CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! austin moon

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO, the music factory

Delaney was now in one of the practice rooms with Ezra. The soundproofed walls are lined with racks holding various instruments—guitars, keyboards, a cajón, and an array of percussion gear. Soft LED strips under the shelves cast a gentle glow over tactile music devices and adaptive equipment designed for accessibility. "So, Ezra, in here we've got some really cool tools designed to help you feel the music as much as hear it. Are there any specific instrument you've been curious about? Drums, maybe? Piano? Something else that caught your eye?"

Ezra shrugs a little, eyes scanning the room. "I dunno...I tried piano once. Too many notes. It felt like...Too much, ya know?" He rubs his arm, a nervous tic Delaney had noticed His gaze flicks restlessly from shelf to shelf before landing on a squat wooden box in the corner—simple, square, and surrounded by a few coiled cables and a tablet stand. "What's this?"

Delaney brightens and walks over. "That's a cajón," She says, patting the top of it. "It's a percussion instrument—you sit on it and play by tapping different areas with your hands. Different spots make different sounds. Think of it like a portable drum kit, but way less intimidating."

She crouches next to it, flipping on a small attached module that lights up with soft green LEDs. "This one's been adapted with tactile sensors inside. "It sends gentle vibrations through your hands when you tap it—kind of like feedback you can feel, even if you don't catch every sound."

She taps near the center of the cajón, and a quiet thump is followed by a subtle pulse from the sensors. The small module on the side glows in rhythm, syncing with her touch. "See? And this part," She taps closer to the edge. "Makes a higher sound and a different vibration. You can feel where the tone changes, which helps a lot with learning rhythm and hand placement." Then she reaches for the tablet stand beside it and wakes the screen. A waveform visualizer immediately activates, and as she tapped again, colorful ripples appear on screen—blue and violet for deeper hits, amber and red for sharper tones.

Ezra leans in, visibly intrigued. "So...I could watch this and know if I'm playing right? I don't just have to rely on hearing?"

Delaney nods, a smile warming her expression. "Exactly. Plus, it can be a bit of a confidence booster when you see your progress in the visual and feel it, too. Then eventually muscle memory kicks in the more practice and training you have."

Ezra gives a small nod, his fingers brushing the edge of the cajón as if testing its texture. "That sounds...Easier. Not easy, but like it makes more sense to me."

Delaney crouches again beside him, her voice gentle. "A lot of people think music is just about hearing. But it's not. It's about feeling—emotion, rhythm, connection. And you've already got all of that in you."

Ezra glances down, a flicker of something like hope flashing across his face. "So...If I mess up, it's okay?"

"It's more than okay," Delaney says, her voice firm with kindness. "Messing up is part of the process. That's how you learn. And honestly? No one learns an instrument without messing up, and that includes the professionals. I mess up a lot. We're human, after all." She gave a warm chuckle. "The important thing is to keep going and not be afraid of mistakes."

Ezra's eyes met hers, a bit more steady now. "That...Actually makes me feel better. Like, I don't have to be perfect right away." He looks down with a frown. "My parents they expect me to be good at everything right away. If I'm not perfect, they get disappointed. Makes me afraid to even try sometimes." He scoffs. "But my older sister is good at everything, she always gets all the attention and praise. Sometimes it feels like I'm just the mess-up sibling."

Delaney shakes her head gently. "Ezra, there's no such thing as a perfect musician. You're only human, and that means making mistakes is part of the journey—not a sign of failure." She smiles warmly, her eyes full of encouragement. "Everyone struggles at first, even the people you think are 'naturally good.' Your sister might shine in some ways, but you have your own strengths, and music can be a place where you discover them."