Too loud; Part 1 Creating a disturbance

Posted on Wed May 5th, 2021 @ 7:34am by Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D & Ensign Cameron Kore
Edited on on Wed May 5th, 2021 @ 7:43am

Mission: The Silent Scream
Location: Junior Officers Quarter Edwards/Kore
Timeline: 5th of April 2395 16:00

ON:

For thirty years Doctor Anthony Edwards had been learning and practicing the piano though it had been fifteen years since he last played for his family and friends in a, strictly speaking, concert setting. He had always loved the sound but for many years aside from playing for credit in a lounge in Edinburgh during his university days and then in the old district of Fort Baker where the Academy was today.

The fact that he had no concert experience in recent years was making him nervous. He knew he would be fine but the last time he had done a concert there were many people either related or his friends there, so it protected his feelings from anyone that thought he sucked. Not that he did, by the time he was twenty he had been a practicing pianist for fifteen years, so Tchichovski, Brahms, Rachmaninov, were good friends to him. He loved Mozart and Beethoven, and you could tell the symphonies that were written as he got deafer, as the notes slide deeper and deeper, though that said his favourite was the compositions written specifically of Rachmaninov for those players that could only play with their left hand. They were all non melodic and sounded disjointed but they gave you a chance to hold a drink or eat in some food for a while and still play the piano. That said few people liked them for concerts short stints with even shorter breaks for drinking and eating.

That said Anthony needed someone he could trust to listen and give him a fair assessment of if he is ready for a concert. Before she went back to Civilian sciences after her stint in his team the first person he would have been Helena, though now he was left with trusting someone else, but whom to trust? He was very glad that over the years technology allowed for roll-up piano keyboards that could be connected wirelessly to pedals and speakers so he could even practice on a shuttle if needs be.

Laying on the bed in her quarters Cameron was several chapters into her latest book when she heard piano music coming through the wall, she knew it had to be Lt Edwards playing again. Usually, the soundproofing of the room was enough to keep out the majority of the noise but this time things were much louder than usual.

Anthony was at the moment sitting at the desk in his quarters with his roll-up keyboard and pedals just in front of him. As often was the case as a way to drone out offduty starship life he was playing forte, not so loud that he could drown out a Klingon Opera, but if he did that he like Beethoven would be moving deeper and deeper because he expected it would make his ears bleed. Pianoforte, from whence we got the word for piano because it could be played both loud and quiet, was useful in its right play but today he was practicing one of Rachmaninov for the left hand. Knowing it was not the most pleasant music he should have put his headphones on but once again he had forgotten to.

Listening for several minutes as Anthony played, Cameron eventually got up and headed for her door, while she liked classical music and had some experience of playing it herself, something about Anthony’s playing didn’t feel quite right. Covering the distance between their rooms quickly she tapped the chime.

Missing the first chime as part of the music, he missed HG and was a little grumpy in that, and that was the whole reason for his loud play. He was awoken to it when it came again. He stopped and turned the speakers down and he said “Come in.”
Cameron walked through the doorway into Anthony’s quarters. “Hey, Lieutenant.”

“Hey Ensign what’s up? Anthony asked.

“Did you forget your headphones today?” She asked, she knew he usually had them when he played.

“Oh a bit loud, yeah I think I left them in my office. Was it really disturbing?” Anthony asked, he knew Ensign Kore had an interest in classical music he just hoped he hadn’t woken her.

Cameron shook her head slightly. “A little loud but manageable if you turned it down just a little, what that Rachmaninov you were playing?”

“Rachmaninov for left hand only, Piano, a rather complicated piece but it gives you time to grab something to eat or drink part way through a set.” Anthony said.

“I thought it sounded like one of his,” Cameron smiled. “ Always handy to know something you can play with one hand when you’re playing for a long time.”

“It is and when you’re feeling a bit on the blue side is almost as dark as you feel, With a cheery bit in the middle. Not that it is long enough to give you a cheery outlook on life again. Still, at least HG hasn’t died so I will get over it eventually.” Anthony said almost working up to a smile.

“I’ve heard you playing quite a few different composers, who are your favourite?” she asked.

“I’d have to say, Amadeus which is to say, Mozart. It is reputed that he played the piano horizontally once as a dare or whatever they called that in his day.” Anthony said with a smile and then asked directly “You like classical music obviously, which I am glad for or it might get difficult to live next to me. Who is your favourite? Oh and off duty because we’re so close in rank feel free to call me Anthony.”

“I’d say probably Shostakovich,” Cameron said after a few moments of deliberation. “My godparents were both from Russia so I heard a lot of that style of music, a lot of Russian folk music too.”

“We’ll have to try and Collaborate at some point, I would certainly learn something about folk music. I am in awe of your choice of Composer, Fifteen symphonies, film score by the score. As a twentieth-century composer, he was an entertainer, which I would guess is why he also got into folk music as well.” Anthony said with a smile.

“May I?” She motioned to a chair “I was a little more into his work built for string quartets rather than his symphonies, my godmother taught me the violin for several years when I was younger but I haven’t played in a long time.”

“Well as they say there is no bad time to pick it up again. I suppose that’s not quite true in the middle of an operation might be a very bad time to take it up again, Though a string quintet would be very nice. Violin and piano can sound very nice together as a duet, though a Cello or double bass is probably better to accompany a piano as a solo instrument, there are many pieces written for a violin that can be adapted for a piano in pianoforte, or softly.” Anthony smiled, he was feeling better just talking with a pretty lady again. “Oh, where are my manners, if my mother were still alive she would turn me over her knee and tan my hide for not inviting you to sit Ensign please do.

“And vice versa,” She told him. “Variations of most of the Russian folk songs I was taught can be played on a violin instead of the piano.”

“Yeah, folk is like that. Most music back a few centuries or further back, was originally composed on either piano or one of the older piano-like instruments like the Harpsichord or even further the Clavichord, then transposed so other instruments could join them. I think the twentieth century was where it started being reverse transposed, which is a difficult way of saying that violinists and other musicians started composing the songs.” Anthony said, showing his musical knowledge.

“Yeah, the twentieth and twenty-first centuries were a good time for classical music, don’t get me wrong some of the music composers like See’thar and M’Kele have done recently is extremely good but pardon the pun you can’t beat a classic.” Cameron chuckled slightly.

“You want to discuss some difficult people and music to understand how about Delvok of Vulcan from the 2370s, Now that is painful on the ears, even if it isn’t loud!” Anthony half chuckled.

Cameron laughed “I know what you mean, Vulcans shouldn’t make music, you need real emotion in your music not their brand of emotions.”

Anthony said, “Well Yes and to prove that is the Vulcan’s cousins the Romulan people have Frenchotte, his music is much more soothing, but only comparatively.” He then started laughing.

“I don’t think I’ve talked this much about music in quite a long while.” Cameron remarked. “Have you ever thought about putting on a little concert for the crew?”

‘No, not really, I mean the worst part of doing concerts is trying to work out what to do. A smile came across Anthony’s face as he added, “You’re going to need to get some practice, because I know I haven’t spoken this much about music since I enter the fleet. I mean I got away with more rock musical styling while I was a lounge pianist back at the Academy.”

“I know a few people that have taken classical and folk style music and given it a rock twist or incorporated it into a rock song, it’s quite an interesting mix.”

“You just volunteered to be my folk teacher you realise, though I guess rock is a natural progression and popularisation of Folk or maybe it was pop. I expect you’re right about them being an interesting mix and I can think of several rock songs that could do with a gentling with some folk.” Anthony said with a smile.

Cameron smiled back. “I’d have to go replicate myself a violin, like I said I haven’t played for quite a while so I don’t have one to hand anymore.”

“Why wait. I haven’t been to the holodecks in ages and it would replicate one to use while we practice or replicate your own.” Anthony said as it was always good to play music with others. “Then we can and work through what sounds good.”

“That could be fun, I’ll warn you though I’m probably going to be very rusty.”

“That’s okay I could play rusty to make you sound better!” Anthony laughed as he started rolling up his keyboard but rather than putting it in his bag to take it with him he put it away next to his flute. “I think a nice Grand will be interesting to play for the first time since I left the Academy.”

“Right now?” Cameron asked, this wasn’t how she’d expected her evening to go.

“Unless you would like some time to practice. We can always start with something simple as a warm-up like half an hour of scales if you like?” No musician liked playing scales but they were good for warming up and memory but that was about it, oh and they were boring.

Cameron thought for a moment, it was a better plan than anything she had in mind. “Well, let me go get changed and I’ll meet you there?”

OFF:

Ltjg Anthony Edwards Phd
Chief Science Officer

Ensign Cameron Kore
Nurse [npc Taliserra]