On April 26, 2020, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard launches a brand-new series: Bach Yard Playdates. Playdates introduces musical concepts, instruments and the experience of concert-going to a global audience of children and their families, in weekly 5 to 10-minute episodes. Kaufman Music Center presents Bach Yard Playdates, and it will appear on their website and social media channels at 11:00 am EDT Sundays through mid-August.
Season 1's ten episodes include interactive music in which children can join in from home, storytimes, and musical selections designed to develop listening skills. Orli Shaham introduces each show, and is joined by guest musicians from Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, The Westerlies and other professional musicians for the performances. This series is especially for children up to early elementary, but every member of the household – human or animal, stuffed, or not - will enjoy this fun and unique series.
The Bach Yard Playdates series begins with "Dancing with Bach" and continues with “Curious Engine”, an interactive story that will have children marching and dancing to music by Beata Moon. In future episodes, Orli narrates two original stories: the “Dance of the Goat” with music by Arthur Honegger, and “The Trout Family’s New Friend” with music by Franz Schubert.
Taking Bach Yard to the airwaves, WQXR-FM invited Orli Shaham to create and host a radio series of original stories with classical music for children. Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard for radio was broadcast on WQXR-FM in November and December 2019. You can listen to all four Bach Yard stories over and over again, at WQXR.org.