fidgeting and wringing my fingers. She nodded. “Brill. Go ahead then.”
I'm sure my eyes were about to bug out of my head as I whispered to her, “Here?”
She nodded and said with a grin, “Please if you would.” I sighed, but then took a couple conditioning breaths. The woman was throwing me into the fire, I was glad I had just sung for Teresa, my vocal cords were loosened up. I hummed F to myself to get it into my ear, then opened my mouth and hit the note cleanly. She firmly said, “Forte!” I increased my projection.
She looked at the others with a satisfied smile then handed me some sheet music. She didn't look at me as she seemed to stare down the group as she said, “The highlighted passage if you would be so kind dear one.”
My eyes bugged out again as I looked at Queen of the Night from Mozart’s legendary opera, The Magic Flute. The Aria features a high note of F6 within a challenging section that darts up into a demandingly high register. Ummm...
I looked over at the woman with what I'm sure was a terrified look on my face. She just smiled and nudged her chin at the music. I swallowed visibly then took a few breaths and tested a few notes. Then I stood tall and sang. The instructor had her eyes closed and her facial expressions and eyebrows seemed to be singing along with me. I cocked up a note and she winced a bit, the rest went great for a dry run.
I was blushing from head to toe when I finished the highlighted passage. I handed the music back to the woman and wanted nothing other than to escape. She smiled at me encouragingly and said, “That was lovely Tabitha. Thank you. I see why my daughter is gushing about you. And you've had no formal training?” I shook my head and she showed mercy and motioned her head to the door, dismissing me.
I heard her saying to the students as the door was closing behind me with my heart pounding in my ears, “There, now stop complaining and apply yourselves. That dear girl doesn't have any formal training yet she could accomplish that.”
I almost ran to my cleaning cart, Paya was still there waiting. She tilted her head and creased her brow as I started down the hall with the cart. “So that's it then? I'm sorry Tabs.”
I grinned sheepishly. “No. It's fine, I still have the job. She just wanted me to sing for her students.” I shrugged and she gave me a comically confused look. The I froze in my tracks. Wait, did she say her daughter was gushing about me? I felt... warm, all over. Then my blood went cold again, then that was Marjorie McClellan, the bloody brilliant woman who wrote that book! I finished the day out in a daze.
I spent the night going over the prior lesson, and worked on my breathing, attempting the lesson again and again. I was smiling by the time the generator powered down for the night and I lit my kerosene lamp. I was able to get through the impossible lesson better than half of the time.
I excitedly grabbed the second batch of music Teresa had given me. My eyes went wide in shock and horror. Were these bloody lessons designed just to torture students? And the syncopation and dozens of transitions... just keeping proper time would take most of your concentration. I thought about the classroom today and how embarrassing it was. Then I looked at this new lesson. Was that the point? Was the headmistress trying to embarrass me for eavesdropping on the class?
I thought of her fierce eyes then that tiny smile and serene look on her face, as she listened to me, sing. No, she wasn't trying to embarrass me, but I had no clue what she was on about and it was frustrating. I take back everything I have said about loving a good intrigue. My traitorous mouth betrayed me by smiling. Fine whatever, I love a good intrigue.
As I read the corresponding chapter in the lesson book and practiced the new impossible music, I thought of her elusive smile again. I smiled. Her mother had said she was gushing about me.
Chapter 6 – Prodigy
The next day I
I'm sure my eyes were about to bug out of my head as I whispered to her, “Here?”
She nodded and said with a grin, “Please if you would.” I sighed, but then took a couple conditioning breaths. The woman was throwing me into the fire, I was glad I had just sung for Teresa, my vocal cords were loosened up. I hummed F to myself to get it into my ear, then opened my mouth and hit the note cleanly. She firmly said, “Forte!” I increased my projection.
She looked at the others with a satisfied smile then handed me some sheet music. She didn't look at me as she seemed to stare down the group as she said, “The highlighted passage if you would be so kind dear one.”
My eyes bugged out again as I looked at Queen of the Night from Mozart’s legendary opera, The Magic Flute. The Aria features a high note of F6 within a challenging section that darts up into a demandingly high register. Ummm...
I looked over at the woman with what I'm sure was a terrified look on my face. She just smiled and nudged her chin at the music. I swallowed visibly then took a few breaths and tested a few notes. Then I stood tall and sang. The instructor had her eyes closed and her facial expressions and eyebrows seemed to be singing along with me. I cocked up a note and she winced a bit, the rest went great for a dry run.
I was blushing from head to toe when I finished the highlighted passage. I handed the music back to the woman and wanted nothing other than to escape. She smiled at me encouragingly and said, “That was lovely Tabitha. Thank you. I see why my daughter is gushing about you. And you've had no formal training?” I shook my head and she showed mercy and motioned her head to the door, dismissing me.
I heard her saying to the students as the door was closing behind me with my heart pounding in my ears, “There, now stop complaining and apply yourselves. That dear girl doesn't have any formal training yet she could accomplish that.”
I almost ran to my cleaning cart, Paya was still there waiting. She tilted her head and creased her brow as I started down the hall with the cart. “So that's it then? I'm sorry Tabs.”
I grinned sheepishly. “No. It's fine, I still have the job. She just wanted me to sing for her students.” I shrugged and she gave me a comically confused look. The I froze in my tracks. Wait, did she say her daughter was gushing about me? I felt... warm, all over. Then my blood went cold again, then that was Marjorie McClellan, the bloody brilliant woman who wrote that book! I finished the day out in a daze.
I spent the night going over the prior lesson, and worked on my breathing, attempting the lesson again and again. I was smiling by the time the generator powered down for the night and I lit my kerosene lamp. I was able to get through the impossible lesson better than half of the time.
I excitedly grabbed the second batch of music Teresa had given me. My eyes went wide in shock and horror. Were these bloody lessons designed just to torture students? And the syncopation and dozens of transitions... just keeping proper time would take most of your concentration. I thought about the classroom today and how embarrassing it was. Then I looked at this new lesson. Was that the point? Was the headmistress trying to embarrass me for eavesdropping on the class?
I thought of her fierce eyes then that tiny smile and serene look on her face, as she listened to me, sing. No, she wasn't trying to embarrass me, but I had no clue what she was on about and it was frustrating. I take back everything I have said about loving a good intrigue. My traitorous mouth betrayed me by smiling. Fine whatever, I love a good intrigue.
As I read the corresponding chapter in the lesson book and practiced the new impossible music, I thought of her elusive smile again. I smiled. Her mother had said she was gushing about me.
Chapter 6 – Prodigy
The next day I
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