Before we launch Season 2 of our Cello Stories podcast over summer '22, here's a very special bonus episode, made for bedtime, in what we're calling a 'Cello SNORE-ies' tale of Boris the Bird helping unite a village of grumpy animals by helping them cook a delicious meal of 'stone soup' together! It's full of cello tunes and ukulele songs, with me, Becky from Beanstalk Arts telling the tale.

This bonus episode focusses more on the quieter songs, ending with some gentle lullabies and we really hope it'll help your little folk drift away to sleep. This was actually a special request from my youngest, Martha, as she often listens to our podcast at bedtime, so I wanted to make a special tale without all the energetic tunes!

If you're new to the podcast, why not check back to season 1 for a host of more energetic stories, and we're busy making season 2 at the moment, when I'll be joined by some special musical guests to introduce their instruments to tell the tales...

We're keeping these podcasts free for everyone to access and free from adverts, BUT if you're enjoying them, and would like to help us find the time to make more episodes, we would be super grateful for your support! Please do review and share, and you can support this podcast by buying us a virtual coffee over at our 'ko-fi' page at https://ko-fi.com/beanstalkarts or head over to our website www.beanstalkarts.co.uk where you can book in for a real life class, or buy a copy of an album or an instrument or puppet from our online shop. In real life, we're based in SE London and run regular preschooler classes and weekend gigs and events, or you can often find me, Becky, popping up at various arts centres, schools and museums and libraries welding a cello and ukulele :) I'm available for hire for school visits and other collaborations, so do feel free to get in touch at becky@beanstalkarts.co.uk

Here is a little more info on the songs in today's podcast:

- Hello and Welcome to Beanstalk Arts (our original song) - how we start all our sessions

- Boris the Bird - Sleepy version (our original song) ! Unlike our usual upbeat squawky song, today Boris the Bird is yawwwwwwning!

- Storytime Song (by Becky) as featured in our first album 'Story Songs'

- Row Your Boat (trad)- the instrument you can hear in this is the sansula, and this is the recording from our second album 'Kindness is Contagious'

- Round and Round (by Becky) - excerpt - also from 'Kindness is Contagious'

- 'Little Ripples' - we often use the lycra in our real life classes for this song, in today's recording I'm playing the amazing tongue drum I have borrowed from my friend Sharon

- Little Birds - another one from our album 'Kindness is Contagious' - we often like to dance with our scarves for this song

- Lullaby - an original Beanstalk Arts tune from our first album

- I See the Moon - a traditional song I often sing for my girls at bedtime. I've experimented with a 'low G' on the ukulele for today's recording to try and give a mellower sound.

I really hope you enjoy today's podcast, I've loved making it for you, and I'll back very soon with our regular season 2 stories.

This week we're adventuring again into the deep dark woods, this time with Red Riding Hood (and a little help from my cello, Boris the Bird and my ukulele!).

I'm super grateful this week to have borrowed (with permission) some songs from some fabulous fellow musicians! The wonderful 'Stomping in the Woods' is by Ruti Lachs of Active Music, and features in her album 'Stomping in the Woods' that me and my kids LOVE. Ruti has made some lovely online workshops around these songs too - you can find the full album of songs at https://www.activemusic.ie/stomping-in-the-woods-cd.html (utterly well worth an addition to your family music collection) and find her videos on her YouTube channel, with 'Stomping in the Wood' explored here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glEooEY-IYI

I've also again sung the 'Washing Machine' song by Steve Grocott - if you know me in real life, you'll know this is a firm favourite for a bit of a dance, and one we also learn in our after school ukulele classes. Find Steve's original version at bandcamp (and all of his albums are also GREAT for families, and car journey tonic) at https://stevegrocott.bandcamp.com.

I do hope you enjoy this weeks' podcast! If you're local to me in SE London, do remember you can join us in real life this Autumn, with a whole host of new classes starting in September with preschooler, after school and grown up ukulele classes. You can listen to our music on Spotify at 'Becky, Boris and the Beats' and find out more on the website at www.beanstalkarts.co.uk

Please do share this with your friends and leave a review if you've enjoyed the podcast!

This week we're going to be trying to cross the bridge to the green green grass, watching out for trolls along the way!

You might find it helpful to find somethings around the house to make a little 'tip tap' sound, a middle sized 'clip clop' sound and a great big loud 'stamp stomp' sound to help join in with the story today, or of course you can use body percussion too!

Our songs this week owe a great deal of thanks to the wonderful Steve Grocott, a friend, colleague musician and fellow Early years practitioner! The troll/goats crossing song is my own slightly misremembered version of his Billy Goats Gruff songs, and if you're looking for HOURS of musical delight, do have a listen and browse at his bandcamp page with his wonderful 'Bright Sparks' collections of songs at https://stevegrocott.bandcamp.com

If you're enjoying this podcast, do remember you can find out all about our real life classes at www.beanstalkarts.co.uk and we have an online shop full of instruments, and ukulele classes for kids and grownups, both on and offline.

Thanks for listening - I'd be so grateful if you can share this podcast with your friends!