I just had an opportunity to volunteer at one of the local elementary schools. The school has no music program due to budget cuts, so I decided to give a presentation about percussion instruments and their use in orchestras and bands. I brought a xylophone, orchestra bells, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, maracas, and a couple of hand drums. It was a good workout loading and unloading my car :). I planned a fun, interaction based performance which was a balance of solos and excerpts from famous classical orchestral compositions, as well as music from the movies and cartoons. It was very interesting to let the kids try to play and see their emotions and smiles. It felt a bit like a "petting zoo" :). The kids were really entertained and had a lot of fun. Some of them decided to draw pictures of me and the instruments. It was a very rewarding and memorable experience.