His relationship with Christina evolved from hostile to competitive to something approaching mutual respect. During a lesson where they both worked on different Chopin autes, she suddenly said, You're getting better. Actually better. Not just charity case better.
Thanks. I think it's annoying actually. I've been training for twelve years and you're catching up in less than a year. Makes me wonder if I've been wasting time.
You haven't. Marcus said, You're still way better than me technically. But you make people feel things when you play. I'm trying to figure out how you do that.
It was the first real conversation they'd had, and it led to others. Christina started sharing practice tips, recommending recordings, even inviting Marcus to attend a concert with her and her parents. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't enemies either.
Week twenty-four brought Marcus's first real competition, the Young Artists Piano Competition, a regional event that attracted about 50 competitors in his age division. Harrington prepared him intensively. But he was also brutally honest. You're going to lose, Harrington said flatly the week before the competition.
Your technique still isn't polished enough to beat students who've been competing for years. But that's not the point. The point is to get experience, to learn what competition feels like, to start building your mental toughness. Harrington was right.
Marcus didn't place in the top three. He didn't even make it past the preliminary round. Watching other students perform pieces far beyond his current ability, seeing their confidence and polish was humbling, but it also lit a fire. Next time, Marcus told Harrington on the subway ride home, I'm going to win.
Maybe, Harrington said, or maybe you'll come in second or third. The point isn't always winning. It's continual improvement. No, Marcus said firmly. Next time I'm winning.
Six months later, at the end of the first year of study, Harrington organized another recital for his students. This time, Marcus chose a much more ambitious program. Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata, first movement; Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte; and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. The Liszt was a risk.
A showpiece known for its extreme technical demands, its rapid octaves, its bravura passages that could make or break a performer. Christina had tried to talk him out of it. That piece takes years to master. You've had one year of real training.
You're going to crash and burn. Maybe, but I'm going to try. The night of the recital, Marcus sat backstage listening to the other students perform. They'd all chosen ambitious programs.