“Jamming on the Job” Helps Kids Explore Interesting Careers

"Jamming on the Job" is a podcast full of love for music and storytelling!

Christina Sanabria and Andrés Salguero (GRAMMY award winning musicians and children’s book authors) along with Pierce Freelon (a GRAMMY nominated musician, author, and educator) teamed up with PBS KIDS to create a podcast that brings listeners of all ages into the adventure, sparking curiosity about the world of work.

"The concept of the show is really personal to us. It all came from our real-life experiences of going on tours and sharing stories," said Pierce Freelon (pictured left), who brings the lively character BoomBox to life.

In each episode, Andrés, Christina, and BoomBox go on tour across the United States. In every city they visit, they make new friends who have interesting jobs that help the crew solve any problems that come their way. They record their chats with these interesting workers and then take what they've learned and bring it into inspiring songs they share in their concerts.

Discovering New Careers and Bringing Characters to Life

"Jamming on the Job" introduces kids to exciting careers and professions. Throughout their adventures, Andrés, Christina, and Pierce want to help "kids see all the amazing possibilities of what they could do and be, and how they can make a difference for their country, community, family, and themselves," Pierce said.

They hope kids and families will feel empowered to ask questions about other people's jobs in their communities, learning more about the world of work — and all the fantastic careers that people can have!

Andrés, Christina, and Pierce are award-winning musicians and authors with decades of experience creating quality (and fun!) content for families.

Though the podcast has fictional characters, their stories are based on real-life conversations and experiences. The show blends Andrés' fun and caring personality, Christina's logical and focused thinking, and Pierce's musical skills. But the characters in the podcast are different from who they are in real-life in interesting ways. For example, Christina and Andrés speak Spanish often when they’re not recording. But, in the podcast, they use their bilingual skills and speak in English and in Spanish. And Pierce jokes that even though he's a lot like his BoomBox character, he doesn't sing everything he says — or have a pitch-perfect voice!

Exploring Important Skills and Learning Through Songs

The first season of "Jamming on the Job" features 16 exciting episodes that are sure to entertain your family.

Andrés, Christina, and BoomBox bring listeners to cities across the country, from places like Tallahassee and San Francisco to Phoenix and Denver (and everywhere in between!). Along the way, they meet people with all sorts of different (and interesting!) careers. They ask people in different career fields about what kind of skills they use for their jobs, and how those skills help them when they aren’t working, too. For example, a language teacher shows how understanding how others feel is key when teaching people with different backgrounds, and the airport manager shows how keeping calm helps them in their job. They'll also discover lesser-known (but important!) professions, like the forest fire manager, who uses focus and teamwork to control forest fires to keep communities safe.

Each episode ends with a charming, catchy song. These memorable melodies remind us that learning is fun! Each song offers various rhythms that showcase the hosts' Latin, African American, and Afro-Caribbean roots. The hosts hope children and their families will be exposed not only to new careers but also new rhythms, including jazz and hip-hop!

Creating a Curious Future

Through these adventures, "Jamming on the Job" inspires kids to ask big questions, embrace diversity, and stay interested in skills that play a big part in both work and life (think empathy, patience, focus, and creative thinking!) Through creative storytelling and catchy songs, the podcast helps children (and grownups) recognize these abilities and skills within themselves.

Unlike other podcasts with fictional parts, this family-friendly podcast features interviews with people who have different jobs, inviting kids into the interesting world of work! Kids will be left singing the catchy tunes and imagining what jobs they might have in the future. "Jamming on The Job" premieres in September on PBS KIDS. Whether you’re cleaning the house, getting ready for bed, or listening in the car, tune in with family to join Andrés, Christina, and BoomBox as they sing, explore, and discover the wonders of the world of work. Happy listening!