"Maya, where were you today?" Mrs. Rodriguez asked. "I was worried when you didn't come to practice."
"I don't think I want to play piano anymore," Maya said quietly.
"What? Why would you say that?"
Maya told Mrs. Rodriguez about the video and all the comments people were making online. She explained how even her parents thought she should give up her dream of becoming a professional pianist.
Mrs. Rodriguez was quiet for a long time after Maya finished talking. Finally, she spoke in a voice that sounded very serious.
"Maya, I need to tell you something," she said. "I have been teaching music for over 20 years. I have worked with hundreds of students, and I can honestly say that you have more natural talent than almost anyone I have ever met."
"But Victor Holbrook said—"
"Victor Holbrook is wrong," Mrs. Rodriguez interrupted firmly. "He is a good pianist, but he is a terrible person. What he said to you was cruel and ignorant."
Maya felt a tiny bit of hope starting to grow in her chest. Mrs. Rodriguez had never said anything like this to her before.
"There have been many successful blind pianists throughout history," Mrs. Rodriguez continued. "Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, George Shearing, and many others. They proved that blindness is not a barrier to making beautiful music."
"But those were mostly jazz and popular music," Maya said. "Classical music is different."