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This past Saturday my family had the wonderful experience of attending a Children's Choir Concert, making candy sculptures, learning about different musical instruments and creating one-of-a-kind valentines. It all happened downtown Baton Rouge, required no planning or advance reservations, and was free. On a tip from my mother-in-law, we headed to the Old State Capitol that morning to hear the Greater Baton Rouge Children's Chorus perform a "Concert at the Castle." The experience was truly magical. There are few things more pure and inspirational to me than the sound of children singing. It was clear that the director and conductor, Jennifer Ellis, puts a lot more than just her time in instructing these children. I enjoyed reading her bio and learning how she recognized the need for a community chorus and founded the choir in 1997. Thank you, Ms. Ellis! The musical selections and compositions were fantastic, and the concert held the attention of all three of my children. I was so thankful that we made it to the performance and will definitely look for more concerts to come. Find out more about the choir or upcoming performances here.

After our uplifting morning of music, we walked across the street to check out the Shaw Center for the Arts' Second Saturday program. On the second Saturday of each month, the Shaw Center has a fun day of art and programs for people of all ages (I would say most activities are geared toward 3- to 10-year-olds). On our recent visit, the Playmakers were on hand for storytelling performances in the Studio Theatre, big screen video games and music videos were available in the Manship Theatre, and face painting was in the lobby. We also had the chance to receive some musical instruction from some Baton Rouge Symphony members. My 4-year-old actually played a cello! The activities change each month, with the next event scheduled for March 8, so mark your calendar and get ready to create abstract art. While you are there be sure and check out the schedule of other upcoming performances and activities, like the Winnie the Pooh musical Feb. 23. Enjoy your time together!