Narrative-Stage Descriptive Writing

The stage lights cast an intense glow over my body as I made my way up to the front of the auditorium. My eyes drifted past the people-filled seats, past the world-famous horn professor patiently waiting for me, and instead focused on the deep, wavy waters of Lake Michigan filling my peripheral vision. The Chicago skyline appeared in the background creating a perfect backdrop for my masterclass with Gail Williams. I took small, distinct steps toward the stage, and with each stride the nervous butterflies rumbling in my stomach flew away. I walked swiftly up the temporary stairs attached to the edge of the stage; they creaked underneath me producing a groan that filled the small auditorium. I sat down and began to play. The notes escaped off

I was hitting a high point in a phrase toward the end of the Franz Strauss Horn Concerto when I heard a high-pitched beeping noise projecting from the small, white box on my left arm. My heart panicked but my head remained calm. The first though that crossed my mind was, “What would Gail Williams think?” Here I was performing for one of the greatest horn players of all time, and my insulin pump was malfunctioning on the stage in front of everyone. I was mortified; I was embarrassed; I was discouraged. My initial reaction was to break “character” to give in to my medical condition: to let one small flaw in my idea of a successful performance defeat me. But something within me was telling me not to stop – I knew I needed to push through the hurdle that had fallen into my path. I was not going to let a plastic piece of equipment determine my feelings about what I love the most – sharing my love for music through the art of performing. I dug deep within me and found the courage to continue to play; I continued to do what I had feared most. The music settled and revealed a soft, melodious phrase. The steady beep of my insulin pump accompanied the dark tone of my horn and together, the horn and the insulin pump, finished out the piece as strong as