I play viola with the New York Philharmonic,

and I am the host of the New York Philharmonic's

Very Young People's Concerts.

As host of the Very Young People's Concert,

it's a very different thing for me.

I don't have to play my viola.

I get to run around the stage sometimes I tap dance,

sometimes I sing.

I do all kinds of silly things.

And I get to be a big grown up little kid

and have a lot of fun.

I get to introduce kids to real live instruments,

and frankly it's my favorite thing to do with

Becky Young has been doing the Very Young People's Concerts

since 2008.

And what's so special is, she's really taken ownership

in designing them from a musician's point of view,

but also knowing children being a mother.

And it's quite remarkable, because when

you see her perform, she communicates

in really a unique way with the kids, and they just love it.

When I was first doing these, we'd

have what we call a legit piece of classical music.

A real string quartet, or a wind quintet,

or whatever it would be.

And our story was created behind that,

or about that with some simple concept on the screen as well,

just like Eric Carle's simple drawing.

And I noticed that we would, as great as the stories were,

and they were very creative, I felt

like when we were sitting down and just telling a story,

the kids would start to drift off and it would--

the noise level would get louder and the energy

was not quite as tight with us.

And so now the change has been that we're trying to bring it

off the screen and off--

out of the chair, telling the story.

And so the story is happening by little props

that I'm dressing up the stage while the musicians are

playing, or I'm flying a kite around the stage

because we're doing woodwinds, so that they're always

looking to see what's going to happen next.

So we have their attention.

And the same stuff is going on, it's still about the music,

it's just a little bit more, look over here kids,

we're still playing.

She is one of the most human and funniest people I know.

If you were at a New York Philharmonic rehearsal,

and if you see laughter breaking out among the musicians,

Becky has said something.

I think one of the reasons they asked me to do this,

was because they thought that I'm the biggest

kid in the orchestra.

So I think I empathize, and I can feel what they need

and what they want, because I'm one of them.

So I think that's what makes it easy for me.

But I have to say that I'm not doing this on my own.

I don't create this whole show.

It takes a village to put one of these things on.

But in terms of where we get our ideas,

it's pretty much sitting around and thinking,

oh that would be silly, they'll love that.

I really just want it to be something

that they have so much fun attending,

and the focus is on the music.

It's always supposed to be about the music and drawing attention

to the music in whatever silly way that I can.

But I want them to come and want to hear more music.

I want them to come back and hear another one.