emotionless.
She said, “You need to work on breath control. You are botching the fortepiano transition because you are using the same breath. Stop your exhalation and begin again at the pianissimo.”
I nodded, my lunch time was over, I didn't wish for her to have any reason to fire me for clocking in late. I started reaching for my things, but she said firmly, “Again, half time. Adjust your breathing at the transition.”
I was feeling some anxiety now as I looked past her to the hall. She saw this and she softened and gave me the first true smile I had seen on her face as she said, “Please.” Good God, I'd do whatever she wanted if she'd smile like that again. I was such a sucker for a pretty face.
I glanced at her eyes, they seemed to be studying me, looking for something I couldn't figure out. It was a mistake as I found I couldn't look away as I slowed down to half time and sang. In my peripheral vision, I caught one of the fingers on her right hand tapping lightly on her hip in time. Was she checking my meter and tempo?
I was fixating on her words at the first transition. I fell off tempo as I stopped and started a breath as she said. I blinked, there was no slide in my voice. I smiled hugely and at the second transition I nailed it. I finished with one of the biggest grins on my face. She arched an eyebrow at my internal celebration and said, “Don't get cocky now. Try it at full time.” She smirked.
Oh, the bloody bird was challenging me! I smiled and started again, I cocked up the first one trying to control the breath but the second one I did a fair job of it. She smiled again. “Practice your breath control, and try tomorrow again. In the mean time.” She handed me some sheet music. “You'll find the corresponding instruction in Chapter twenty-three. It focuses more on breath control.” Then she turned to leave.
I prompted, “Please, ummm... Miss McClellan. Why are you doing this?”
She didn't even pause as she kept walking and called over her shoulder without looking back, “Don't you have rooms to clean?” Was there mirth in her tone? I was so bloody confused. Then my eyes snapped wide and I grabbed my things and ran down the hall to clock in.
Paya and I had dumped the daily trash into the bin and came back into the hall when the woman who had looked out at me Friday last, stuck her head out into the hallway again. She smiled at us and said, “Young Miss, could I trouble you for a moment in here?”
Paya nodded, and the woman, said, “Terribly sorry, but the other young lady.”
I reached over to grab the handle of my cleaning cart, assuming a mess had been made in the classroom. She waved it off with a smile and playfully rolling her eyes. “You won't need that.”
It felt like ice was suddenly flowing through my veins. I glanced over and my bestie was looking a little pale, she had come to the same conclusion. This was it, I was being sacked for taking liberties. I nodded at the woman and marched over to my doom. It was a good job while it lasted. I hope this doesn't affect any future temping.
The woman looked a pleasant sort, she was all smiles. I entered the classroom. Bloody hell, it was full up. There must have been fifteen or twenty students there. Was she going to sack me in front of them all? Then she said, “What was your name dear one?”
I stuttered, “Tabitha Romanov.”
She nodded then turned to the students. “Please welcome Tabitha everyone, she is with our cleaning service.” Everyone murmured greeting, then she asked me, “Do you have classical training?”
I barked out something that might be described as a surprised laugh, if you were kind. I slapped my hand over my mouth and composed myself and responded, “No Missus. I took two years of choir in secondary school.”
She blinked rapidly at that then her brow furrowed. She asked carefully, “How is your range? Can you hit F6?”
That was hard, bordering on painful, but I just nodded once as I started
She said, “You need to work on breath control. You are botching the fortepiano transition because you are using the same breath. Stop your exhalation and begin again at the pianissimo.”
I nodded, my lunch time was over, I didn't wish for her to have any reason to fire me for clocking in late. I started reaching for my things, but she said firmly, “Again, half time. Adjust your breathing at the transition.”
I was feeling some anxiety now as I looked past her to the hall. She saw this and she softened and gave me the first true smile I had seen on her face as she said, “Please.” Good God, I'd do whatever she wanted if she'd smile like that again. I was such a sucker for a pretty face.
I glanced at her eyes, they seemed to be studying me, looking for something I couldn't figure out. It was a mistake as I found I couldn't look away as I slowed down to half time and sang. In my peripheral vision, I caught one of the fingers on her right hand tapping lightly on her hip in time. Was she checking my meter and tempo?
I was fixating on her words at the first transition. I fell off tempo as I stopped and started a breath as she said. I blinked, there was no slide in my voice. I smiled hugely and at the second transition I nailed it. I finished with one of the biggest grins on my face. She arched an eyebrow at my internal celebration and said, “Don't get cocky now. Try it at full time.” She smirked.
Oh, the bloody bird was challenging me! I smiled and started again, I cocked up the first one trying to control the breath but the second one I did a fair job of it. She smiled again. “Practice your breath control, and try tomorrow again. In the mean time.” She handed me some sheet music. “You'll find the corresponding instruction in Chapter twenty-three. It focuses more on breath control.” Then she turned to leave.
I prompted, “Please, ummm... Miss McClellan. Why are you doing this?”
She didn't even pause as she kept walking and called over her shoulder without looking back, “Don't you have rooms to clean?” Was there mirth in her tone? I was so bloody confused. Then my eyes snapped wide and I grabbed my things and ran down the hall to clock in.
Paya and I had dumped the daily trash into the bin and came back into the hall when the woman who had looked out at me Friday last, stuck her head out into the hallway again. She smiled at us and said, “Young Miss, could I trouble you for a moment in here?”
Paya nodded, and the woman, said, “Terribly sorry, but the other young lady.”
I reached over to grab the handle of my cleaning cart, assuming a mess had been made in the classroom. She waved it off with a smile and playfully rolling her eyes. “You won't need that.”
It felt like ice was suddenly flowing through my veins. I glanced over and my bestie was looking a little pale, she had come to the same conclusion. This was it, I was being sacked for taking liberties. I nodded at the woman and marched over to my doom. It was a good job while it lasted. I hope this doesn't affect any future temping.
The woman looked a pleasant sort, she was all smiles. I entered the classroom. Bloody hell, it was full up. There must have been fifteen or twenty students there. Was she going to sack me in front of them all? Then she said, “What was your name dear one?”
I stuttered, “Tabitha Romanov.”
She nodded then turned to the students. “Please welcome Tabitha everyone, she is with our cleaning service.” Everyone murmured greeting, then she asked me, “Do you have classical training?”
I barked out something that might be described as a surprised laugh, if you were kind. I slapped my hand over my mouth and composed myself and responded, “No Missus. I took two years of choir in secondary school.”
She blinked rapidly at that then her brow furrowed. She asked carefully, “How is your range? Can you hit F6?”
That was hard, bordering on painful, but I just nodded once as I started
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