Music Review Podcast Recording

A phone for recording audio (voice memos app works perfectly)

Paper and pencil for outlining the review

Phone or speaker for playing the music being reviewed

A quiet room for clean recording

Choose a song or album for review. Let your child pick — it should be something they have opinions about.

Listen to it together, all the way through, paying attention.

Discuss the structure of a good review: introduction (title, artist), what you noticed (instruments, lyrics, production, mood), what you liked, what you didn't, and a final rating (1-5 stars).

Help your child outline 4-5 talking points on paper. This prevents the recording from being random.

Set up the phone's voice recorder in a quiet room. Hit record.

Your child introduces themselves, names the music, and delivers their review. You can jump in with interview questions: "What was the standout moment?" "Would you recommend this?"

Stop recording, listen back together, and celebrate. Your child just recorded their first music criticism podcast.

Model music vocabulary: "I notice the production is really layered" or "the beat drops perfectly at the chorus." Introduce terms naturally.

Encourage honest opinions, even if they're negative. Saying "I didn't like the lyrics because they felt repetitive" is valid and articulate criticism.

If your child wants to improve the recording, do a second take. Professional podcasters always do multiple takes.

Share the recording with grandparents or friends. Having an audience makes it feel real and important.

Make it a recurring series: a new review every week or month. Over time, your child's critical thinking and articulation will noticeably improve.