CMC 01: Getting the Orchestra Together

“Cindy, go ahead. It is just us in here. I reserved the practice room for two hours. I told Mr. Elks that you and I wanted to work on a musical composition I am writing for his class,” Jessica said while trying to hand Cindy a dress.

It was a light green dress with flowers embroidered on the bodice and along the bottom hem. Cindy figured it would probably come down to about her knees. Cindy liked its simple design, and could easily see any of the kids her age wearing it. Although there were short puffy sleeves, they did not make it look like a preschooler’s dress, not that such a thing would stop her from wearing it anyways. So, why was she having such a hard time taking the dress?

They had been at camp for a week, and Cindy didn’t think she would get a chance to wear a dress again until she got home. Well, that might not be an option either. After the way mom reacted to seeing Cindy in a party dress at her friend’s Birthday Party, Cindy wasn’t completely sure her mom would ever let her wear a dress again.

“Where . . . where did you get it Jessica? Your twelve and way bigger than I am, so I know it’s not your dress.”

“Samantha was all too happy to lend it to me for a few candy bars. I always bring a few boxes of candy bars that are not sold here at camp. They are great to get things from other kids.”

“Samantha? That amazing little violin player?”

“Yup, that’s the one. She is the best strings instrument player at camp this year. Like you, she is a prodigy who just needs a little bit of time outside of her hick town to develop her talents. Now stop worrying about where I got the dress and just put it on.”

Cindy looked at the dress for a minute before taking it and going to the other side of the piano to change clothes.

“About time,” Jessica said as Cindy came back wearing the dress. “I have this composition mostly done, but I need your help to finish it.”

“Jessica, you’re a piano player and I play the flute. I can’t play the piano. How am I going to help you create a composition for the piano?”

“Don’t be silly Cindy. I don’t need you to play the piano. I can do that part. It is the other parts I can’t do. I wrote a part for you on the flute, Samantha on the violin, and George on the french horn. As I see it, we are all the best here at camp. Except for maybe Marcus with his electric guitar, but he only plays Rock ‘n Roll. My composition is for an orchestra, not a band. Anyways, I am in Mr. Elks’ song/composition writing class. He takes the best one and makes it the last performance of the concert at the end of camp. I have been in the group playing the winning musical composition before, but I have never composed a winning composition. This year, I am going to win that honor.”

The two of them worked together repeatedly playing what Jessica had in the composition and adding to it. Sometimes they only made a small tweak here or there, but with each change they needed to play that part or the whole song over again. They were getting close, but Jessica didn’t feel it was done yet. She thought the piano and flute parts sounded pretty good, but without the ability to hear the other parts she couldn’t pinpoint what wasn’t quite right. After forty-five minutes they finally took a break.

Looking at the clock, Jessica turned to Cindy, “The others will be here soon, and then we can see if this will work with their instruments.”

“What?”

“George and Samantha will be here in just a few minutes, then the four of us can work on it together.”

“You didn’t tell me they were coming. I better change clothes before they get here.”

“Why would you do something crazy like that. You play much better dressed up as Cindy than you do dressed as Frank. I need Cindy here playing.”

“What are you talking about? I am the same person. I don’t play different dressed as Frank.”

“Actually, you do. There is more feeling and emotions in your playing when you are dressed as Cindy. It has been very apparent over the last forty-five minutes. If I had known this, I would have gotten you a dress days ago. I had thought George was the best musician at camp this year, but you are way better than he is. He just doesn’t play with as much feeling as you do. If Samantha and you teamed up, he would look like such an amateur. He plays with precision like me, but the two of you, play with emotion. The four of us will be unbeatable.”

“I don’t know about that but I am not going to be labeled a freak by the best players here,” Cindy started towards Frank’s clothes on the other side of the piano.

“Stop!” yelled Jessica. Taking a deep breath she continued much more softly, “George and Samantha already know about Cindy and they are okay with you. Do you really think that Samantha would have lent you a dress her grandma made her if she didn’t know who was going to wear it?”

Cindy stopped, and looked down at the dress. Looking over at Jessica. “This was made by Samantha’s Grandma? Why would she let me borrow it?”

“Remember when I told you I needed to borrow that picture of you all dressed up in a little girl’s party dress for inspiration? Well, I got inspired. I showed it to Samantha and told her your story. After hearing the story and seeing your picture, she was willing to help you out. Before that, she wouldn’t lend you anything. George was a bit harder to bring into our team, but I know a secret about him from last year. He has a crush on a girl named Ellie. . .”

“Ewww, gross.”

Jessica laughed, “Oh you little kids are so cute. When you get older Cindy, you will not think that boys are Yucky.”

“Wait a minute. You told them about Cindy?”

“Yeah, it was sort of necessary. You have done so much to help me out over the last week, that I wanted to give you something. Time as Cindy seemed the best thing I could do. Private practice time on this song seemed like times you could be Cindy without others knowing. So, George and Samantha needed to know.”

“What did I need to know?” Samantha said as she entered the room.

“Oh, just that Frank was Cindy.”

“Hi Cindy. You look good in my dress. Your Mommy was so mean to you, I had to help you out. I couldn’t imagine anyone ever cutting my hair like that. Cutting your braids right off and then giving you a bowl cut. I don’t even like it on boys, but to give it to a pretty girl, that is just one crazy Mommy.”

“Samantha,” Jessica quickly changed the topic. “You thought that Frank was a good player, but Cindy is way better. Wait until you hear her play.”

“We’ll see about that,” Samantha stated as she got out her violin.

Cindy looked at Samantha’s violin and smiled. It had Sofia The First and My Little Pony stickers on it.

“Okay you two, I have sent you both the latest score through the Score++ App,” Jessica sat at the piano tapping away at her tablet. “Cindy let’s play our parts once through to let Samantha get familiar with the song.”

Jessica, Cindy, and Samantha played for about ten minutes before George showed up. The four of them worked on the song non-stop. Five minutes before the private practice time was up, an alarm went off on Jessica’s tablet.

“Cindy, quick, time to change back to Frank. We only have five minutes left. I don’t know if anyone has booked this space after us.”

Cindy went over to where Frank’s clothes were on the other side of the piano. With her back to everyone, she quickly changed back to Frank. He then took the dress over to Samantha and thanked her for letting him borrow it.

“Your welcome,” Samantha said as she folded it up and put it in her violin case with her violin. “I think Jessica is right, you do play better as Cindy than you do as Frank.”

“But . . .”

“No, they’re right Frank.” George interrupted. “You do play better as Cindy. You might even be competition for me. Good thing you are not Cindy all the time.”

“She’s better than you George and you know it,” Samantha said with pride. “I will make sure every time we play together that she is dressed as Cindy. Us little kids need to show you big kids that we are not babies who don’t know how to play our instruments.”

“Come on you two,” Jessica pleaded. “No fighting. We are the best at camp and we represent both the big and little kids. Together we will blow everyone away. Now that you have all worked together to finish this song, will you work with me to earn the top song in the concert? It was written for the four of us, by us.”

“I’m in,” Samantha replied.

“I guess I am in too,” George reluctantly added. “If I don’t join you guys, I am afraid you will win the spot without me. I can’t have that.”

“I will take that as a compliment, thanks George,” Jessica smiled.

Everyone turned to Frank, looking for an answer.

“I. . . I don‘t know. I like the song and like playing with all of you. Cindy can’t perform at the concert and I don’t have any clothes to be Cindy throughout the week for practice sessions. It sounds like you need Cindy not Frank for this song.”

“Like I said Frank, I will make sure Cindy is here for each practice. Leave that to me. You will have a different outfit every day,” Samantha declared.

“As for the concert,” Jessica smiled. “George and I will come up with something. Don’t worry about it.”

“We will?”

“Yes George, we will.”

“You know Jessica, I am older than you. You can not boss me around.”

“I am not bossing you around. I am just telling you what you are going to do whether you like it or not.”

George rolled his eyes.

“Okay,” Frank smiled at Jessica as he stifled a giggle. “I guess I am with you all. We did sound pretty good together. Anyways, how can I turn down a chance to be myself for two hours a day all week? It was so nice to be Cindy again, and it may be the last chance I ever get to be Cindy.”

“Great, we are all in. I have reserved this room for two hours at one o’clock each day this week. Once I hand in my finished song to Mr. Elks and tell him who is going to be playing the song with me, he will arrange for the littles to miss their one and two o’clock activities.”

“What if he can’t,” Samantha questioned? “Mrs. Star was very insistent that Junior Band was required by all the kids under ten. The only way that we could make it today was because of the special Sunday schedule.”

“Don’t worry Samantha,” George smiled at her. “Once Mr. Elks hears that Jessica has managed to get all four of us together to do a song, he will arrange it. The top talent at camp rarely get along well enough to do a song together. He wants it every year, but never gets it. This year he even has a special treat, in that we each play a different type of instrument. We are our own little orchestra with string, brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments. If he likes our composition, he will let us do anything. By Tuesday, we will have to give him a recording of how we are doing. He needs that to give us the final approval for Saturday’s concert. Wednesday is the day he gets together with all the Music Teachers to determine what is in the concert. Every year Jessica and I have been here, our groups have been in the final concert, with at least one of us playing in the group playing the winning song from his song writing class. With us both in the same group this year, there is no question that he will approve our band, and Jessica will win the song writing contest.”

“If I remember correctly,” Jessica thought outloud. “You have Junior Band at one o’clock and Swimming or Art at two o’clock. Sorry to take you away from Swimming or Art, but it is the only time all four of us can get away from the required activities.”

“It is okay,” Frank said. “I have never liked swimming in boy’s trunks. My best friend has this one piece Little Mermaid swim suit I would much prefer to swim in.”

“Weird kid. You are definitely one weird kid,” George commented as he packed up his french horn. “You play some pretty good music though, so it’s okay with me if you want to wear dresses and girls swim suits.”

“Come on Cindy,” Samantha said grabbing Cindy’s hand and heading for the door. “It is Free Time and Sofia The First is on Disney Junior. Let’s not miss it.”

As the two of them went running out of the room, Jessica smiled at the new friendship she helped form.