Musicians who use the power of air breathe life into the music they play. They create beautiful and ear-catching melodies. The instruments they play are called aerophones. In this episode, we talk about aerophones and the musicians like Astor Piazzolla, Harry Styles and Francis Bebey who use these instruments to create gorgeous notes and melodies.

Stuff to think about after you’ve listened:


Which aerophone do you want to play? What aerophone sound appealed to you?
What aerophone would you use to write a melody?


Ready to explore more melodious aerophones? Check out our playlists on Spotify or Apple Music.

This is one of six Music Blocks episodes exploring your favorite sounds and the instrument families that create them. You can listen in any order. Find more episodes, discussion questions and playlists at MusicBlocksPodcast.org.

Tell us how you're using Music Blocks in the classroom or at home, or share your playlists and music creations inspired by the podcast! Email us: [email protected]

Music Blocks is a production of Colorado Public Radio's Audio Innovations Studio.

Hosts: Rebekah Romberg and Luis Antonio Perez

Lead producer: Rebekah Romberg

Education Advisor: Carla Aguilar, Ph.D.

Additional editorial support: Emily Williams, Jo Erickson, Erin Jones, Kibwe Cooper

Editor & Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Thank you: Monika Vischer and Scott Clemens at CPR Classical, Willobee Carlan at Indie 102.3, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, María Juliana Pinzón, Arielle Wilson, Kim Nguyen, Mia Rincón, Hart Van Denburg, Jon Pinnow, Doug Clifton and all the teachers, parents and students who listened and helped us develop this podcast.

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