Megumi Noda, or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a preschool teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized. Shinichi Chiaki is Momogaoka's top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia of airplanes and the ocean. They meet by accident and sparks fly!

A highly accomplished conductor decides to leave her life in New York behind to take up the challenge of reviving a struggling orchestra.

Ever since gifted conductor Natsume’s wife and daughter left him five years ago, he has isolated himself from the music scene. Then one day, he decides to return to Japan for the first time in decades to conduct a small town orchestra and return to his estranged daughter, Hibiki, who loathes him and his music. Now he must try to thaw a relationship with his daughter frozen in time for five years, and learn to be a father.

All aboard for the adventures of Choo Choo Bob and his wacky friends as they visit railroads and museums all over the country, sing songs with each other or with guest musicians such as Ozomatli and Haley Bonar, and visit Tinyland, the small world located on Choo Choo Bob's train layout.