For Kids | For Parents | For Teachers

Chuck Vanderchuck's "Something Something" Explosion is designed to help children ages 6 to 9 understand music and music composition by teaching basic musical concepts and performance skills through the study of popular song styles from around the world. In each webisode, children are introduced to a new musical style and the culture from which that style was born. They then learn to perform basic rhythmic and melodic patterns in that style through the use of fun, interactive games. Children will learn about the geography and culture that birthed these musical styles. They will have an understanding of the basic rhythmic and melodic components that are characteristic of each style. Children will be able to recognize and perform the fundamental patterns (melodic and rhythmic) of each style, and they will gain a basic comprehension of song composition/structure. The main goals of this project are to teach children: instruments and their sounds, song structure, lyric writing, musical styles, and ear training.

In each webisode (click "videos"), Chuck Vanderchuck and his sidekick, Ramona, are obsessed with learning everything there is to know about music. Together they present five different musical genres: Salsa, Jazz, Rock, Country, and Reggae. Children will learn about different instruments used for each musical style, and play games through which they will have the chance to identify instruments, write lyrics, compose melodies, create costumes, and play in a virtual concert with Chuck and Ramona. Online, kids can view animated videos highlighting different musical genres and play a series of mini games that prepare them for "the big gig," which allows the kids to showcase what they've learned along the way.