Thomas and Friends Storytime.
Music is everywhere.
A podcast story for kids starring Thomas, Nia and some unusual musical instruments.
Based on the Railway series by the Reverend W. Audrey.
Created by Britt Allcroft and read by me, Rachel Louise Miller.
This episode is brought to you by Budge Studios.
Parents.
Budge Studios presents Thomas and Friends Magical Tracks, a game for tablets and mobile devices packed with interactive mini games.
Kids can ride the rails with their favorite engines in this fun and magical adventure.
Download the free Thomas and Friends Magical Tracks game available on the App Store and Google Play.
And now it's story time.
Over the hill and round the bend you'll find a large roundhouse called Tidmouth Sheds, where five little engines sleep soundly at night and wake in the morning as the sun shines its light.
They all have work to do and cargo to tow.
For this happy crew it's all engines go!
Today's story is about using different sounds to make music.
It's called Music is Everywhere.
One sunny summer day on Sodor, Thomas was puffing along the line when he saw Nia up ahead.
Choo-choo-choo!
How do you do, Thomas?
Nia sang as Thomas pulled alongside her.
You sure are in a good mood, Thomas giggled.
Nia was very happy.
She was on her way to a music concert at Vicarstown.
Thomas thought the concert would be amazing, so Nia invited him along.
Oh, I love listening to music too.
Don't you?
As Thomas and Nia headed to the concert at Vicarstown, Nia looked down at her wheels.
I've always loved that sound.
Thomas was puzzled.
That da-dum-da-dum, da-dum-da-dum, it's just our wheels on the track.
I know, agreed Nia, but doesn't it sound like a drum beat?
Thomas listened.
Da-dum-da-dum, da-dum-da-dum.
Oh, it kind of does.
Then Thomas heard a distant bell.
Ding, ding, ding.
Thomas looked around to see where the sound was coming from.
Ding, ding, ding.
It was the bell on the level crossing gates.
Thomas was disappointed when he realized what was making the noise, but Mia loved the bell sound.
Any sound can be music, she told Thomas.
Music is everywhere.
You've just got to listen for it.
Hmm, even this, said Thomas, peeping his whistle.
Even that, laughed Nia.
As Thomas and Nia puffed along together, they listened out for different kinds of music.
The two engines heard the tweets and twitters of the birds singing, the rustling and crunching of the leaves under their wheels and the strange woo-woo-woo sound of the wind blowing through some long metal pipes stacked beside the tracks.
When they arrived at Vicarstown, they could see the big dome of the concert hall.
Nia was excited.
Let's go find a good place to listen to the music concert.
Just then, Sir Topham Hatt came hurrying along the platform.
He looked unhappy.
Thomas and Nia wanted to know what was wrong.
Sir Topham Hatt explained that Gordon was late bringing the musical instruments for the concert.
And without instruments, there wouldn't be a concert.
Don't worry, sir.
We'll find Gordon and get those instruments back here before the concert starts.
And that's a Thomas promise.
And we all know Thomas never breaks a Thomas promise.
Thomas and Nia raced into the maintenance yard, but Thomas didn't see a wobbly metal sheet lying across his track.
Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat went his wheels as they bounced over the wobbly metal.
Whoa, that sounded like more music, shouted Thomas as he and Nia pulled to a stop next to Sandy and Carly.
But there was no sign of Gordon.
Sandy and Carly said they had seen Gordon earlier in the day on his way to the mail depot.
Nia looked worried.
He was supposed to bring musical instruments to Vicarstown for the music concert but he never got there.
She explained.
Sandy and Carly offered to help Thomas and Nia look for Gordon.
When the four friends arrived at the mail depot, they searched everywhere for Gordon.
But Carly wasn't looking where her hook was swinging.
Tonk, tonk, tonk, tonk.
The hook bounced along the tops of some big red metal mailboxes.
Percy had just finished delivering the mail and he rushed over to see what all the noise was.
Hey, that sounded like music, Percy said.
That's right, Purse.
Musical mailboxes, giggled Thomas.
Nia told Percy they were looking for Gordon who was late delivering the musical instruments to Vicarstown.
Oh, I passed Gordon on Quickdraw Bridge on my way back here, said Percy.
Come on, we need to go to Quickdraw Bridge, shouted Nia.
If we don't find Gordon soon, there won't be a concert for anyone.
Mia and the others raced out of the depot.
As they neared the bridge, Percy rang his lucky bell.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
Then they heard a distant shout.
Percy, is that you?
It was Gordon.
He had heard Percy's lucky bell.
I'm over here.
Gordon called.
Gordon and the musical instruments were on the other side of Quickdraw Bridge but there was a problem.
The bridge was up and the switch that lowered it was stuck.
Gordon was on the wrong side of the river and he couldn't get to the concert.
They needed to get the bridge down so Gordon could cross the river.
Carly, can you hook the bridge?
Thomas asked.
Carly hooked onto the bridge and tried to pull it down, but the bridge was too heavy for her to pull on her own.
Maybe if we all pull together, suggested Thomas.
So Thomas, Nia, Sandy, Percy and Carly all pulled the bridge.
The bridge creaked and groaned.
Then it fell into place across the river.
Woohoo!
We did it!
They all cheered.
Ah, Thomas and his friends always work best as a team.
Gordon crossed the bridge with his car full of musical instruments.
But a big drum had fallen out of Gordon's car and was still on the wrong side of the bridge.
Without thinking, Nia raced across the bridge to the other side.
She picked up the drum and threw it right across the river and back into Gordon's car.
Nice throw, Nia, said Gordon as he hurried off to the concert with the musical instruments.
But without Nia's help.
The others weren't strong enough to hold the bridge down, and before Nia could cross back, to them ba-dang.
The bridge sprang back up, this time trapping Nia on the wrong side of the river and without the whole team.
The others weren't strong enough to pull the bridge back down.
Oh, poor Nia!
Nia was sad.
Great!
We've saved the concert, but now I don't get to hear the music!
Thomas had an idea.
I know what to do, but I'm going to need everyone's help.
What are we going to do? wondered Sandy.
Since Nia can't go to the concert, said Thomas, we're going to bring our own concert to Nia.
So Thomas, Percy, Carly and Sandy headed off to collect their own musical instruments.
First they went to the tracks near Bickerstown to collect the... long metal pipes.
Then they went to the maintenance yard to collect the... wobbly metal sheets.
Then they went to the mail depot to collect the... big red metal mailboxes.
Then they all headed back to Quickdraw Bridge.
Hey, guys, don't forget my... Lucky bell, Percy reminded them.
And my very loud whistle, laughed Thomas.
Together Thomas Percy, Sandy and Carly put on the best music show the island of Sodor had ever heard.
Nia swayed and spun in time with the music.
Then, ka-chunk!
Nia's dancing caused the stuck switch to move and the bridge lowered.
Nia puffed happily across the bridge to join her friends.
That was the rockiest concert ever, she gasped.
Wow, you guys are the best.
Thomas smiled his biggest smile.
For a concert that was beyond compare, Thomas and his friends used the music that was everywhere.
The End Tell your friends too.
Thomas and Friends is a registered trademark of Galane Thomas Limited.
