You're in second grade. You've just spent seven hours trying to sit still in a hard, wooden desk and concentrate on writing your name in cursive. Recess is never long enough, and you're too big for nap time. But you can't.
Today is a piano day.
So instead of vegging in front of the tube you have to culture yourself for a couple of hours in Loyola's piano music preparatory program. About 300 dedicated kids come to Loyola to learn classical piano, voice, ballet, strings or guitar. Occasionally a diligent one will occupy a practice room. But most of the time they're holed up in their corner, plowing their way through Gurlitt and Rachmaninoff while other kids make mud pies. The funny thing is that many of the prep kids love their music days, even if it means more homework and headache.