Musical Rewards

Musical Rewards

“What?! Wait, we're singing now?!” How can this be, the last part ended a minute ago. The clamor of shoes, the rustle of fabric. Everywhere we pass people...and stairs, down lots of stairs. First a left, then a right...and another right. All the details are lost in the rush, the only thought making sense is to follow the person in front. “Ok everyone, be quite now”, somewhere the calm voice of the director registers in the back of my head. The usual centerpiece now becomes a sideshow overshadowed by my racing thoughts...A couple minutes...that's all until our performance. We're actually here, this is it. The shock sets in and with it, restlessness...This is it. The whispers of “good luck” match to ours of “we got this” to fuel for the excitement. It squashes all hope for quiet. We do have this, I find I'm reassuring myself, with our best piece, “witness”, we can't fail.

Another choir finishes their song. With my heavy exhale comes the whispered exclamation “we're next!” All other people are now gone. Were alone with the sound of the choir on stage seeping through to us. Yet the energy is still stronger here. In the exited whispers and the emphatic shushes...in my rioting stomach. The adrenaline is racing through me like an electric current. This is the moment, this is our chance, the one chance to show everything. The applause roars back to us. Unconsciously I shift from foot to foot. “We got this.” For once it is easy to smile. We're suddenly ushered onto the the stage and then it's gone. Everything's calm. My mind blanks. All our energy and focus is directed into the music. All else is blocked out. We are the only things left in the world. We are the only ones that matter. And then it hits me...the joy, the release. When the world comes back, so comes the thought...

“this is why we live”.