For Families & Kids
Musical Explorers
Welcome to Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers! This program connects children (recommended ages 4–8) to rich and diverse musical communities as they build fundamental music skills through listening, singing, and moving to songs from all over the world. Jump around between activities, featured artists, and digital concerts and grow your musical horizons.
Musical Explorers is a curriculum from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) that is used in classrooms in New York City and around the world. We have adapted our classroom curriculum for families with children to use at home and discover the wide world of music. WMI serves families around the world through a growing online library of free resources for families that encourage musical learning, discovery, and play.
Jump to section:
Featured Artists
Georgian Folk with Ilusha
Discover music from the country of Georgia, situated at the border of Asia and Europe, and learn two songs “Shina Vorgil” and “Shen Genatsvale.”
Native American with Martha
Much traditional music of Native American tribes is songs and dances that continue to be performed at powwows and other social gatherings. Learn social dances and “40 Wheels.”
Malian Traditional with Yacouba
Yacouba introduces the kora, an instrument from Mali made of a hollowed gourd covered in animal hide, and teaches two songs “Kelefaba” and “Wawanko.”
Bomba and Plena with Juan and Julia
Discover the rhythms and expressions of bomba and plena, and learn two songs “Estoy Buscano un Árbol” and “Ola de la Mar.”
Hip Hop with Soul Science Lab
Explore hip hop, the latest iteration of Black music in America, and learn two songs “Hip Hop Hooray” and “Higher.”
Chinese Traditional with Qian Yi
Discover Chinese traditional music, including opera, and learn two songs “Mo Li Hua” and “Gong Xi, Gong Xi.”
Where Do Our Artists Come From?
Interactive Map
Discover the geographic roots of the musical genres featured in Musical Explorers through our interactive Around the World Map.
Lead funding for Musical Explorers has been provided by Fund II Foundation, Linda and Earle S. Altman, Siegel Family Endowment, and Ralph W. and Leona Kern.
Additional lead funding for Musical Explorers has been graciously provided by JJR Foundation and JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation.
Major funding for Musical Explorers has been provided by The Walt Disney Company.
Additional support has been provided by The Edwin Caplin Foundation and Mr. Chretien Risley, Trustee; Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation; and KPMG LLP.
Musical Explorers is also made possible, in part, by an endowment gift from The Irene Diamond Fund.
The Weill Music Institute's programs are made available to a nationwide audience, in part, by an endowment grant from the Citi Foundation.