The Music In My Life: Part VI

He is very tall with long stringy blonde hair and rises up from the pair of neon yellow Agassi shoes that I have been coveting for weeks at the mall (they only come in men’s so I can't get a pair.) The group around him seems to know him but since I do not, I weave through and into the practice room.

We are to start practice on René Joly's “Lord of The Rings” today and I am excited. Since I am currently lead, I will get the soprano sax solo representing Smeagol. My first solo on soprano, I will be the one wailing that dreadful cry by smearing two eerie octaves into one long dissonant descent created by my very own embouchure.

My diva-dreams are interrupted when Nike-guy slides himself into the chair where my rival has usually perched himself and honors me with an introduction. It turns out that this is our fine conductor's eldest from which rumors of being suspended from (famous school) for cocaine use had already predicated.

It only takes a week before I am back on second part. I would not worry so much but there are only two alto parts in the ensemble and my rival will be eligible to challenge me in just a couple of weeks. Also, I know that the clarinet section is hurting for an alto clarinet player and I had already been filling in during quartet practices so chances of the maestro moving me down to clarinet are rising.