Hold on to your suitcases everyone… Sam Moran is off on a musical adventure!

This Saturday July 18^th 2015, Nick Jr. presents a one-off Play Along With Sam: Around the World musical special. This special 30 minute episode will be filled with fun, cultural facts, animals and songs especially toddlers and pre-schoolers (2- 5 year olds).

You can see Sam on his musical adventure in China in this TV special on Nick Jr at 8.30am and again at 5.30pm.  

At Mum’s Lounge, we were so excited to ask Sam more about “Around The World”!

What will we learn from this special?
Sam: There will be lots of sounds from and songs about China. We’ll learn how to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ and we’ll learn about a new culture. I’ll need the audience to help me pack my bag and decide what things I’ll need to take on my adventure to China.

Why China?
Sam: China is such a large country with a rich cultural background and it is in the same geographical and economic location as us. It’s a great opportunity to teach young children about the worl around them and our close neighbours. And music is a great way to introduce these concepts of culture, sounds and styles of music to children.

The ‘Around the World’ concept for the show was the original idea, but there is so much information to cover, we decided to focus on just one country.

What did you enjoy about China?
Sam: I visited the Great Wall of China. I love experiencing cultural differences and diversity. It’s a wonderful way to understand the world from another perspective.

How important is travel?
When I was 10 years old, I went to Scotland and got to go to a school for a day. The kids in the class even had a list of questions to ask me about Australia! I got to see what children there did at school and it gave me a great perspective on living there. Kids truly benefit from cultural exchange.

When you first travel, you notice the differences between you and the new culture. As you travel more, you increasingly start to notice the similarities.

What is your favourite style of music?
I get to experience all styles of music with my work and I am truly open to all sounds. We have a reggae style song in this special called “What Will the Weather Be?” and a folk song called “Around The World”.

Where would Sam like to visit next in his “Around The World” travels?
 I’d love to visit Russia. It’s another culture with rich heritage and interesting sounds and music. I really like Latin music, so South America would be another great place to visit.

How important is music in children’s upbringing?
A lot of research has been done to say that structured learning of music has long lasting benefits. Music fires all of the learning centres in the brain at the same time as it involves multiple concepts at once: memory, languages, rhythm, maths for counting the beat and the melody brings fires the artistic side. By singing along, you are training your brain and the kids don’t even realise they are learning.

So, teaching us the recorder, xylophone and glockenspiel at school was worth it?
Yes! Adding a tactile instrument fires another part of your brain!

In this special and with Sam’s expertise in music education, he takes us on an entertaining journey to new places, to learn new cultures and new sounds.

So, make sure to tune into the television premiere of Play Along with Sam: Around the World on Saturday 18^th of July on Nick Jr. at 8:30am and again at 5:30pm.