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The Music Teacher

by Rosalind 

Posted: 30 April 2003
Word Count: 719
Summary: This is the first part of a story that I have just begun to write. I would very much apprieciate comment and critism on it.


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The Music Teacher – Chapter One

Those who do, do. Those who can’t, teach. Miss James had dreamed of a Career in the Royal Opera. As a child she’d had the voice of an angel (or so her school choir mistress had told her parents, and who were they to argue?), so her parents had paid for her to have very expensive singing tuition. It had meant the family had to pull their purse strings even tighter than usual, but to her parents it had been worth if, if it gave their only daughter a chance at a career in the one thing she loved.

Twenty-two years later her moment of glory had come and gone. To be honest, moment of glory wasn’t exactly the way most people would have described it. A supporting role in a west end musical. A good place to embark on a successful career, but some how Miss James had never managed to make the jump from supporting role to starring role. Her voice just didn’t have enough character she’d been told. Eventually worn out from trying so hard and her voice in tatters from the effort of trying to accomplish character in her voice where there had been none before, she retired from theatre and took up singing tuition in an attempt to make enough money to live on.

Amy was waiting in the entrance hall of her Music teacher’s house. It had become a makeshift waiting room over the years. People waiting for their lessons to begin, as others finished theirs. The occasional melody hovering in the air, sounding almost melancholy amongst the faded photographs and memorabilia that decorated the room, memories of a career forgotten by all but Miss James herself.

Amy was talented there was no doubt about it. Her voice was almost perfect. Her star pupil Miss James told herself on many occasions, her protégé. In her darker moments Miss James was fiercely jealous of Amy’s talent, her natural vibrato and her near perfect pitch. A voice which was so much better than hers had even been even at her pinnacle. A voice that Miss James tried to train, but which needed little coaching to stun everyone who heard it into silence. A voice which belonged to a young girl who was more interested in boys, clothes, popular music and the like, than in singing. A voice that belonged to girl, who was turning down a place at the best music college in the country and going to University in autumn, as she delighted in telling Miss James, to study Psychology. Psychology! What a waste Miss James thought with bitterness.

Amy looked at her nails. She had a nasty habit of biting them when she was agitated, and agitated she was as she sat waiting for Miss James to call her through. The young man who had his lesson before her was just leaving. She had a good look at his arse as he let himself out. ‘Not bad’ she thought. She let her mind wander, imagining herself in bed with the man that she only ever caught a glimpse of once a week before her singing lessons. She imagined him clamping his hand across her mouth as they had sex, the way her boyfriend did whenever his parents were home.

“Amy” Miss James said, “are you ready to come through now?”

“Yes” mumbled Amy, “coming” she said, thinking of the young man making her squeal as she orgasmed again and again. She sniggered to herself at the appropriateness of her comment, and reluctantly pulled herself out of her daydream and back to the reality of the tiny music room that she was now standing in.

“Lets start with the exercises I gave you to practise last week” started Miss James. Amy groaned inwardly. She hated exercises and as a result she hadn’t bothered to practice them all.

An hour later, the last lesson of the day over, Miss James sat down at her kitchen table with her evening drink, a glass of brandy. She was raging inside. That stupid little bitch couldn’t see what she had. All that talent going to waste, how could it be fair that Amy had the chance at the career Miss James herself would have killed for, but Amy was throwing away because she had no interest in it.







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Comments by other Members



roger at 17:04 on 30 April 2003  Report this post
Hi Ros,

Is it going to be a long short-story, or a novel? Is it based on personal experience? - I get a strong feeling that it is, but that could just be a good reflection on your writing. So far, we have the bitter 'never-really-was' Miss James and the feisty Amy with a perchant for blokes bums, and that sounds like a combination with interesting possibilities. I already feel sorry for Miss James, and I've had to stop myself from fantasizing about Amy. And that tells me that in a short space of time, you've done your job and done it well.

Hilary Custance at 18:15 on 30 April 2003  Report this post
Hello Rosalind, like Roger I wanted to know if it is to be short or long as I sort of wanted an expanded version. I wanted to see more of Miss James's struggles, to see her in the auditions getting turned down, see her getting letters of rejection etc. But maybe that is just the set up for something more down the line. I get a feeling of a great story that is being compressed. Does that make any sense? The contrast of the language around Amy and around Miss James is very striking. What happens when they are together?

Hope to see more, Cheers, Hilary

Becca at 20:56 on 30 April 2003  Report this post
Ros,
is that the whole of the first chapter or just a section? I wanted a bit more depth and detail, but it flowed along really well.
Would Miss James have used the word bitch? She came over as much older and quite school marmish, bitch is a really powerful word, it seemedto me the young girl might use it, but not the older woman. Mind you she drinks brandy. Maybe I'm wrong, need to see more really.
Becca.

Becca at 20:58 on 30 April 2003  Report this post
Oh, I just saw that it was the first part of a story. But still need a bit more context.
Becca.

Rosalind at 21:53 on 30 April 2003  Report this post
I was originally intending this to be a short story, but in writing it I feel more depth to the characters than I have felt with anything I have written previously. I'll just have to see what happens as I write the next part.

I take on bored comments about Miss James Use of language. I had envisenged her to about 35. Old enough for her to have had an unsucessful career, yet not to old to give things another chance should the opportunity arrive. I was pleased with the comment about the contrast between the two women. That is something I would like to develop further.

I see two ways of taking the story at the moment. The first would be to really charcterise both of the women and the rivalry that may exist between them. I may use a catalyist for this. Perhaps the young man.

The secong would be to make this a shorter story where the main character would be Miss James. I would develop her obsession with amy, maybe to the point where she would do anything to swap places with her.



Anna Reynolds at 20:30 on 02 May 2003  Report this post
Amy is very funny. You've given her a great character in a very economical way. It's true that you could spend more time with Miss James' earlier life- you're telling us a great deal, a great big story, in a very condensed way early on, but you can balance this out by revealing more and more throughout the story. I like Amy's crudeness and the fact that her mind is on the young man's arse, not her practice. Niggles? Last but one paragraph- 'Let's start with the exercises......' started Miss James. You don't need to repeat the 'start'- you can find something else. Same with exercises- 'Amy groaned inwardly. She hadn't bothered to practise at all.' or summat like that. It's an intriguing piece- is the story about the two women and their contrasting futures, is it going to develop in the vein of All About Eve, or is Miss James really the centre? she seems to me to be a far more original character in this way- there are lots of Amys, but Miss James is developing nicely as consumed by bitterness and possibly something even more toxic.... more please?

llydstp at 12:36 on 17 May 2003  Report this post
Rosalind
I enjoyed reading this and it is obvious that it is written with inside knowledge of music lessons and singing. You should really develop this piece further.
Are you going to share your musical background with us? I'm sure you must have one.
Steve


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