About John Brain & BrainySongs
Bringing Science to Life Through Song, Storytelling & Live Performance
BrainySongs was created with a single mission: to ignite children’s natural curiosity about science and nature through the power of live music and storytelling.
Created by veteran science educator, songwriter, and former Cambridge International Education consultant John Brain, BrainySongs transforms complex scientific concepts into high-energy, memorable stage experiences for primary and middle school audiences worldwide.
It is always delightful to be sent pictures of children enjoying BrainySongs. This one, from a small elementary school in the US
Meet the Founder
John Brain
Science Educator • Consultant • Songwriter & Performer
John spent over 25 years teaching K–12 science across international schools globally, delivering diverse curricula to mainstream students, second-language learners (EAL/CLIL), and pupils with special educational needs (SEN). As a teacher consultant for Cambridge International Education, he developed innovative digital resources used by schools around the world.
Alongside his teaching career, John has been a lifelong touring musician—playing fiddle, mandolin, and guitar in traditional Irish groups, Delta blues ensembles, and fusion world music bands, with numerous TV and radio appearances to his credit.
By combining deep pedagogical expertise with decades of live stage experience, John creates "SciFolk" performances that are musically rich, educationally rigorous, and genuinely engaging for the whole family.
John Brain
Why BrainySongs Works
Story-Driven Science: Rather than fitting science vocabulary into pop covers, BrainySongs features original acoustic music where key terms and concepts naturally drive the narrative.
Curriculum-Grounded: Mapped directly to UK Key Stage 1–3, Cambridge Primary, and NGSS standards (Forces, Space, Ecosystems, Light & Sound).
Multi-Sensory & Inclusive: Proven highly effective for EAL/CLIL learners and SEN students who thrive on multi-sensory engagement over traditional text.
Complete Classroom Support: Every live booking includes permanent site licenses to our comprehensive Post-Performance Activity Packs, letting teachers extend the learning long after the equipment is packed away
What Event Leaders & Teachers Say
“The children thoroughly enjoyed the variety of science and nature-themed songs as part of their science day at Ash Hill. They happily sang along to the choruses and asked and answered lots of science questions. One girl stopped me in the corridor afterwards to say how much she loved it. Thank you John!”
— Mrs. Jo Sergeant (Co-Headteacher, Ash Hill Primary School)
Benefits to learning science through song
Songs are highly engaging and fun!
In addition to this songs:
are marvellous for building scientific vocabulary and key terms
are well-documented for building general vocabulary (language learners can learn English through science).
aid memorisation and serve as a mnemonic device through repetition and rhythmic patterns.
are relaxing and promote wellbeing.
enhanced cognitive abilities.
boost reading skills.
enhance creativity and imagination.
Songs are not meant to replace other activities in the science classroom or home education environment. They supplement and enhance it, providing variety and another mode of learning. When BrainySongs are used with our supplementary learning resources, like BrainySongs worksheets and lyric sheets, they become a powerful learning tool for young learners.
The above notes are based on evidence-based research (citations at bottom of page) together with the views and experience of BrainySongs.
Citations:
(1) Governor, D. (2011). Teaching and Learning Science Through Song: Exploring the Experiences of Students and Teachers. PhD Thesis, University of Georgia. Available at: https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/governor_donna_201105_phd.pdf [Accessed: 20/03/24]
(2) Crowther, G. (2012). Using Science Songs to Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach. CBE Life Sci Educ, 11(1), 26-30
