECK "Blue Rondo ala Turk"

We’ve counted music in groups of two, three, even five! In this episode, learn how to count music that moves in groups of nine!

PERPETUAL MOTION

SCHUBERT Impromptu in E-flat Major, op. 90, no. 2

In this episode, we listen to a piece that runs across the keys! Can you keep up?

THE SUNKEN CATHEDRAL

DEBUSSY La Cathédrale Engloutie

In this episode, Buddy teaches us how the pedals on the piano help tell the story of a cathedral rising from the water.

BUILDING BLOCKS

MOZART Sonata in D Major, K. 284: I. Allegro

In this episode, we discover that music is put together much like written language. Join Buddy to learn how!

PIANOS AND GUITARS

BACH Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999 / SCARLATTI Keyboard Sonata in D Minor, K. 141

We’ve heard the piano pretend to be other things, but can it also imitate other instruments? Find out more in this episode!

DANCING SNOW

DEBUSSY "The Snow is Dancing" from Children's Corner

Can you hear the snow dancing? Find out how a composer can leave specific instructions to make special sounds on the piano!

SLEIGH RIDE

TCHAIKOVSKY "Troika" from The Seasons, op. 37b / ANDERSON Sleigh Ride

Join Buddy and friends on two different sleigh rides pulled by different animals!

HUMOR IN MUSIC

DETT Humoreske (Honey) / RACHMANINOV Humoresque in G Major, op. 10, no. 5

What do composers do to make music funny? Learn about fermatas and syncopation with Buddy and a special guest in this episode!

THE PIANO TAKES FLIGHT: INSECTS

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumblebee / SCRIABIN Etude in F-sharp Major, op. 42, no. 3 (“Mosquito”)

Buddy and friends explore how music can buzz and fly like these pesky insects!

THE PIANO TAKES FLIGHT: BIRDS & BUTTERFLIES

GRIEG “Butterfly” from Lyric Pieces, op. 43 / SCHUMANN “Bird as Prophet” from Waldszenen (“Forest Scenes”), op. 82

Buddy shows us how tempo and pitch can give the piano wings in this episode featuring two special guests.

NIGHT SOUNDS

FRANK "Scherzo Nocturno" from Sonata Serrana No. 1

Join Buddy and Evan for a spooky fun Halloween episode! Can you hear all of the nighttime animals?

MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE, PT. 2

BEETHOVEN 7 Variations on 'God Save the King,' WoO 78

Buddy and guest artist Benjamin Rossen finish up this set of Beethoven’s variations on this well-known patriotic song.

MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE, PT. 1

BEETHOVEN 7 Variations on 'God Save the King,' WoO 78

Buddy and guest artist Benjamin Rossen explore what variations are with this well-known patriotic song.

MANY METERS: FEELING FIVE

BERNSTEIN Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (II)

In this episode, Buddy and clarinetist Ivan Petruzziello show us how this odd meter works in music!

COUNTING GAME

COWELL A Blarneying Bit

Buddy and his flutist friend Mehrdad show us how musicians communicate and work together.

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: THE GREAT GATE

MUSSORGSKY "The Great Gate of Kiev"

Join Buddy on a trip to the Great Gate of Kiev! Discover how musical themes represent different scenery.

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: GNOMES

MUSSORGSKY "The Gnome" from Pictures at an Exhibition

What would music about gnomes sound like? Are the gnomes in this music nimble, lazy, or scared? 

PIANO GYMNASTICS: FINGER WORKOUT

DEBUSSY Etude for Eight Fingers

How many fingers does it take to play the piano? Find out in this episode!

LENNY AND LUKAS

BERNSTEIN "For Lukas Foss" from Five Anniversaries

Learn about form as two friends have an interesting birthday conversation – interrupted by “hiccups!”

SINGING GAME

COPLAND I Bought Me a Cat

Buddy is joined by his friend Corrie to play a piece that’s all about animals! Can you remember them all?

HOW MANY HANDS: RACING DONKEYS

SAINT-SAËNS "Hermiones" from Carnival of the Animals

Two donkeys are off to a race! How fast can Buddy and his friend Evan play the piano? Who will be the winner?

FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW

DEBUSSY Footsteps in the Snow

Join Buddy as he explains how composers can describe a snowy scene through tempo and rests.

HOW MANY HANDS: ONE OR TWO?

SCRIABIN Prelude for the Left Hand Alone, op. 9, no. 1

Think it always takes two hands to play the piano? Buddy demonstrates just how much one hand can do!

IN FIVE

DESMOND Take Five

Discover odd meter with Buddy and this classic jazz tune. Get ready to count and clap along!

STARTS WITH A B: A-B-A

BRAHMS Waltz in A-flat Major, op. 39, no. 15

Buddy shows us how composers put different (A-B) sections of music together to form a waltz!

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: THE OXCART

MUSSORGSKY “Oxcart” from Pictures at an Exhibition

Find out how pitch, tempo, and dynamics can show an animal at work! How heavy is his cart?

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: PLAYGROUND

MUSSORGSKY “Tuileries” from Pictures at an Exhibition

What would music about kids on a playground sound like? Discover how music can paint a picture.

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: THE CIRCUS

DEBUSSY "General Lavine - eccentric" from Preludes, Book II

Explore how the composer uses different musical themes to paint a picture of a circus clown!

LISTENING GAME: FUGUE

BACH Fugue in B-flat Major, BWV 866

Challenge your pattern recognition skills! Count along with Buddy – how many times do you hear the tune?

STARTS WITH A B: RHYTHM GAME

BEETHOVEN 6 Ecossaises, WoO83

Clap along with Buddy and learn about quarter and eighth notes with a “surprise” composer!

THE CAT AND THE MOUSE

COPLAND The Cat and the Mouse

Learn how tempo and articulation create character and action in this musical cartoon. You decide how it ends!

BACK IT UP!

HAYDN "Menuet al Rovescio" from Sonata in A Major, Hob. XVI:26

Do you think music can move both forward and backward? Listen to this piece to find out!

THE LITTLE WHITE DONKEY

IBERT The Little White Donkey

Let’s follow different musical themes to find out what happens in the tale of this cute animal friend.

HOW MANY HANDS: A FAIRY TALE

RAVEL "Empress of the Pagodes" from Mother Goose Suite

Buddy and his friend Evan tell this musical story about a princess and an evil fairy, using only the black keys!

RABBIT AT TOP SPEED

BERNSTEIN Rabbit at Top Speed

Singer Corrie joins Buddy to help make a musical recipe for a special surprise guest!

HOW MANY HANDS: TRIO

RACHMANINOV Waltz for six hands

We’ve seen how the piano can be played with one, two, or even four hands. Could we add even more?

PIANO GYMNASTICS: BLACK KEYS

CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 "Black Key"

Watch how pianists work out at the piano! Can you make music using only the five black keys?

PIANO GYMNASTICS: COUNTING CHALLENGE

PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83 (III)

Are you ready for a counting game? Figure out how many beats there are in this virtuosic music!

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: BABY CHICKS

MUSSORGSKY "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks"

Explore how pitch, dynamics, and tempo create music of the baby chicks dancing inside their shells!

PICTURES YOU CAN HEAR: CONVERSATION

MUSSORGSKY "Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle"

Meet two gentlemen with contrasting personalities as they have a musical conversation.

LIME JELLO

BOLCOM Lime Jello

Discover strange combinations of foods with Buddy and his friend Corrie. Can you hear all of the ingredients?

TWO PUPPETS

RACHMANINOV Polichinelle, op. 3, no. 4 / VILLA-LOBOS O Polichinelo

Join Buddy and friends as they use tempo and more to demonstrate two very different puppet characters taking part in a race.

 

PB&J

PROKOFIEV Flute Sonata, op. 94 (II)
Buddy is joined by flutist Mehrdad Gholami to demonstrate how melody and accompaniment come together to create a satisfying piece.

MANY METERS: DANCES

BRAHMS Waltz in A-flat Major, op. 39, no. 15 / BRAHMS Waltz in C-sharp Major, op. 39, no. 6

Explore triple meter and waltzes with Buddy and friends! Get ready to count along! Can you keep up?