Chapter 29

At 1:45 p.m., all the auditionees were called into the concert hall. It was the most beautiful room Sophia had ever seen: the ceiling was high and decorated with gold details, there were hundreds of red velvet seats, and on the stage sat a magnificent black grand piano that made even Mr. Wellington's piano look small.Dr. Martinez stood at the front of the room with four other professors. "Welcome, everyone," he said. "Today, twelve of you will be selected for our program. We know you're all nervous, but remember: you wouldn't be here if you weren't already exceptional musicians."The auditions began. One by one, students were called to perform. Sophia listened to some incredible playing: a girl from New York played a Rachmaninoff piece that was technically perfect; a boy from California performed a Beethoven sonata with incredible passion.As she waited, Sophia touched the treble clef pin on her dress and thought about Mrs. Chun, about her father, and about all the people who had believed in her dreams."Sophia Santos," Dr. Martinez called.This was it. Sophia walked to the stage on shaking legs. The piano seemed enormous under the bright stage lights. She could see Maria and Mr. Wellington sitting in the third row, smiling encouragingly.She sat down at the bench and adjusted it carefully. The piano keys felt smooth and perfect under her fingers. She looked out at the professors who would decide her future."I'll be performing five pieces today," she said, her voice stronger than she felt. "I'd like to begin with Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major."She placed her hands on the keys and began to play.Immediately, all her nervousness disappeared. This was the piece that had started everything—the piece she had played for Mr. Wellington on that first day. But now, she played it with a year of additional training and a lifetime of additional emotion.The music filled the concert hall like golden light. Every note was perfect, every phrase shaped with deep understanding. She played with the confidence of someone who belonged on that stage.When the nocturne ended, she moved seamlessly into her Mozart sonata: her fingers danced across the keys with precision and joy. The professors were writing notes, but their faces showed admiration.Her third piece was the Bach prelude that had impressed Dr. Martinez at her first audition, but she played it even better now, with more maturity and technical skill: the complex rhythms were effortless, the harmony clear and beautiful.For her fourth piece, she performed a modern composition that Ms. Rodriguez had taught her: it was challenging and unusual, showing that she could handle contemporary music as well as classical pieces.Finally, she played a piece of her own choice: a Chopin ballade that she had learned specifically for this audition. It was the most difficult piece she had ever attempted, full of dramatic contrasts and technical challenges. But she played it like she had been born to perform it.When the last note faded away, the concert hall was completely silent.

Billionaire Asked His Black Maid's Daughter To Play Piano 'For FUN' But She Was A Gifted Musician

Cop Accuses Black Teen of Hara-ssing His Own Girlfriend — Bodycam Leads to $1M Lawsuit

Police Questioned a Black Boy Delivering Newspapers — Then His Uncle Showed an FBI Badge

A Lone Rancher Sheltered an Injured Apache Woman Overnight — At Dawn, the Entire Ridge Filled With Riders

A Cowboy Rode Into an Apache Marriage Ceremony Looking for His Horse — Then the Chief’s Daughter Pointed at Him

They Left a Young Widow to Die Beside the Santa Fe Trail — Then the Man She Once Blamed for Her Husband’s Death Found Her

News in the same category

Billionaire Asked His Black Maid's Daughter To Play Piano 'For FUN' But She Was A Gifted Musician