she set down her electric guitar and went over to the ukulele, which still hung on the wall. She pulled it down and then stepped close to the microphone by Mo’s bass. The next time Mo began her pattern the ukulele came to life, sending out a high-pitched, rapid-fire series of notes that, to my surprise, blended perfectly on top of the other instruments.
The total effect—Stella’s Hawaiian gunfire merging over Mo’s moaning bass, Charlie’s chaotic percussion and my jazz-inspired riff—bizarre as it was, somehow worked. It was as if electricity shot through the room. I felt it and I could see it on everybody else’s faces too. We were a wild party, a crazy, rhythmic riot. Lyle and Naomi sat up, their mouths hanging open. Mrs. Reznik stood like a statue in the doorway.
And Olivia hadn’t even started singing yet.
I looked in her direction. She was staring at the microphone and taking deep breaths. After a moment she glanced over at me and nodded. I had no clue what she was about to sing, but to make room for her voice I dropped my horn back. At exactly the same moment, Stella simplified what she was doing on the ukulele. It was as if we’d been playing together forever.
After bracing herself with one more deep breath, Olivia put her mouth in front of the microphone.
I don’t know where I’m going
I don’t know where I’d like to be
I cannot see beyond this moment
But let this moment swallow me
And I—
I’m singing a new song—
I—
I’m singing a new song—
She’d found a slow meandering melody, completely different from my trumpet riff and yet just right. With the reverb from Lyle’s speaker, Olivia’s voice echoed and sounded more emotional than ever before. I could hardly believe she came up with words like that off the top of her head, this girl who hardly ever spoke.
My hair stood on end. The rush I’d felt in detention was back.
After that, Stella and I took turns playing short fills between verses, and then we gave a longer space for Mo to play a solo that sounded like Mozart on acid. Finally, Olivia sang the beginning part again. When I felt like the end was near I nodded to the others. They seemed to understand or maybe we all just felt it, but it worked out perfectly. The four of us stopped playing on exactly the same beat, leaving Olivia’s vocal as the only sound for the final two lines.
I . . . I’m singing a new song.
I . . . I’m singing a new song.
We stood completely still as the echo of Olivia’s voice faded. Even after that nobody moved or made a sound for a long time, as if doing so might break the spell.
That’s when I noticed Naomi staring at us like we each had suddenly grown three heads. At first I thought maybe she didn’t like what we’d played, but then she started clapping. Lyle joined her but it was slow and uncertain, like he wasn’t sure that what he’d just heard was real.
“That,” Naomi finally said in an awed voice, “was absolutely the weirdest music I’ve ever heard. Did you just make that
up?
Oh my God, you guys are . . .” She didn’t finish right away. She tilted her head as if seeing us for the first time. Finally she said,
“. . . gigantic.”
Lyle nodded. “You guys are going to be
huge.
”
Mrs. Reznik seemed pleased too. “All right,” she said. “I believe you’ve worked out a process. But don’t let compliments make you overconfident. You still have a lot of work to do before you’re ready for your audience.”
As for Charlie, Mo, Stella, Olivia and me, we were as surprised as anybody else at what had just happened.
But we were all grinning. Even Stella.
MOHINI:
A Supernova of Irrational Thought
It’s later that night and I’m on the Opequonsett town beach. A crowd of kids laugh and talk behind me while I gaze into the fire. The breeze from the ocean ruffles my hair like invisible fingers. Eventually, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Scott’s back.
“Comfortable?” he whispers, easing himself into the sand
The total effect—Stella’s Hawaiian gunfire merging over Mo’s moaning bass, Charlie’s chaotic percussion and my jazz-inspired riff—bizarre as it was, somehow worked. It was as if electricity shot through the room. I felt it and I could see it on everybody else’s faces too. We were a wild party, a crazy, rhythmic riot. Lyle and Naomi sat up, their mouths hanging open. Mrs. Reznik stood like a statue in the doorway.
And Olivia hadn’t even started singing yet.
I looked in her direction. She was staring at the microphone and taking deep breaths. After a moment she glanced over at me and nodded. I had no clue what she was about to sing, but to make room for her voice I dropped my horn back. At exactly the same moment, Stella simplified what she was doing on the ukulele. It was as if we’d been playing together forever.
After bracing herself with one more deep breath, Olivia put her mouth in front of the microphone.
I don’t know where I’m going
I don’t know where I’d like to be
I cannot see beyond this moment
But let this moment swallow me
And I—
I’m singing a new song—
I—
I’m singing a new song—
She’d found a slow meandering melody, completely different from my trumpet riff and yet just right. With the reverb from Lyle’s speaker, Olivia’s voice echoed and sounded more emotional than ever before. I could hardly believe she came up with words like that off the top of her head, this girl who hardly ever spoke.
My hair stood on end. The rush I’d felt in detention was back.
After that, Stella and I took turns playing short fills between verses, and then we gave a longer space for Mo to play a solo that sounded like Mozart on acid. Finally, Olivia sang the beginning part again. When I felt like the end was near I nodded to the others. They seemed to understand or maybe we all just felt it, but it worked out perfectly. The four of us stopped playing on exactly the same beat, leaving Olivia’s vocal as the only sound for the final two lines.
I . . . I’m singing a new song.
I . . . I’m singing a new song.
We stood completely still as the echo of Olivia’s voice faded. Even after that nobody moved or made a sound for a long time, as if doing so might break the spell.
That’s when I noticed Naomi staring at us like we each had suddenly grown three heads. At first I thought maybe she didn’t like what we’d played, but then she started clapping. Lyle joined her but it was slow and uncertain, like he wasn’t sure that what he’d just heard was real.
“That,” Naomi finally said in an awed voice, “was absolutely the weirdest music I’ve ever heard. Did you just make that
up?
Oh my God, you guys are . . .” She didn’t finish right away. She tilted her head as if seeing us for the first time. Finally she said,
“. . . gigantic.”
Lyle nodded. “You guys are going to be
huge.
”
Mrs. Reznik seemed pleased too. “All right,” she said. “I believe you’ve worked out a process. But don’t let compliments make you overconfident. You still have a lot of work to do before you’re ready for your audience.”
As for Charlie, Mo, Stella, Olivia and me, we were as surprised as anybody else at what had just happened.
But we were all grinning. Even Stella.
MOHINI:
A Supernova of Irrational Thought
It’s later that night and I’m on the Opequonsett town beach. A crowd of kids laugh and talk behind me while I gaze into the fire. The breeze from the ocean ruffles my hair like invisible fingers. Eventually, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Scott’s back.
“Comfortable?” he whispers, easing himself into the sand
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