music, therapy, and me

Here is the next chapter in the Persephone story. Let me know what you think... CHAPTER THREE “See you on Wednesday,” the teaching assistant in Clinical Musicianship closed the class session and started packing instruments into the cases. Persephone followed suit, placing her keyboard interface into its case, and packing it into her carry sack. She and her cohort, comprised of twenty-nine other first year music therapy students, had moved from instrument to instrument playing songs projected on the holoscreens. The repertoire was varied and all from the turn of the century. There were country songs, rock ballads, rap patterns to learn, and all sorts of different artists to experience. Persephone’s favorite song so far was one by an artist called “3 Doors Down.” The song was called Kryptonite , and it felt a bit familiar to her. Persephone was ready to be heading back to her living space. She had spent the entire day surrounded by people and it was necessary that she have some time ...

So, when we last visited Fiction Friday, we read the second chapter in the Heretic story. Today, let's catch up with our D-Flat story theme. Welcome to chapter three. ( If you want to read chapter two, click on this lin k.) If you are a first time reader, know that I am writing several different music therapy based stories - just for fun - that are set in the near future. This is one of the three storylines that I have going. The other two are the Heretic and my Persephone story. If you search for "Fiction Friday" in the labels function, you will find the other chapters. I hope you enjoy. CHAPTER THREE I found myself on a boarding landing surrounded by my bags and my instruments. I was assigned to my new apprenticeship on Station 37. This was my second move between stations. I had left Station 88 when I was accepted into the Academy, but that move to Station 21 was all I had experienced before. Heading off on a shuttle from a place with only a couple of layers between...

I think I am at the second chapter of the Heretic part of my story. Search the term "fiction Friday" to see the other chapters of my story bits and pieces. CHAPTER TWO The Heretic awoke one morning feeling a bit off. She was unable to identify why, but she felt out of tune with the world. She went about her daily routine, taking her guitar and instrument bag from place to place. All day things just felt “off.” Clients who usually greeted her with enthusiasm complained about having to do music therapy. The teacher’s aides complained about how loud the students were singing. The sound of the ocean drum, usually soothing to agitated patients, elicited angry tears. Everyone seemed a bit off. Do you ever have one of those types of days? I do. There are times when things just don't coalesce into something that feels meaningful? These are things that happen in the life of a music therapist, and I don't think we talk about this enough. At least, in my experience, the inte...

Here is the next part of the D-flat story. CHAPTER TWO I walked toward the indicated door, feeling a bit confused. Pass? I thought I would know a bit more than that at the end of the final. Rumors abounded about what happened at the end of the course, but I had thought that there would be more coming through the headphones than just one word. I opened door C and walked down the long hallway. Three years of intensive training to become a tuner were now in the past. I had demonstrated proficiency in ear training and pitch matching as well as frequency fluctuation. I learned how to calibrate the engine cores as well as how to balance harmonics in all sorts of situations. I was ready to leave the Academy and move into my chosen field. I was confused by my results. No one else had entered door C during the finals. Only me. The door at the end of the hallway opened smoothly, and I entered to find an empty desk and two chairs in an otherwise empty room. As I entered, a woman opened a do...

I slept in yesterday morning rather than getting up and writing. Wednesday was a busy day and kept me from waking up at the usual time, so Thursday was a rush to get out of the door, even with my late arrival at work already arranged. The good news about Wednesday was that it was a typical day for me - which means that students acted the way I expected them to act rather than being surprising. We had one tantrum due to a thrown choice board and the subsequent refusal of myself and the behavioral health technicians to allow the client who threw the board to go get the board. We had one episode (in the same session) of significant aggression and attempts to injure self and others. That was the most difficult session of the day. The rest just flowed quite nicely, even the one where the BHT was expressing doubts that I could do my job all by myself.  Uh, yeah, I'm fine. So, that was how Thursday started. It was a long Wednesday because of an extended day and Ash Wednesday services at n...

Today's Fiction Friday blurb is a short one. Let me introduce you to "the heretic." CHAPTER ONE The stories were always a bit too scary to listen to.  Earth Before had told us what was happening, but most humans couldn’t (or wouldn’t) hear the warning. It was almost imperceptible, but one woman, later called “The Heretic,” heard and wondered.  Intrigued? Keep tuning in on Fridays to learn how these three stories fit into my current world view and my thinking about things...

It is Friday again, so here is another part of the stories that I am writing. I call this part of the story the "D-flat" story line. (There are three story lines right now that will all end up being a part of the same book.) Let me know what you think, and happy reading! CHAPTER ONE - D-FLAT “Seventeen microtones from perfect,” Allia whispered in a hushed tone. “Can’t he hear that?” I shrugged in reply. My ear was not nearly as sensitive as Allia’s but I had good relative pitch. Allia had perfect pitch, so tuning came more easily to her than to me. Absolute pitch was all that was required to qualify to be a core tuner. Allia was ready to move from training to her internship. Me? My future was not so secure. I was sure I wasn’t going to move on into the next phase of core tuning. Alllia nudged my arm. “Are you listening to this?” She hissed, “he’s moving farther away from center. The is AGONY!” I shrugged again as my gut clenched. This final tuning test determined everythi...

This is the first of a new Friday series - Fiction Friday!! I have a bit of fun writing stories, so I thought that this would be something that I could share. So, let's start at the beginning...   CHAPTER ONE "Number 2427," Persephone whispered to herself as she walked through the masses of people and the hallways towards her designated entrance. It was orientation week, and she was trying to find her seat in the auditorium. To do that, she had to find the hall that linked to her section and row - she was number 2427, and that meant heading up about halfway up and a bit over halfway across the great building. There were so many people. Persephone had never been in a class with more than her sibling before. This felt like a small city full of people. Some were playing instruments. Others were singing in groups. Still others looked scared and skittered around the edges of the groups to get to their designated seats. That's how Persephone felt. After finally find...

  I still have no idea what I want to write about this day. I think I am out of personal systems to write about, so will this theme actually continue? Who knows? Definitely, not me!! I am tired of doing the same old thing, especially when it becomes a chore rather than a joy to write. Ooh. I could go back to my music therapy stories and share them on Fridays. I haven't written much new lately, but I also haven't shared what I have written. This could become Fiction Fridays... Ooh. That is really sending a thrill up my spine. So, if you haven't been around, I've been playing along with the idea that I can write stories. I'm not sure that I can, but I'm having fun, and that's the most important part of all of this - finding fun. I am writing three different story threads that all fit together in my brain. The first story is about a music therapy student in the year 2049. The second is about a person called "The Heretic," and the third story is about ...