At break Wednesday night during our concert at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (the second stop on the Red White and Blue Tour), a family of four approached the edge of the stage and asked if their younger daughter Emma might look at my "violin." She takes piano lessons but wants to play four instruments, she says. Emma was not a bit shy about hopping up on stage and asking if she could play my viola. Even though it's way too big for her, we nestled it up under her chin, gave her a rudimentary bow grip, and she started drawing some tones across the strings. I was struck by the way she focused in on the sound right away, and unlike a lot of kids who would take two swipes and hand it back, after several minutes of her trying out all the different strings I thought I might have to wrestle my viola away from her. I gave a look to her mother, commenting on Emma's intense focus, and she gave me one of those knowing "mom" looks.

Big sister Hannah, the visual artist in the family, then produced the booklet she had drawn during the first half of the concert, quickly did my portrait, and got my autograph. Sweet kids, sweet family, and they seemed to have a ball at our concert.