Little Goofballs Make Beautiful Music

OK, maybe it's not nice to call kids "little goofballs" - and I would never do it to their faces - but that's all I could think when I attended two performances at Charter Oak International Academy's annual Music Night (the obligatory evening and optional daytime shows). The little goofballs that I see running around the playground before and after school daily are capable of some beautiful music.

Case in point, my first-grade daughter, along with pre-K, kindergarten and other first-grade students, opened up the performances with music they learned in their Suzuki classes taught by very serious and capable instructors from the Hartt School of Music. It was fairly impressive to see such young kids playing violins and a lot of credit goes to their teachers.

Well, during a break in the action, my daughter and a friend moved to Charter Oak's auditorium balcony to visit their dads. That thrill lasted all of 42 seconds and they set off for a drink and to explore the second-floor hallway. These talented young musicians became little goofballs once they hit the hallway.

They got a drink. They ran down the hall and then, suddenly, stopped to read a poem on the wall. They got another drink. Tried to jump to reach flags hanging from the ceiling. Wanted to scamper on top of the lockers (goofball dad quickly nipped that in the bud) and then got another drink of water before finally lying down on some tables in the hall.

Quickly growing bored with laying around, they slid from their tabletop perches, and headed back inside the balcony. Her little friend was on one side (where I couldn't see her) but my daughter found another friend and proudly continued her goofball ways.

She plopped down next to the friend who had opera glasses. Quickly she turned them towards me and laughed. Then she inverted them and giggled even harder.

All this time she was in a beautiful white dress with silky soft silver sweater she had worn last month to her uncle's wedding. She looked like anything but a goofball.

But I couldn't be happier to witness this auditorium full of little goofballs (at least I hope most of them are still little goofballs deep down) making such beautiful music. It's a scene repeated all across West Hartford this time of year and at the holidays and it always reminds me how fun and magical childhood can be.