If you’re looking for another way to supplement your child’s home learning experience right now – or anytime – Classic 107.3 FM, The Voice for the Arts in St. Louis, is adding a new episode to its children’s program, “Musical Ancestries.”
This next installment, “Central America,” debuts at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 25, following “Classics 4 Kids,” the station’s weekly show that introduces children to great works of classical music.
“Musical Ancestries” is designed to teach school-aged children about world music, and the new episode focuses on the music, culture, instruments and storytelling traditions of Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama. “Central America” will also air at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, April 26, and at 5:30 p.m., Friday, May 1.
The programming is made possible by a PNC Foundation grant through the PNC Arts Alive initiative.
“As a long-time supporter of the arts and education, PNC is committed to making arts programming and cultural resources widely accessible to children,” said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. “Programs such as ‘Musical Ancestries’ inspire and inform listeners, especially during this challenging time as people look to the arts for entertainment and personal enrichment.”
“We are grateful to the PNC Foundation for its support,” said Classic 107.3 CEO and general manager, John Nasukaluk Clare. “We’re very pleased with the response to our ‘Musical Ancestries’ program, and excited that teachers, as well as our school-aged listeners and their siblings and parents, can utilize the extensive program materials whenever it is most convenient for them.”
In addition to the radio broadcasts on April 25 and 26 and May 1, students and families can access program information on Classic 107.3’s website through a Prezi presentation that incorporates visual images, maps, audio clips, text and craft activities in a user-friendly and engaging way. Students can follow along with the broadcasts as they use the online materials or access the “Musical Ancestries” information at any time. Four “Musical Ancestries” programs are planned for the 2019-2020 school year, with the next broadcast focused on India.
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education, and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through “Grow Up Great,” its signature program that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
Classic 107.3, “The Voice for the Arts in St. Louis,” broadcasts at 107.3 FM and KNOU 96.3 HD2 with a mission to support the cultural landscape in the St. Louis region through programming and outreach efforts. Classic 107.3 plays a variety of music, from classical to jazz, opera to blues, Broadway and more, and features local programming, including the “Slatkin Shuffle,” hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin, and “Musical Ancestries.” The station also airs interviews with artists, musicians, creators and performers, bringing their stories and events to the attention of the St. Louis community. Classic 107.3 is a nonprofit station, receiving support from listeners, as well as organizations like PNC, the William T. Kemper Foundation and others. More information, live streaming, archived interviews and podcasts can be found at classic1073.org.
