Too Loud Part 3: The second duet practice

Posted on Fri Jul 9th, 2021 @ 4:23am by Ensign Cameron Kore & Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D

2,157 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: The Silent Scream
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: 12th April 2395 18:00

Previously in the continuing mission of the USS Wolff
“I can play it through once so you can hear the piano line. It might even help you finger through the music if you hear it at the same time.” As Anthony said it he started to play. As he finished he stood up and helped Cameron and then said “Computer end program.” With a wheezing sound the music stand stool and baby grand piano all disappeared. “Same time next week Cameron?”

“Sure, I’ll try and get some practise in between now and then.”

“Well having a violin will certainly make it much easier, feel free to come over and we can practice together.” As Anthony said it he walked out the door and back to his quarters to get ready for his next Bridge shift.

==============A week after the first Practice=====

Anthony was running late and that wasn’t a good look, though he had just pulled a double shift he was tired but knew a glass of cool water and the music would revive him sufficiently for him to enjoy his time on the stool. He walked in and said “Sorry for being late but my replacement went to medical and was down with something so I had to pull a double bridge shift.”

“That’s alright Anthony.” Cameron said using his first name seeing as they were more friends now then just crew members. “Do you still want to practice, we could rearrange?”

“Short of getting a quick glass of water before we start the music will wake me up a bit. That said this is when I am more likely to miss notes accidentally rather than on purpose. Did you get much time to practice Candle in the wind?” Anthony asked.

“Did you not hear me a couple of days ago, sounded like a cat screeching.” Cameron replied. It had not been fun.

Laughing and hoping not to put her off the violin for life he said “Wasn’t it you that said getting notes wrong on a violin usually goes horribly wrong in a strangling the cat way?”

“Mmhhmm, when you hit them just right they sound perfect, hit them a little wrong and it’s sooo bad. I think I got better though by the end of the day.”

“That is the important thing and remember getting ready for concerts is never a sprint. Especially when you haven’t been practicing most days. I had the luck of having piano bars near where I was being taught linguistics. That makes it a lot easier to stay in practice because while you're not performing where you're there to be the main entertainment you're still practicing every time you have a shift.” Anthony said with a smile “Shall we play it and see how you sound?”

“Sure, your piano is already set up how you like it.” Cameron said as she picked up her violin and bow.

“Thank you for doing that.” Anthony said seeing the table with the jug of water and two glasses he grabbed a glass and took a sip before he said down and did a few quick finger exercises to warm up be for he started tickling the ivories as he worked into the first notes of the song to show he was changing into the song he played a Low c and went. He nodded his head to show when she should start.

With Anthony’s cue Cameron started to play, the notes more subdued and sombre than their last practise sessions songs. Though she’d practised a lot she still needed the sheet music in front of her, learning a song from scratch was not the easiest thing to do.

As they came to the end of the song Anthony smiled. “That wasn’t too bad for someone that has only had a week to learn it. I think with more practice to get used to it you get better. Learning a song from scratch is never the easiest thing to do and nothing is perfect in a week.”

“Yeah, I hit a few bad notes there but I’ll get it eventually.” Cameron said, putting her bow down she grabbed a quick drink.

As she did Anthony took another quick drink and tickled a bit more then after a little while he started playing a song called Piano man and started singing as he did. It was by a favourite twentieth century performer named William Martin Joel.

Cameron watched Anthony play and sing along, she waited for an instrumental section before she spoke. “I think I recognise that song, I don’t remember there being much use for a violin in it though.”

“Well Unless you want to be playing all evening, which for violin players becomes quite dehydrating, having some that are piano only will come in handy because with a grand there is a ledge where you can put a drink while you play and then the lid opens about a foot from where the keys are.” That explanation took up the instrumental and Anthony started singing again.

Anthony was right, a larger break for her at some point during the show was a good idea. While he continued Cameron sat down on a stool and started to mime play another song that was floating around in her head.

As he finished Piano man and took another gulp of water he said, “Okay do you have one you know well?”

“I do, it’s a favourite of mine, have you ever seen the play ‘Phantom of the opera’?” Cameron asked.

“I have Andrew Lloyd Webber, not one of my favourite composers, I am very glad you said Phantom because he had some really ordinary ones.” Anthony said.

“And some exceptional ones, like Phantom, the first song makes for a very good duet for us, it’s called ‘Think of me’” Cameron started to play.

“Actually you’re right, When he wrote with specific Sopranos or Tenors, if the lead is male, in mind he composed exceptional work. Though he did something called Cat even though that has a pretty song too called ‘Memory.’” Anthony said.

“Not a fan of Cats.” Cameron simply said, not wanting to talk much while she was playing this time.

“Right then let's play then shall we. I might be the one making the mistakes.” Anthony said before he said to the computer “Computer could you create a self rolling piano music stand with this is me from Phantom of the Opera.”

Milliseconds later the normal music stand which he hadn’t used for any music up until this point was replaced by the new piece of equipment.

“Not to say I don’t know the song because I have been to a performance of Phantom I just don’t know the actual tune.” Anthony said.

“I haven’t played it for a long time, it is a very nice and pretty simple tune though. When you’re ready I’ll start again from the top.”

“Before you start again give me a Violin tempo so I can set up the auto reader.” Anthony said.

“Why do you need the tempo?” Cameron asked, she’d never encountered an auto reader so had no idea how they worked.

“Once I have this setup you can play it through and I keep up with you pianoforte to get to know the fingering. Then I’ll rewind and play it through for the first time as best as I can. As I said I have an ear for it because I have seen the show so I have that advantage.” Anthony said.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a regular tempo, maybe 120 beats per minute.” Cameron said after a little thinking, it wasn’t something she typically had to think about.

Thinking about it for a second, trying to remember back to the speed his Mother had taken him and his sister to watch 120 sounded very close not quite but it would probably be good to learn a little slower he could play with it later once he knew it better. “Ah the heartbeat of music, most music for singing at least is set to that tempo. I’ll set it to 120bpm until I know it.” As he spoke Anthony set the tempo then had a metronome set beside his glass of water and set it so it ticked at 120bpm then took a drink.

“From the top then.” Matching the pace of the metronome Cameron counted down and began to play again.

Anthony, who was used to auto roller from learning piano knew it would start as soon as he started playing. As Cameron started he and the auto roller did too, so he didn’t need a person turning pages for him. He knew when he hit bad notes everyone does when you're learning something new but he played on to the end. As he got there he simply said “That’s going to need a lot of work on my end.”

“Not bad for a first attempt though,” Cameron said smiling as she put her violin down. “Hearing a song and thinking how it plays is quite different from actually playing the song.”

“Thank you for being honest at least Cameron. Your right though as bad as it was I have to remember that it is the first time I have played it so I guess that puts me in the same situation as when you played Candle in the wind for the first time so I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I will get better as I get to know it.” Anthony had always been fairly hard on himself. He expected it came from very tough Scottish parents. He took another drink as the auto roller rewound the music for him. “So How has your week been in medical?”

"Pretty quiet, one of your geologists; Akel, broke his ankle rock climbing on the holodeck. Other than that nothing major." Cameron replied.

"Thank gosh for the holodeck safeties is what I say in that case." Anthony said with a smile he had taken the same sort of tumble in a holodeck simulation of a small chimney climb. A fall of that magnitude from a real mount was a widow maker, because of the safety protocol of the holodeck he only broke two ribs and strained a couple of muscles across his shoulder and neck. "Been there done that for a few broken ribs and a strained neck a couple of physio sessions and a few weeks of painful breathing were my recovery reminders."

"And the wonders of modern medical technology," Cameron chuckled slightly. "he was back on his feet the next day, no rock climbing for a couple of weeks though."

"Yeah that too, I am sure the wonders could have fixed my ribs directly, but I wanted the pain because it reminded me of the cock-up I made. Oh yes that's right the fall was my fault and I needed a reminder cause if I made the same mistake on the real climb, someone could come along with a jackhammer and made me a grave." Anthony said and smiled. "I heal fairly quick and the breathing cleared and six weeks later the ribs stopped hurting as I breathed. The neck bothered me the longest and if I learn from the pain I shouldn't make a deadly mistake. I am sure Akel will be glad to be up and about but I bet he is practicing again as soon as he is able so he can learn to not forget his safety information."

A few minutes later once the auto roller had finished rewinding his music Anthony said “We should at least give one more shot today. After playing it through one last time Anthony said “Science is a little busy at the moment, then I have that new song to learn so should we set the next practice together in a fortnight?”

Cameron quickly worked out what day that'd be. "Well It doesn't look like there is going to be much to do while we're on the way to Arbazan, we should be able to get plenty more in before we get there, maybe next week instead?"

"Well I try to practice every night, obviously most often by myself and with my headphones on, so anytime we're free on the same shift we could do some impromptu duet practice. We should just make sure to let our neighbours know we're practicing, sometimes I forget."Anthony said.

"If we can make the time then sure, saves us having to reserve holodeck time." Cameron started putting her violin back in its case.

"Sounds like a plan." Anthony said, he was enjoying the music and playing with someone else made it feel better.

OFF:

Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D
Chief Science Officer.

Ensign Cameron Kore
Nurse [npc Taliserra]

 

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