Musical selection: The Firebird, by Igor Stravinsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DT37S-WYMM
Wide and spacious, seating in this soundproofed room comes largely on the sweep of gentle risers that afford the teacher an easy view of all the budding performers, and add another dimension to the acoustics of the room. Instruments of all types are carefully stored around the room, and a grand piano, immaculately upkept, takes the position of prize near the back. In a nod to the eclectic studies of the students, digital mixing equipment and turntables rub shoulders with the classical instruments. Music stands sit in front of most of the seats, and the only windows look out out over the side of the school grounds.
It is late in the evening, although not quite curfew for the students, and where you might expect to find the music room empty at this time of night (unless it is some favored hangout spot that the new music teacher doesn't know about yet), it is currently occupied. Stefan, having spent much of the weekend moving in to his new room and his new life, is only finally getting to take a good, solid look at what will be his classroom starting in the summer term after the too-short glimpse he got with an earlier tour.
Well, look is a bit of a misnomer. A good, solid /listen/ is more like it, with him. In loose jeans and a casual cotton button-down shirt, he sits at the piano, running it through its paces to really get a feel for what kind of quality instrument he's dealing with. The composition of choice? The Firebird, by Stravinsky. All of it. He plays with a serious passion, and seems little aware of anything outside of the piano and the music it makes.
Well, Kira is still new enough to be in explorer mode. She only got here in the last week or two, and only getting settled in herself. So not having been in this part of the rather labrynthian building before, she actually is drawn buy the music... pausing at the door to listen, pushing it open just enough to see who is playing, trying not to disturb the playing as she just listens to the notes. Her eyes, behind sunglasses (yes sunglasses inside and at night), peer out at the player of the song, peering at him and perhaps a bit through him as her glowing eyes study him from the doorway curiously as he plays. She isn't making that much effort to be sneaky, just trying not to disturb the music playing.
It is a fantastically complicated and robust piece, but then it is Stravinsky we're talking about. Despite the pace and the absolutely frenetic hand movements, Stefan appears almost as if the piano is a simple extension of him, or perhaps the other way around, with him as an extension to the piano. He pours so much into it, both physically and emotionally, that the music comes alive and he comes alive through it.
Soon after he gains an audience, the new music teacher moves into the finale, and like many other great works, it is one hell of a finale, indeed. Triumphant. Grand. Absolutely magnificent, at least if you ask Stefan. With the final chord struck, he sits back and takes a moment to simply breathe. And smile at the piano. And then he looks to the doorway. "Hey there," he greets. Compared to his playing, his speech sounds almost lazy.
Kira hesitates then waves back. She seems rather stunned by the finish. Unsure what to say it seems. After a moment she offers a small round of clapping, "Very nice... sorry if I disturbed you. Was just... exploring. Didn't know anyone would be in here..." She tilts her head, "Are you a teacher? I don't think I've met you yet. I'm new here. So... maybe just missed you so far?" She ventures as she steps more fully into the room, the door swinging shut behind her slowly as she lets go of it. "Wish I could play something like that. All I ever did was cheers. Not quite the same I don't think... plus you get a team there." She says, trying to make it a light joke as she walks over to look at the piano.
A mild smile shows at the clapping. "Oh, no. No, not disturbing me at all," Stefan says with maybe a bare hint of a chuckle to his voice, and he rises up from the piano bench, pausing a moment to take a slow stretch. "Yeah. I'm taking over music instruction with the summer term. Stefan Soames," he says, with a hand offered her way for a shake. His fingers are calloused at the tips. "It's nice to meet you, miss...?"
With her voiced wish, he looks back to the piano again to rest a hand lightly on it with obvious, newfound affection. "You could, you know. If you really wanted to learn, work hard at it. Everybody has music in them."
Kira reaches out and shakes the professor's hand, "Kira Haverson. And no, I really couldn't. I have no pitch. Plus I have no.... um, patience? I mean, I guess I could but it'd take me a life time to do one tenth of what you just did. Where as if I focus on what I am good at... maybe some day I can be as good at that as you are at this?" She says with a small smile. "Doesn't mean I can't appreciate what you just did though. Bet you play a mean jazz piano too.... right?" She says as her smile turns into a grin. "We should have you play at the spring dance... instead of a DJ or something." She says suddenly latching on to that idea for some reason.
"Nice to meet you, Kira," he repeats, now that he has the name to go with it. He chuckles a little, a low and pretty mellow sound, when she mentions not having any patience, and looks one last time to the piano again before giving it a light pat and finally settling full attention on Kira. If she's watching, she might catch sight of something tucked into his ear when his head turns in the process.
"You like jazz?" he asks, with a hopeful, slow smile growing into place. "Love jazz. Love to play it, yeah." His brows drift upwards after that, though. "Dance? Ah, no. I'm sure people'd prefer a DJ if that's an option."
Kira shrugs, "Well I have no idea what they do for dances around here. All I know is that the ratio of cute date-able. boys to me is seriously lacking." She says with a cute little pout then a laugh, "But seriously, I have no idea what they do for music at this things. I know what my old high school did, it was always some one's cousin's boyfriend who was a DJ or something stupid, cause he was cheap and willing to put on a good show. Around here for all I know they kick in for live bands and big name acts with all the cash this place seems to have." She shakes her head, "Nothing like this back home, tell you that much. Anyway, yeah, Jazz can be fun. Better than rap which seems to just be timed yelling to me, most of it anyway."
Kira steps back and walks around the piano, looking it over, "So you just started you said? You teaching any classes or just tutoring or?" She trails off giving a questioning look to Stefan as she looks up from the piano to his face.
Another chuckle slips out of him before he can even think about stopping it. Stefan eases back down to sit on the piano bench, though he sits sideways instead of turning in to the keys. "Guess we'll find out?" he suggests, amiable, easy, and maybe a little amused. "Like a particular jazz musician, or just jazz in general?" His hand nearer to the piano keys strays to them and fiddles a moment in an absent way, though without plunking out any notes.
"Yeah, just started," he says, nodding with his words. "I'll be doing both. Classes and any tutoring people want or need."
Kira shrugs, "Just in general. I didn't collect music, didn't have the money like some other kids. Just radio and stuff, and in movies and that kind of stuff." She admits, "And I was too busy most of the time to do more than that anyway. But now I guess I'll probably end up in one of your classes at some point? Just don't make me try to keep a tune singing. No one will enjoy /that/." She says with a self concsious laugh. "Not unless your special power is making really bad singers sound good?" She asks as she tilts her head and gives a curious look. "Cause that would be the best power ever for a music teacher I think."
"Ahh," he sounds in acknowledgement, nodding. "You should try checking out different artists sometime. Figure out who you really enjoy." And, with a very small grin of mild mischief showing, Stefan sweeps out a hand and says, "Jazz band this summer. Jazz history in spring term, with another session of jazz band." He is not trying to lure students into his classes at all or anything. Another chuckle sounds, though, still low and mellow, at his own expense. It winds up rolling right into a laugh at her question. Shaking his head, still grinning from amusement, he argues, "Nah. Terrible for a music teacher. Last thing you want is for somebody to only sound good around you. Want them to enjoy music everywhere, well after you're gone."
Kira ahs and nods, "Yeah, I suppose. Better if you just make them better overall, even when you're not there." She shrugs, "I don't know if I could do jazz band, I don't play anything after all. I was on cheer squad, not band." She admits, "You need anyone to jump around and do cheers for your band, I'm your girl." She pauses then shakes her head, "Why do I suspect we don't even have a sports team /to/ cheer for let alone a cheerleader squad at this school? I just realized that. Bummer."
"Could always pick up an instrument, if you want," Stefan suggests, but his tone is mild and easy and a little like a summer breeze more than anything, not pressuring. He mulls over the rest of everything she says a moment, head nodding just slightly side to side as he looks up at the ceiling. No, they probably don't have a full sports team here, he can't quite imagine. "Doesn't mean you can't have a cheer squad," he finally points out. "Doesn't necessarily have to be tied to anything else."
Kira nods, "Yeah, I suppose but I'd feel dumb just... cheering for cheering sake. And I don't think there are enough of the girls here who'd be into it... just... guess that isn't going to work. As for an instrument... I don't know. I'll have to think about it. Mostly I was just out exploring and heard the music. I thought someone had left a radio on or something... then found you." She says with a grin, "Do you do professional recordings? Cause I could see you definately having your own website and MP3s and stuff... might even make some side cash on it? If you don't already?" She suggests, trying to be helpful.
His brows lift up slowly and about halfway in question. "Why? Cheering's a performance art. Might not be everybody's thing, but it is. There are even competitions for just cheering, right? Don't remember seeing a football game going on in the background at those." Humor lingers in his eyes after that, as well as in a small quirk at the corners of his mouth.
With the question of professional recordings, though, a quiet laugh escapes him. "Ah, I guess I've done a few. Don't have a website, no. Think I'm good with where I am right now, really."
Kira nods, "Yeah, there are cheer competitions. We never really did those though. Our school was too small, didn't have the money or the squad for it." She says as she moves around the piano to stand sort of behind Stefan and looking at the keyboard of the piano. "It is an art, setting up the cheers, getting things organized, getting the girls to work together. It really takes a lot of effort. Most just think it's just to make the girls look good but there's a lot of practice that goes into it. I mean... heck that's how I ended up here, in away." Kira says softly then sighs, "Ah well, long story and it's a bit late for long stories. Maybe another time? I don't want to be out too late, tomorrow is a Monday after all and classes, right?"
He nods along as she explains everything that goes into it. "Not a lot of things out there get to claim they combine art, music, and sport, you know," Stefan points out. "Something to be proud of, I think." He smiles after that, slow and warm. "Sure, another time. And no, probably shouldn't be out too late." A twinkle of amusement adds to that smile about that.
|
