Deborah Lucier

“there, guiding her through it, drawing everything skilfully from the inside, out. After what felt like a short time, Naomi found herself approaching the dramatic climax of the ending. Speed of attack, Naomi. Conscious she’d made only one tiny mistake in the whole piece, she knew this part would be the real test. Without holding back and playing safe, she unleashed all her energy into the final bars – a cascading sprint of broken chords which ended with four triumphant crashing chords. She was trembling when her hands moved away from the keys. On weak limbs, Naomi stood and turned to face Nathan’s applause. She took hold of the edge of the piano and bowed. She’d had a whole lesson in Professional Skills, about bowing. Nathan laughed and clapped harder, mouthing wow, shaking his head. Eventually, his hands stilled. ‘Whoa. That was amazing. How do you remember all those notes?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘You have to know.’ Naomi allowed a smile. ‘It’s like driving a”
― Tori de Clare, Either Side of Midnight