Kid Pan Alley

Call Directions Website Contact the school

Kid Pan Alley Kid Pan Alley’s mission is to inspire creativity, build confidence, and foster community among children of all ages through the group songwriting process.

We do this through our collaborative songwriting workshops in schools nationwide. During a five-day, in-school residency, two Kid Pan Alley professional songwriters work intensively with up to 225 students writing 8-9 original songs based on the children’s ideas. At the end of the week, the children rehearse and perform their songs for their whole school during an afternoon assembly and again during a free evening concert for families and the community.

10/11/2026

Some songs are written to be heard. Others feel like they were written to be carried with us. 🌊🎶

“There’s a Song in the River” was written by Paul and Cheryl Reisler with students at Rocky Mountain Songschool in Lyons, Colorado, in 2021, in honor of Ysaye M. Barnwell, who taught at Songschool for many years and inspired so many through her music, wisdom, and presence.

The song reflects on the river as a metaphor for life, reminding us that through its changing rhythm, there is always something to hear, something to learn, and something to carry forward.

A beautiful musical tribute to someone who encouraged generations of people to let the song lead the way. ❤️

🎵 Listen to “There’s a Song in the River”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJqJAhcZ-VA

10/07/2026

What does songwriting look like from a teacher’s perspective? 🎶❤️

Hear directly from teachers about their experiences with Kid Pan Alley’s virtual songwriting workshops and the impact these creative sessions can have on their students.

From encouraging collaboration to helping students express their ideas in new ways, songwriting can bring an entirely different kind of energy into the classroom.

Watch the video and hear what educators have to say:

🎵 Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUTKknRpUGk

09/26/2026

When children help create the music, a concert becomes more than a performance. It becomes a celebration of their ideas, imagination, and creativity. 🎶❤️

Kid Pan Alley songwriters Paul Reisler and Justin Roth brought songs created with the children at Heiman Elementary in Greeley, Colorado to the stage for a special concert at the school.

These songs began with the students and their ideas, then came to life through the songwriting process and a shared love of music.

A special thank you to the Bohemian Foundation and the TakeNote Foundation for supporting this work and helping make creative opportunities like this possible.

🎵 Watch the full concert here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt3NGzj5dk8&t=52s

09/24/2026

Pick Up Your Instruments” is the new theme song for Soundscapes Orchestra in Newport News, Virginia, written collaboratively by Soundscapes students and Kid Pan Alley songwriters Paul and Cheryl Reisler.

The song comes to life with a massed orchestra and chorus, featuring orchestral arrangements by Don Hart and conducted by Soundscapes Program Director Rey Ramirez.

It is a beautiful example of what can happen when songwriting, music education, and young creativity come together.

Watch the premiere performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3nHhHaTA2E

Cheryl and Paul Reisler are performing tomorrow on the Daily Antidote of song at noon EDT. And it is daily, this session...
09/21/2026

Cheryl and Paul Reisler are performing tomorrow on the Daily Antidote of song at noon EDT. And it is daily, this session marks over 2350 consecutive days of singing. Song is what get's us through these times. we'll be doing songs you can sing along with, virtually that is.carpediemarts.org/daily

09/12/2026

Some stories stay with us because their lessons never grow old. 🪿✨

“The Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg” is the second movement of Aesop’s Fables for Orchestra and Narrator, bringing Aesop’s timeless tale to life through music and storytelling.

Music by Art Wheeler and Paul Reisler
Libretto by Paul Reisler and Tom Paxton
Final orchestrations by Don Hart
Performed by Symphonicity at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, conducted by Daniel Boothe.

Aesop’s Fables for Orchestra and Narrator features five movements:
The Tortoise and the Hare • The Goose Who Laid the Golden Egg • The Nightingale and the Labourer • The Boy Who Cried Wolf • The Fox and the Grapes

🎶 Watch the full performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcba8r_hF0E&t=34s

09/10/2026

When children write together, something beautiful happens. ✨🎶

This Kid Pan Alley song celebrates the creativity and joy that grow when young people come together to write music as a community.

Written by Paul and Cheryl Reisler with the Manassas Children's Choir, it's a reminder that every song begins with an idea shared together.

Watch the performance here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwp9jASVY4M

09/03/2026

Every family has stories worth remembering. Some become songs. 💙

Written and performed by Julie Portman, this heartfelt song is part of a beautiful series inspired by her family, with music by Paul Reisler. Julie's songs continue to share her warmth, humor, and storytelling years after her passing in 2008.

Watch the full song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNi2HyTFg6E&t=5s

08/27/2026

Some performances stay with you long after the final note. 🎺🎶

Recorded live at The Theatre at Little Washington on July 14, 2024, this special performance brings together songwriter Paul Reisler and legendary trumpeter John D'earth for an unforgettable musical moment.

Watch the full performance here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDl_MC6mRYc

08/21/2026

Every work of art has a story waiting to be told. 🎨🎶

What happens when children step into a gallery and let a painting spark their imagination?

In Kid Pan Alley's Music of Art residency at Pattie Elementary, 2nd grade students transformed works of art into original songs—discovering that inspiration can come from a single brushstroke, a shared idea, or a moment of curiosity.

Follow their journey from the gallery to the stage as they brainstorm, write, rehearse, and perform their own original music.

Featuring Paul and Cheryl Reisler with the 2nd grade students of Pattie Elementary.

Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/4jD5RBIBmLY?si=CvFfE6RhW9_oA1Tx

Address

PO Box 38
Washington, VA
22747

Telephone

+15403222022

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kid Pan Alley posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Kid Pan Alley:

Shortcuts

Share