>>Hey, Mary.

>>Hi, Mike!

>>And hey there, friends.

We're so glad you joined us today.

>>(Giggles) We are.

Today, we're going to be using our imaginations, our creativity to build music and shoebox houses.

>>Shoebox houses, that sounds like so much fun.

>>It is, so come on.

>>Come build with us.

>>Let's go!

♪ Come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪ ♪ Come play music with me, yeah ♪ >>Welcome to "Songs and Stories."

>>With Mary and Mike >>(laughs) Where we tell the stories of music.

>>And we share the music of all people.

So what are we doing in the box today?

>>(laughs) Friends, today, we have our wonderful guest, Miss Foster, and she is going to show us how to take all different kinds of materials from around your house or maybe your classroom, put them all together in a box to create a shoebox house.

>>A shoebox house.

>>(chuckles) >>And we were so inspired by Miss Foster that we made our shoebox house of the studio.

>>We sure did!

>>So we used a lotta different parts like a ping pong ball and some wrapping paper and ribbon.

>>Absolutely, so fun, but before we learn how to make shoebox houses today, we're going to be learning about all of the parts of music that you bring together to make one full sound.

>>Well, that sounds great.

Well, let's go meet Miss Foster right now.

>>Let's do it.

Hi, Mrs. Foster.

>>Hi, guys.

>>Great to see you today.

>>It's good to see you guys, too.

>>So good to see you, thank you so much for being here.

>>Yes.

>>So with all of our guests, we ask three questions so we get to know you just a little bit.

So our first question is, where are you from?

>>So I'm from a state called Connecticut, which is right next to New York, and it's a small state, and there's lots of ocean on this state.

So I grew up in a small beach town called Clinton.

>>Oh, that's great.

>>How nice, right on the water.

>>Did you go to the beach a lot?

>>I did, all the time.

>>That's Cool.

>>I love it!

>>Yeah, that's awesome.

>>Okay, so our second question is, we know that you are now an art teacher, and we were wondering as a child, what was your favorite way to make art?

>>So my mom is a painter, and whenever she took out her paint, I loved painting, but what inspired me to become an artist, I actually watched "Sesame Street" probably when I was around four, and I saw someone using clay on a pottery wheel and I was mesmerized.

So I think at that point I was hooked.

I didn't get to try clay until I was in college, but ever since then, I was hooked on art.

I think it's just made me like, Oh my gosh this whole world of art is so big.

>>(Mary chuckles) That's what I love.

I still do clay now.

So it's a great thing that I enjoy in my hobbies and my pastimes so.

>>So is that, is that one of your favorite mediums to work in?

>>Yes, I would have to say it's probably my favorite medium to work with.

>>Okay.

>>Wow, I love that you heard something as a child or saw something as a child and it stayed with you all the way until college.

Like you didn't even get to touch clay until college but it was still inspiring you to be an artist.

>>Yes, it really did, it stuck with me all that time, and I was just so excited once I got to college just to get on that pottery wheel and try it out.

>>Yeah, get your hands on it literally (chuckles) >>It's awesome.

>>Okay, so now for the most important question >>yes >>What is your favorite dessert?

>>Oh, that is such a hard question, I was thinking it over because I have so many favorite desserts but I'd have to say my mom's strawberry rhubarb pie, and strawberry rhubarb it is amazing because it's got the sweetness from the strawberries and the tartness from the rhubarb, And it only happens a certain time of year.

>>I have never had rhubarb.

I've always been a little afraid of it.

>>(chuckles) Oh, it's good, especially when it's a little sugar and the pie crust.

>>Okay.

>>yeah >>We're gonna have to try that >>We're inspired.

>>Yes (both chuckles) >>All right, Well, Mrs Foster, thank you so much for being here and we will check in with you a little later.

>>Sounds good see you then.

>>All right >>Awesome >>Let us make music.

>>Let's make music.

>>I love making music.

>>I do too.

Now, boys and girls today, as we make music we're going to be discovering the building blocks of music.

>>Building blocks.

>>Building blocks of music is the parts of music that come all together to make the full sound.

>>So in a few minutes we're gonna learn to make shoe box houses with Mrs Foster, and in it, it's gonna be kind of the same thing where all these little parts that we're going to put together are gonna make this whole, this, this big house.

>>Absolutely >>yeah >>So let's learn about the first building block of music, which we think you already know is steady beat.

>>Steady beat.

>>Steady beat.

Let's do it together right here on your laps, Ready?

Beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat.

>>Okay, >>wonderful.

>>What's our next building block.

>>All right, the next one is called rhythm >>Rhythm.

>>Can you say that with us?

>>Rhythm.

>>And I wanna give you an example of rhythm.

>>Okay we'll tap a beat on my knees and you'll give us a rhythm.

Okay?

>>Sounds good >>Awesome, here I go with my beat.

(tapping sound) >>Here comes rhythm.

(clacking sound) >>So the beats stays the same but the rhythm can change.

(tapping sound) (clacking sound) >>(chuckles)Nice.

>>Okay >>All right, So, so far we've got >>Steady beat and rhythm.

>>Now our third building block is called harmony >>Harmony.

Can you say that with us?

>>Harmony?

>>So harmony is kind of all of the sounds in the music, You may not notice, but it's in the background that makes the sound really rich and full.

So I thought what I would do is I grabbed my guitar and I'll play some chords and that can set that'll kind of fill in the harmony.

Now I have a problem though, I've been tapping the beat on my knees and I can't tap the beat om my knees and >>You don't have four hands.

>>Exactly, So, so I think what I'll do is I'll tap the beat with my foot.

>>Okay.

>>And then we'll, you'll do the rhythm and I'll do the harmony.

>>Got it.

- Awesome, Okay, so here comes the beat.

(foot tapping) >>Rhythm.

(clacking sound) >>Harmony.

(Guitar strumming) >>I love it, now goodness, this is really starting to take shape.

We've got the beat, we've got the rhythm and that harmony added so much, but it's still not complete.

We need that fourth building block and that is melody.

>>Melody.

Can you say that word with us?

>>Melody.

>>Boys and girls, the melody of the music is the part that you might sing along with, or hum too.

And I'm going to add the melody to what we've been building and I bet you might know it, So if you do sing with me.

Are we ready?

>>Okay >>All right, so I'll start our steady beat.

>>Okay.

(foot tapping) >>And then I'll put some harmony >>Here comes rhythm ♪ A B C D E F G ♪ ♪ H I J K L M N O P ♪ ♪ Q R S ♪ ♪ T U V ♪ ♪ W X Y and Z ♪ ♪ Now I know my A B C ♪ ♪ Next time won't you sing with me.

♪ (chuckles) Oh boy, boys and girls could you hear that, with all four of those building blocks coming together, we now have the full sound.

>>Yes, I love it.

>>yes >>Now what we want to show you is, well what happens if you change one of the building blocks or change a few of them what happens to the feel and the sound of the song?

So we're going to change a few things, we'd love it if you kept the steady beat with us, and maybe even sang the melody, but make sure you've got those listening ears on so that you can hear how the feel of the song changes.

>>Okay.

>>All right.

>>So I'll start with my beat, (foot tapping) I'll put some harmony in.

(plucking guitar) (clacking sound) ♪ A B C D E F G ♪ ♪ H I J K L M N O P ♪ ♪ Q R S ♪ ♪ T U V ♪ ♪ W X Y and Z ♪ ♪ Now I know my A B C ♪ ♪ Next time won't you sing with me ♪ (chuckles) >>You sounded great.

>>Oh, thank you so did you.

>>Yeah, we changed a few things and I felt like it really kind of sounded like a lullaby.

>>It did, absolutely.

So boys and girls just changing a few of the building blocks a little, a lot, changed the whole feel of the song, And we hope that you're inspired by hearing this change to take music and make it your own and make that music just how you want to.

>>Well, let's make it our own.

>>Let's do it.

>>Okay, so I'm going to get my beat going.

>>Okay.

(foot tapping) >>In my harmony (guitar strumming) (clacking sound) ♪ A B C D ♪ ♪ E F G ♪ ♪ H I J K L M N O P ♪ ♪ Q R S ♪ ♪ T U V ♪ ♪ W X Y and Z ♪ ♪ Oh now I know my A B C ♪ ♪ Next time won't you sing it with me ♪ Will you sing with us?

Or dance or keep the steady beat wherever you wanna do here we go ♪ A B C D E F G ♪ ♪ H I J K L M N O P ♪ ♪ Q R S T ♪ ♪ T U V ♪ ♪ W X Y and Z ♪ ♪ Oh now I know my A B C ♪ ♪ Next time won't you sing with me ♪ >>(chuckles) oh >>that was fun >>Yeah, you sound great.

>>Thank you so did you friends take this inspiration, take this new learning of all the kinds of building blocks of music and how you can change each one to change the total feel of the song, take music and make it your own.

Well Mrs Foster, we were just making music and we were discovering that there are so many parts of music >>And when they all come together, that's when you get like kind of the whole piece of music.

>>Right, putting them all together kind of to make the whole thing.

And we were thinking it's probably the same way with art, right?

>>Totally Yeah, it's the same thing.

So you can find all kinds of supplies and items that aren't even necessarily art supplies and bring them all together to create.

>>Yes.

>>that's awesome.

>>And we know that you're going to be showing us how to do that, to make a shoe box house today.

>>Yes, I am.

I gathered a bunch of supplies that I had at my house, just random things and some things that you may or may not find in your own homes, but it did take me a little while to put all together, but you just take your time, You might think, Oh, that went so fast for Miss Foster, You take your time at home, gather what you have you might find random things along the way you want to add to it.

>>Awesome, all right, let's see it.

>>Wonderful, let's check it out.

>>Sounds good.

(ringing sound) Hello, beautiful learners.

I'm Miss Foster and we're here to make a shoe box house together, I'm so excited to get started with you.

I love using recycled materials because it's good for our planet and we get to reuse it and make something cool out of it.

I can't wait to see what you're going to make.

(ringing sound) So I have my shoe box, I'm gonna leave it just like this.

I also have white paper, just regular printing paper.

I have a glue stick, I have markers, You can also use crayons or colored pencils.

I have a paper towel roll, but you can use a toilet paper roll as well.

I have some thicker white paper here, I have some pattern paper and some extra supplies like string, I have a clothes pin, a straw, you could use a craft.

And I also have some scotch tape nearby just regular clear tape.

Let's get started making our shoe box house.

(ringing sound) I have my shoe box here.

I have a pretty big one, but you can get a small one or a small cardboard box as well.

Either one works.

(humming cool music) Okay, so I glued my paper with my pattern on it, into my cardboard box, See how the ceiling is at the top, and the floor is at the bottom.

And I'm going to add some other details and decorations around that paper, but you can get bigger paper if you'd like to fit around that.

I just have a bigger shoe box, so this is how mine works.

(ringing sound) I really love the sound and the texture that that makes when I use a crayon to make the color for the floor of my shoe box house.

So I'm getting started with that, It's kind of noisy, but it makes a neat sound.

So maybe you want to explore using crayons or some other tools?

All right, doesn't that look great?

I added a floor with red crayon by just coloring back and forth, and I love seeing the texture and the pattern that that made on the cardboard.

(ringing sound) Okay, now it's time for the tube, You either can have a paper towel tube or a toilet paper tube, and we're going to cut it so that it's going to be turned into a bed.

So I just cut a small section about this bag and then I'm gonna cut it just one more time.

And if you need a grown-up to help with this part go get that grown-up to help with the cutting part.

Sometimes it's tricky to cut on cardboard but this is fairly thin.

Now this part's going to be the bed, you can roll it out and have it go this way, or you can keep it in this kind of neat little nook.

And then you're going to think about where you want to put it in your house and then you're going to decorate it or add something to it to make it look like a bed.

Let's do that next.

(humming music) Okay here is the house, Here's the bed, and I'm going to put it in the corner.

Looks like I need to put a few more things in this house, don't you think?

Maybe a piece of furniture like a table or maybe some decorations or a light, Let's see where we can come up with.

And then we're going to make the person who lives in this house.

(ringing sound) I wanted to show you what I just made, I took a straw and a piece of the tube that we had cut earlier and I made a lamp to go next to the bed.

I'm so proud of how it turned out.

Now I'm going to make something else for the bedroom.

(cool humming music) Okay, so I added the chair to the corner of the bedroom.

I also moved the bed around because I have an idea of something that I want to do on the opposite side of the room.

And that's what we're going to do next.

We're going to actually add some stairs to our house.

I'll show you how.

(ringing sound) (humming music) hey, here are the stairs that we just made.

Mine can fold, and I love how it's like an accordion which is an instrument, and then we're going to attach it into the house.

So I'm going to need some tape nearby.

I'm gonna use one piece for the bottom and I'm gonna let it hang off just a little bit, And then one piece for the top, this is where we will attach it to our shoe box.

I'm going to do the top step first and I'm gonna fold it up against the side, and then I'm gonna use the bottom step at the bottom like that.

I love how that looks, Isn't that so cute, It's like a little mini house.

Now you don't have to do a bedroom.

You could do a kitchen, a living room, You could split up the house, So it has different rooms in it.

You could make your dream house, your dream room, anyhow that you wanna make it.

I have these fan pieces I'm gonna add last as kind of some wall decorations, and then I think we also might need a little door right here.

That would be fun to make a door cause then who knows who might come in that door?

(ringing sound) All right, I added my door and I even added a little door handle.

I just took some pattern paper, I found a scrap of it and I glued it to the back wall.

And then I am going to add my people, this is one of the most fun parts.

I love creating art and I love making it with recycled materials and things I have around my house.

So you might find some bottle caps or buttons, you might find string, you might use a craft stick or a straw or a clothes pin to make your people.

So gather your supplies and meet me back here.

(ringing sound) (humming cool music) Check out this little world I created, I love making spaces like this, and I especially love using recycled materials to do it.

So today we used a shoe box that might've been thrown out or put in the recycling bin and we turned it into art and we turned it into something we could play with.

So I have three people I made that I'm going to go use to play in this little house.

I have this guy who I can make walk up the stairs, I have someone sleeping in the bed, and then I have someone sitting in the chair.

So you could add your own artwork to the walls and just make it your own.

I can't wait to see what you'll come up with for your shoe box houses.

See you next time beautiful learners.

(humming soft music) For Miss Foster, thank you so much for being here, You have inspired us, we have loved learning with you today.

>>Thank you for having me with so much fun.

>>Yeah, we were so inspired that we made our own and we wanted to show it to you.

>>Awesome let me see, Here's ours, >>It's a shoe box Music Studio.

>>Oh my goodness, You guys did such a great job, looks like a replica I love it.

>>We loved it, and we had so much fun.

It really helped us to look at all these materials not just things to recycle or things to throw away or maybe just tuck in a drawer but to use them to create something.

Yeah, that's what I love about using recycled materials to make art.

I mean, I just had such a good time going through all these things in our house that we were going to be there at recycle.

I throw out and we just put it together to put this new little world together.

So yeah, it was super fun, and you guys did such a great job with that.

(both chuckles) >>Thank you.

>>And thank you so much for inspiring us teaching us something new and we hope that we'll get to see you again very soon.

>>Thank you for having me, It was so fun to be here with you guys.

Thank you, Miss Foster.

>>All right, bye.

>>Bye.

>>Bye.

>>You are a beautiful learner.

>>I had so much fun building today.

>>I did too, I loved learning about all of the parts of music that come together to make that full rich sound.

And then I loved learning and being so inspired to take all different kinds of materials from around the house to put together into a shoe box house.

>>Yes, that's one of my favorite things about creating is that you, you can take all of these parts and whether it's art or it's music you can make something really interesting with it.

>>Absolutely and make it your own.

We learned a lot today, friends remember what we say about learning new things.

Repeat after us.

I am brave.

>>I am curious.

>>I am strong because I can do hard things.

>>I am a beautiful learner.

>>Yes you are friends, thanks for joining us and we'll see you next time.

>>All right, I'm gonna start with my beat, (foot tapping) Give us some rhythm.

(cool instrumentals) ♪ Come play with me ♪ ♪ won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on come play music with me ♪ ♪ we're gonna sing yes ♪ ♪ We're gonna dance ♪ ♪ We're gonna learn to play some instrumentals ♪ ♪ come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on, ♪ ♪ come play music with me with me.

♪ ♪ We're gonna sing yes ♪ ♪ We're gonna dance ♪ ♪ we gonna learn to play some instrumental ♪ ♪ come play, come play with me.

♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on.

♪ ♪ Come play music with me.

♪ (upbeat music)