Our Story:

90.9 WGUC, Cincinnati’s classical music radio station, created Classics for Kids® as an entertaining, informative introduction to classical music for elementary school children. The six-minute radio program, also available as a podcast, explains classical music, composers, and terminology in easy-to-understand language that’s designed to appeal to audiences of all ages. The interactive multimedia website classicsforkids.com is a fun, engaging tool for teachers, parents, and kids. It’s full of information about music, including composer biographies, a dictionary of terms, guides to instruments from around the world, games, archives of all the Classics for Kids® podcasts, and much, much more.

The website also provides free, user-friendly materials to integrate music education into the curriculum. In addition to lesson plans, there are pages to explore rhythm, history, composition, and other aspects of music. All of that makes classicsforkids.com a valuable resource for classroom teachers and homeschoolers.

Parents and grandparents find Classics for Kids® an ideal way to share their love of classical music with kids and grandkids. It’s a beautiful way for multiple generations to experience the joy of music together.

Studies have shown that classical music can help children concentrate and think creatively. You can help your child – or your classroom – unlock the power of music with the Classics for Kids® podcast and the wide variety of activities on the classicsforkids.com website. Together, they provide extraordinary resources for learning about the lives and music of great composers, the evolution of classical music through the centuries, and some of the fundamentals of music theory, leading to a deeper appreciation of the art form.

Audio:

Naomi Lewin, the host of Classics for Kids®, brings classical music to life through stories of composers’ lives and examples of their work. She researches each show, writes the script and produces the program. After studying music, elementary education, and voice, Naomi worked as an opera singer before becoming a classical music radio announcer.

Classics for Kids® airs weekly on radio stations across the United States and in several countries around the world.

Classics for Kids® is also available as a podcast. Sign up at NPR Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher to receive a new episode each week. You can also get the latest episode of Classics For Kids® on your smartphone or tablet via the WGUC public radio app; on your smart speaker by enabling the Classics For Kids® skill through the Amazon Skills store; or by asking your Google Assistant to “Launch Classics For Kids.” Past programs are archived on the classicsforkids.com website.

Classroom:

Classics for Kids® lesson plans and teaching resources provide effective methods and activities for teachers to employ classical music to help children learn and meet national and state requirements. The curriculum materials are based on National Standards for the Arts, state Academic Content Standards for Music, and Theory of Multiple Intelligences. They draw from various music education disciplines, including Kodály, Orff, and Dalcroze.