1
Solo
By Corinne Pratz
Marla took a deep breath to calm herself. It didn’t help. She tried again. She held her hand out and thought the trembling had lessened.
“Ready to go, Marla?” Mr. Roberts asked her, somewhat winded. She noticed the tiny beads of perspiration on his forehead and upper lip. Obviously, he’d been running around backstage making sure everyone was prepared.
“I think so.” Unconsciously, she nervously wrung her hands.
He stopped and faced her, his eyes meeting hers. “Try to relax, Marla. You know the piece. Just pretend you’re in the practice room down the hall instead of on stage, OK?” He smiled warmly.
She nodded and returned his smile. Another deep breathe. She felt a little better. If Mr. Roberts was so sure she could do it, then maybe, just maybe, she could.
She smoothed her dress as she watched Tina play her piece. She sat perched atop a wooden stool alive with the exquisite flow of music that rose from tiny places where her bow connected with the violin string before connecting with another. Her arm danced, and it looked as though Tina herself was a note singing with all the others.
Even though she had seen Tina play a hundred times before, Marla still became entranced. She thought she was beautiful, though she’d never actually tell her that. She doubted she looked anything like that when she played. In fact, she was almost certain she looked like one of those cardboard cutouts as she sat before the row of white and black keys.
Tina was playing the final bars to her piece. Marla was next. Suddenly, she began to shake again. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
She wanted to turn and run as far and as fast as she could to get away. Even though she had put off her premiere solo all year, she suddenly felt she should have put it off even longer. Maybe she just wasn’t ready! Maybe she never would be ready!
Panicked, she looked around, and as her wide eyes fell upon Mr. Roberts, he held up his thumb and nodded encouragingly. Suddenly, she stopped, and in a fleeting second, she thought of her family out in the audience proudly awaiting her performance. She thought of Mr. Roberts’ steady encouragement. She thought of her friends. She turned and faced the stage. She couldn’t back out. Not now.
Tina had finished and was bowing to the waves of applause. Marla drew in another breath. Even if she bombed, she now felt a new determination to try.
Tina met her just behind the curtain. Derrick, the concert Master of Ceremonies was about to announce her.
“Go for it, Marla! Dazzle them.” Tina exclaimed.
“…Miss Marla Stenson.” Derrick announced as he held an outstretched arm clad in a new black suit sleeve toward her.
“Go! You can do it!” Tina urged.
On legs that felt like half-cooked spaghetti noodles, she shyly stepped onto the stage and made her way to the center. She was terrified that her knees would give out as she made her introductory bow before the clapping audience. They held much to her relief. Spotlights blinded her to the audience before her, and, as she turned toward the glossy instrument, she was glad for this. She took her place on the bench. The audience grew quiet. She moved her fingers to warm them, she could hear someone cough and someone else saying, “Shhh.”
Her hands felt shaky and damp, yet they felt like they had a mind of their own. They placed themselves onto the starting keys. She sat poised for a moment, and she began to play the music in her mind. Instinctively, her fingers moved to the sounds within her and the notes could be heard aloud. The more she played, one note, one key, one ping at a time, the more she forgot about the people whose ears were receiving the sounds. And before she could even think about how she was playing, she touched the final note to her solo.
Softly, she placed her hands upon her lap for a moment before standing for those who would judge her. She was almost startled when the roar of applause hit her. Dumbfounded, it took her another moment to realize that they were clapping for her. For her! Marla smiled widely and bowed. She had done it! The gymnasium was booming with applause. For her!
Suddenly, Derrick was beside her placing a large bouquet of red roses wrapped in tissue paper with a beautiful bow in her arms while telling the audience that this was customary for a premiere solo. She wished that moment could last forever.
***Story taken from Show What You Know on the 7th Grade WASL by Kevin D. Arnold, Sheila LaSalle, and Kimberly P. Mattson
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