"Are you sure this is not too much for you?" Maya's mother asked one evening when Maya was practicing finger exercises at the kitchen table.
"It's hard work," Maya admitted. "But it's the most important thing I have ever done. I'm going to show everyone that I can play classical music just as well as anyone else."
After two months of intense practice, Maya was starting to make real progress on the concerto. She could play the first movement all the way through without stopping, and she was beginning to work on the second and third movements. Her finger technique had improved dramatically, and she was starting to understand the deep emotional meaning of the music.
Mrs. Rodriguez was impressed with Maya's progress, but she knew they still had a long way to go. "You are learning faster than I expected," Mrs. Rodriguez told Maya. "But we need to start thinking about when and where you are going to perform this piece. Playing it perfectly in a practice room is one thing. Playing it in front of an audience is something completely different."
Three months into Maya's intensive training, something unexpected happened. Mrs. Rodriguez called Maya early one morning with excitement in her voice.
"Maya, turn on the local news right now," she said. "There's something you need to see."
Maya asked her brother Sam to turn on the television. The morning news was showing a story about a local music foundation that was organizing a special benefit concert. The reporter was standing in front of the same concert hall where Maya had met Victor Holbrook.
"The Harmony Foundation is hosting a benefit concert to raise money for young musicians who cannot afford music lessons," the reporter said. "They are inviting talented young people from the community to audition for a chance to perform alongside professional musicians."
Maya listened carefully as the reporter continued.
"The headline performer will be world-renowned pianist Victor Holbrook, who recently became famous on social media for his controversial comments about amateur musicians."
Maya's heart started beating faster. She could not believe what she was hearing.