to you, 2000 days ago

10

"Can someone explain the difference between playing music with emotion and expression and without?" Mrs. Moon asked the class.

After weeks of practicing their pieces since the start of the school year, their class had finally managed to get a grip on the rhythm and notes, and they had finally begun to transition towards improving their dynamics and expression.

Juliette's hand shot up. Their teacher scanned the class before nodding at her.

"Playing without emotion is almost like playing robotically," Juliette explained. "Recalling emotional experiences from our past can create subtle differences in our musicality and dynamics."

Next to her, Callum raised his hand.

"Callum?"

"I disagree," he said, lowering his hand.

Of course he does, Juliette thought, mentally rolling her eyes.

"You don't necessarily need to recall an emotional or difficult experience to express those feelings through music," he pointed out.

Juliette shot her hand up again. "True, but don't you think that might be more difficult? It's like singing or talking about sadness and loss when you've never experienced either," she reasoned, directing her response towards their teacher.

"Well, we're not exactly the next Taylor Swifts here," Callum pointed out.

Mrs. Moon grinned, seeming satisfied with their response. "As much as I appreciate both of your enthusiasm on this subject. Let's hear what the rest of the class thinks as well," she said, turning to the rest of the class.

Juliette turned to her stand partner, who had a smug look plastered on his face. "You're right. You probably wouldn't be able to sing half as good as Taylor Swift, anyway," she retorted.

"Half?" he scoffed, ducking his head to hide a grin. "You're being far too generous, Desmond."

"Have you even listened to Taylor Swift before?" she whispered-shouted back.

"Come on, hasn't everyone?"

"Really? When was the last time you listened to her music?"

Callum quickly averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Uhh...last night?"

Her jaw dropped. "You're lying!"

He shook his head.

"You're a swiftie?" she said, sounding more like an accusation than an observation.

"Well duh--is it that hard for you to believe?"

"Um, a little?" she pointed out, flipping the page on their music stand to the next piece they were going to practice. October.

Coincidentally, they would be performing October in October, which was the planned date of their Fall Serenade Concert at their school.

That left their class with about a month to master their five planned pieces for the concert.

"Actually, change of plans," Mrs. Moon said, flipping through her score. "Let's play waltz instead."

After weeks of rehearsing Waltz no. 2, their class had made significant progress, but they were still behind in terms of musicality. Some still stumbled on the shifting and key signatures, and they hadn't even begun discussing how to switch between bass and alto clef for the cello part.

Callum groaned. Despite spending weeks of practice on this piece on his own--especially the cello solo--there were still some parts that he wasn't confident in his playing.