Tune-the-Tale Music & Storytelling Workshops

Ages 4–7 • Weekly 45-Minute Sessions • Seasonal Enrollment

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Where music meets imagination.
Tune-the-Tale is Erie Niagara Conservatory’s signature early childhood program that combines storytelling, movement, and music exploration in a joyful and developmentally rich format. Guided by experienced teaching artists, each class invites children into a new world—one where books come to life through rhythm, voice, instruments, and play.

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Program Highlights

• Book-Based Learning: Each season features two beloved picture books as the heart of the musical journey.
• Multi-Sensory Play: Children listen, move, sing, and play each week—developing both musical and social-emotional skills.
• Performance-Ready: Every season ends with a short, joyful “mini musical” that families are invited to attend.
• Certificates Included: Children receive seasonal awards like Rhythm Explorer and Voice Virtuoso to mark their growth.

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Structure & Flow

Session Breakdown:

1. 📖 Read & Discover – Storytime and guided discussion
2. 🥁 Feel the Beat – Explore rhythm, gesture, or voice
3. 🎼 Make Music – Create motifs using instruments or body sounds
4. 🎬 Build the World – Improvise scenes with props and music
5. 🎭 Rehearse – Simple roles, transitions, and expression
6. 🌈 Perform – Invite families for a short story-based musical

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🍁 Seasonal Themes

Season 1: Rhythm & Storytelling (September- November)

• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb — Drumming games & body percussion
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt — Rhythm walks through imagined landscapes

🥁 Rhythm & Storytelling

Book	Musical Possibilities
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson	Rhythmic repetition, dynamics (quiet/loud), ensemble sounds (snoring, sneezing, storm)
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia	Percussive syllables, tempo changes, vehicle sounds
Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand	Train rhythms, steady beat games, cumulative song form
Tanka Tanka Skunk! by Steve Webb	Syllabic rhythm play, animal names as drum patterns

Season 2: Movement & Gesture (December- February)

• From Head to Toe — Move like animals, match gesture to sound
• Giraffes Can’t Dance — Discover tempo through dance styles

🌀 Movement & Gesture

Book	Musical Possibilities
I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison	Full-body rhythm and dance, call-and-response
Move! by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page	Animal movements with matching sounds and instruments
Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh	Contrasting tempos and movement qualities (hopping vs. flowing)
Shake a Leg! by Constance Allen (Sesame Street)	Silly gestures, freeze dance, interpretive movement

Season 3: Voice & Expression (March- May)

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear — Call-and-response singing
• The Gruffalo — Character voices and vocal effects

🎤 Voice & Expression

Book	Musical Possibilities
The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland	Character voices, dynamics, vocal storytelling
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr.	Animal sounds, call-and-response, vocal timbre
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang	Emotion-based vocal improvisation, mood-based music
Sing by Joe Raposo	Song-based book; great for a final sing-along piece

Season 4: Instruments & Sound Exploration (June- August)

• Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin — Explore orchestral instruments
• Ada’s Violin — Make your own instruments, build soundscapes

🎻 Instruments & Sound Exploration

Book	Musical Possibilities
Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett	Orchestral sound exploration, animal instruments
Music, Music for Everyone by Vera B. Williams	Community music-making, improvisation, found sounds
The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock	Cross-modal sound-color play, synesthesia-inspired soundscapes
Because by Mo Willems	Cause-effect in music, orchestra building, emotional storytelling through sound

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💡 Learning Goals

By the end of each season, children will:

✅ Keep a steady beat and recognize rhythmic patterns
✅ Use their voices expressively in songs and storytelling
✅ Explore instruments and sounds from everyday life
✅ Build confidence through collaboration and performance

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📅 Participation

Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer sessions available
Participation is limited to 10 children with parents to ensure individual attention and joyful group dynamics.
Workshops are free, thank to the support of our community partners.

💌 Interested?
Contact Us or Join the Waitlist to reserve your spot for the next season of Tune-the-Tale.

Upcoming Workshop Locations & Dates

Tune-the-Tale workshops take place at several public libraries in the Buffalo area. Each session is free and open to families.

What to Expect

Each 45-minute workshop includes:

• Storytelling with a featured children’s book
• Rhythm and movement activities
• Hands-on instrument exploration
• Group music-making and creative play

Children discover how music can bring stories to life through sound, gesture, and imagination.

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Age Group

Recommended for children ages 4–7.

Parents are welcome to stay and participate.

Thank You to Our Supporters

The Erie Niagara Conservatory of Music is proud to be a sponsored project of Arts Services Inc. (ASI), our fiscal sponsor. Their support and advocacy allow us to bring accessible, high-quality music education to children and families across Erie and Niagara counties.

We are also deeply grateful to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation for their generous funding of our children’s music workshops. Their investment helps us offer free and low-cost “Tune-the-Tale” programs in community libraries, giving young learners a joyful entry point into music, rhythm, and storytelling.

Together, ASI and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation are helping us build a more musical, creative, and connected region. We are honored to partner with both organizations in shaping a brighter future for our community.