Early on in our music adventure, my daughters and their friends asked if they could put on a show for their families. As the kids discussed what this event would be like, they planned a rain dance, a "Symphony of Singing Glasses" (playing the rims of glasses with their fingertips), "Do-Re-Mi" on the glockenspiel and, of course, their karaoke songs. The kids kept talking about their show at school and I kept hearing about just one more child who wanted to be included ("She won the Elvis impersonation contest in after-school day care and she wants to sing Hound Dog").

I invited all the performers over early on the day of the show to figure out the logistics. They decided to hold the production outdoors and proceeded to work out the order of the numbers, the props and costumes they would need, and did a very rough run-through. We took a length of pink fabric and turned it into a curtain and each child made a sign for his or her number. The kids also designed admission tickets and set up a concession stand with cookies and lemonade.

Around mid-afternoon, the audience arrived and the kids' excitement hit fever pitch. When they went out on stage for the first act, they had a minor case of stage fright: After briefly explaining and demonstrating their homemade instruments, they scurried offstage. Following a short intermission, though, the kids hit their stride. In full costumes and make up, they stepped on stage and, right on cue, belted out their numbers. When they were done, one after another, they came backstage exclaiming, "I did it! I can't believe I did it!"