Preparations for the "Our Children on the Internet" concert, which promises to be the main event of the early summer, are currently reminiscent of an orchestrated natural disaster. Teachers have switched to an intensive coffee regimen, parents have become a 24-hour "costume-props-child" delivery service, and the heroes of the occasion themselves feel in control. Music plays nonstop in the halls, while in the wardrobe departments, they wrestle with capricious sequins and endless meters of fabric.

The date of the upcoming concert—June 2—was not chosen by chance. It coincides with Children's Day. Although, given how confident the younger generation feels on stage and in life, it's still a question of who to protect from whom. Kids are so advanced these days that, between rehearsals, they have time to explain to their grandfathers the difference between a neural network and a router, and hint to their mentors that it's time to call their favorite new-generation Alpha hits classics.

The festive concert program is a real mixed bag. The organizers have put together everything from classical songs to the most popular ones—those currently playing on every smartphone. The idea is simple: to keep dad awake and keep the little sister happy while recording. It's the perfect excuse to get out with the whole family and avoid arguing over what music to listen to. Guests will be treated to the Melodiya Orchestra conducted by Annaoraz Dovletov, children's choirs (choirmasters Natalia Klyubchenko, Gulyalek Bayrammuradova, and Ilhama Cholukova), as well as Dovran Shammyev, Tylla Shirova, Mustafa Yagshiyev, Salikh Darchia, and Shirin Dzhumaeva...

Meanwhile, life is in full swing behind the scenes. Everyone took their responsibilities very seriously, but there were also some funny moments. Recently, one of the choir members couldn't find the right moment to begin a song. She and a friend agreed to discreetly nudge her with her elbow at the right moment. During rehearsal, the assistant approached the task so responsibly that she gave the artist a genuine creative boost. Taken by surprise, she not only began but literally leaped to the microphone, beginning to sing in mid-air.

The costume designers weren't immune to the tension either. One of the soloists refused to take off his concert jacket after a fitting, declaring that he would wear it even to school, because "a certain girl there must finally understand who she's lost." Everyone immediately began worrying about how to protect the jacket from the school sausage roll stains until the concert, and urged the performer to take care of it.

The microphone incident became a local meme. One of the younger members had been practicing at home in front of the mirror with a comb for so long that his muscle memory kicked in on stage. At the most crucial moment, he seriously raised the microphone to his head and began to carefully style his bangs. The teacher in the audience froze, and the child, catching her eye, frantically tried to stuff the microphone into his pocket, as he usually does with a comb. Even the general rehearsal wasn't without some creative thinking. During rehearsals, one vocalist would quietly interject at the end of each phrase: "Ee-e!", "Come on!", "Where are your hands?!" to amuse his friends. He thought only those standing nearby could hear him. But he hadn't taken one thing into account: there were ultra-sensitive microphones all over the stage.

As the choir began to sing, the gaps between phrases were amplified by the powerful speakers, filling the entire hall. The parents, waiting for the rehearsal to end, were first stunned, then collapsed into their seats laughing. The vocalist, realizing his "secret whisper" was now being broadcast in HD, tried to literally melt into the carpet. The choir no longer sang, but hiccupped with laughter. The rehearsal had to be interrupted for fifteen minutes until everyone had cried their last tears of laughter. The young member became a star after this, earning the nickname "MC Yo."

And that's not all. One boy came on stage in full concert attire, but forgot to take off his massive school backpack—he'd grown so accustomed to it all day that he'd simply stopped noticing it. The concert host also became the subject of a funny moment. Whether from fatigue or nervous tension, she automatically tried to scroll through the printed text with a characteristic thumb movement, like on a smartphone, in front of all the musicians.

Come support our artists—they really need to see your eyes and hear your applause. This program has been prepared with great love and a touch of good-natured mischief. It will be loud, fun, and very family-friendly. This entire concert is a combination of sincerity and genuine childlike effort. If you want to see the result with your own eyes, we look forward to seeing you on June 2 at the Vatan Cinema and Concert Hall at 7:00 PM to celebrate the beginning of summer together.

Yolbars Annayev