ARC TWO

basso continuo
Origin: Italian
Continuous bass (i.e. a bass part played continuously throughout a piece to give harmonic structure), used especially in the Baroque period.

DISCLAIMER: The personalities and opinions of these characters do not represent those of actual idols themselves, the Juilliard students, the New York Philharmonic, or any of its employees. The Juilliard School is not responsible for the accuracy of information.

The First Measure

Monday: January 11, 2021

The second semester has begun in the way that I least expected it.

Chaekyung returned from South Korea with a bulk of souvenirs, including Korean cosmetics and K-pop paraphernalia, but that's not the odd part of my day. The strangest part of the first day was realizing how right Momo is about who my musicology classmates were — Reina, Shori, Jennie, Yuzuna, and Shuuka all bunched up next to the front row of lecture hall seats while me, Sana, Jihyo, and Eunha lodged near the furthest exit.

And if things couldn't get more peculiar, just wait until the minute I walked into that class.

"Look, it's Mina!" one of my classmates, whom I recognized to be Hwasa from the piano division, yelled as if she had never seen me before.

Her friend, Wheein or whatever, slid a hand over Hwasa’s babbling mouth in an attempt to shut her up, "Don't be so loud! She can hear us!"

When the two girls sunk in their seats, several curious eyes were focused on me. I could hear my classmates muttering and pointing fingers towards me. I didn't catch exactly what they were exactly saying, but in their faces, I could see pity in their eyes. It made me hurl; the entire cheesy high school semblence and the animated students spreading gossip with their friends after a fairly short winter break. 

"Is it true that Mina got second place at the festival competition?" one boy asked.

"Poor her. I know that her parents aren't going to be happy about this", another girl said.

"Speaking of parents, I heard that..."

I shrugged off the crude comments that I was receiving and slid into an unoccupied desk next to Sana. My seat was perfect because it was next to the exit, just in case I have a panic attack during class or if my ears decide to make a mess of my awareness. 

"Okay class! My name is Dr. Veronika Zarkov and I'm going to be your Musicology of the year!" an eagerly petite Russian woman wearing an attire fit for a company manager came into view, "Open your textbooks to Chapter One: Pitch and Interval."

"ALREADY?" The entire class stormed.

“We’re reviewing music theory again?” Eunha audibly groaned.

Dr. Zarkov completely ignored the violinist’s objection and went on reading, writing examples up on the whiteboard as she explained, "The pitch of a note is how high or low it sounds. The distance between two pitches is called an interval between them. The small interval from one note to the next closest note higher or lower is called the half step or semitone. A scale can go up and down by half steps, a chromatic scale plays all the notes on both the white and black keys of a piano. If you go..."

I wasn't entirely listening to her speech; the fact that my classmates injected the names of my parents into their conversation had me concerned. How do they know about the whole ordeal between my parents and I? I never told anybody except Sana, Chaeyoung, my Pops Orchestra section, and the “Crack Squad”. It wasn't long before Dr. Zarkov's shadow peered over my inattentive body, eyes furrowed at me.

"So Mina, if you go up or down two half steps from one note to another, what happens to those notes?" she questioned. Oh me.

"Eh?"

I looked as if she were in a daze, perhaps even exhausted — my voice was low and echoed around the behemoth room, a trait that I barely demonstrated in front of elders. To add to my lethargic phase, I showed up to class wearing sweatpants, uggs, and an oversized knit sweater.

"Fine", Dr. Zarkov proclaimed, "I'll ask Sana."

"If you go up or down two steps from one note to another, then those notes are a whole step, or in other words, a whole tone apart", Sana cuts in while my professor gives me the most pretentious glare. My classmates were clearly amazed, giving the hornist a round of applause as Dr. Zarkov gave her an approving nod. My body started to sink in mortification at my inattentiveness. Jesus Christ. I learned that in Music Theory I too.

"Correct!", she piped up, "You should learn from your friend to pay attention more!"

Oh hell no.

That statement nearly crossed the line. I dug my head further into my arms in humiliation. Did freaking Sana Minatozaki just answer for me? What the hell? My classmates started to snort at me, making coarse faces and boorish gestures while a few others paid attention to the rising star hornist, asking her questions about her intelligence and indulging themselves into Sana's life.

As the day went on, Sana began to acclaim more recognition from other Juilliard peers, making the me feel a little more uncomfortable and maybe a teensy bit resentful against her. The girls who once teased Sana began to admire her for her horn playing at the competition and her new hairstyle. Many of them offered to help her carry her belongings, such as her bulky instrument case or her purse.

"Oh my gosh! Hi Sana!" Jennie sang. She didn't even take a second to acknowledge my appearance. "I rewatched your performance of Strauss and I was mindblown. How do you manage to uphold such technicality while playing with such lyricism?"

"What about Mina?" Sana said, her purse slipping off her shoulder and plopping down onto the floor.

"Oh... right! Mina too!" she replied, glancing at me before switching her gaze back to the horn player. I sought sarcasm in Jennie’s voice; she knew that I didn't perform THAT well at the competition. "So Sana, about that Strauss, can you give me some pointers on how to play more..."

I winced internally as specific images flashed through my mind. It breaks away to that one intervention I had with my cousins over the dinner table. Jennie is doing the exact same thing by disregarding my presence and obsessing with the "winner" instead.

It was perplexing. Jennie never talked face-to-face with Sana before. And in addition, Jennie downgraded Sana about her skills and fashion sense prior to the competition, which shows how freaking erratic she is. I should've listened to Nayeon when she told me to avoid Jennie.

"Are you still working at Café Fiorello?" Jennie asks Sana, "I'd like to eat lunch with you there."

"Oh heavens no. I quit", Sana shook her head, accompanied by a laugh that chimed of smugness, "After winning one hundred thousand dollars, I figured that I didn't need a job anymore. I also quit my job at the DIsability Resources Center so I can focus more on my music."

So Sana quit both of her jobs, huh. 

"Do you still want to hang out, though?" Jennie pressed.

"Can Mina come too?" Sana mentions my name and it ignites a sharp pang in my heart.

"I only snagged enough cash to treat one of you", the clarinetist says flatly.

"It's okay. I won't go", I decided passive agressively, forcing a smile and slinging the strap of my instrument case on my shoulder, "I'm just going to hide in the recesses of my misery and perfectionism in one of the practice rooms. You two have a blast!"

Sana knitted her eyebrows worringly, "Are you sure?"

"I'm absolutely sure!" I stressed.

The Second Measure

Tuesday: January 12, 2021

I woke up to a horrid afternoon. Even though the forecasted hail had not fallen yet, heavy snow pelted mercilessly against the glass window, waking up my weary, exhausted self. I rolled out of my bed with my blanket still caressed around my shoulders, rubbing my eyes, then reaching for the lamp switch to turn on the lights. My phone was latched to a charger across the room so I picked out a watch of the clothes drawer instead.
 
"Oh, Jesus", I took a gander at my watch, "I’m going to be late for my lesson!"

Disregarding the nutritious meal that Sana cooked up for me and Chaekyung, I hurriedly grabbed my umbrella, instrument, and backpack filled with crumpled sheet music before speeding out the door. I happened to pass by Chaekyung, who was in the lounge area with her girlfriend and Juilliard Orchestra piccolo player Kim Sohee, pouring themselves a cup of coffee. 

"M-Mina! You're still wearing your pajamas!" Chaekyung shouted, chasing me through the silent hallways of the dormitory.

"It's snowing outside!" Sohee warned.

I ignored their warnings and persevered to the exit, dashing past the dormitory's security guards, swishing the front door open as I surprised two other music students. I pumped my legs, gaining momentum with each push. My feet slapped the wet, concrete floor sending me jetting past various people that blurred in my speed. Chaekyung was too late in retrieving me. Giving off a slight sigh, I stopped once I arrived at the main building, my cold breath buffeting the glass doors as I pushed them open against the strong wind.

I took a deep breath before opening the next door to my fate, or rather my next lesson. I crossed my fingers in hopes that my professor, Dr. Kevin Cseszenky, wouldn't scold me for sleeping in. 

"G-Good morning..." I greeted in a shaky voice as I slowly creaked the door open.

Rather than rebuking me, he chuckled at my outward appearance, "It's already past noon and you're still wearing pajamas? Did you sleep in?"

"I... umm…” I stuttered.

"It's okay!" He reassured, reaching for a towel located in the corner of the room, "Before we start our lesson, you should dry up before you catch a cold. I wouldn't want you to get sick on the second day of a new semester. And speaking of self-care, I need to use the bathroom real quick."

I wrapped the towel around my shoulders as I prepared to assemble my instrument. Before I could even reach my case, I could hear the sound of two babbling girls, most likely college freshmen, mentioning my name in their talebearing conversation. Sheesh, it's too difficult to concentrate when news about Sana and I are circulating around the school this fast. Their voices tear through the cream-colored walls so emphatically, that it's audible even my left ear. It makes me anxious because the entire hallway could listen in on the rumors and nobody would stop them.

"I'm back", as if on cue, Dr. Cseszenky returned shortly after the two girls disappeared from the hallway.

"Dr. Cseszenky, do you know who was talking about me in the hallways?" I inquired.

He shook his head, "Nope. Were they bothering you?"

"Never mind. It's fine", I shrugged, "I'll just figure it out later. I'm ready to start our lesson."

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

"Okay, we'll get a move on", he nodded.

With my previous lesson ending on a lower note, Sana and I returned to our musicology class for another hell of an hour to endure. At lunch, I ran back to the dorms to change into decent clothes. Then at the lecture hall entrance, a hub of boys approached Sana and stole her away from me.

"Notes in the minor scale follow a different pattern and so have different relationships with each other. Music in minor keys have a different sound and emotional feel, and develops differently in a harmonic manner. Hence, one cannot transpose a piece from C major to D minor without changing it a great deal. Minor scales are based on a different pattern of intervals. Starting the minor scale pattern on a different note will give a different key signature. To create a natural minor scale, start on the tonic note and go up the scale using the interval pattern..."

I didn't listen to Dr. Zarkov's ramblings about keys and scales because I’ve already learned about this years ago. I sat separately from Sana and the others this time, situating myself in the empty seat next to a wide window, peering at the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts. I noticed something different. In the heart of the center, right where the fountain is placed, a little girl was crying while hugging her knees. I don't know exactly why or how, but she was crying. I can sympathize with this little girl because my inner self is in the same exact pathetic state. And to think that I believed in the proverb that "new years bring prosperity and happiness." This is not how I wanted my second semester to play out.

I want to hop into a time machine and sail back to the memory of playing with Chaeyeon and Chaeryeong. I want to forget about all of this sh—

"Tell me Mina, what is the relative minor?" Dr. Zarkov chose the right time to victimize me once again. She speaks in my right (deaf) ear so it takes a while for me to register the wording of her question in my head. 

I begin to explain when Sana’s pitchy voice overlaps my softer voice, "It’s—"

"A minor key is referred to as the relative minor of the major key that also has the same key signature. Even though they have the same key signature, a minor key and its relative major sound very different. Apart from natural minor scales, there are also melodic and harmonic minor scales", Sana eagerly cut in once again, her free hand flailing in the air.

"Very good Minatozaki!" Dr. Zarkov beamed before giving me a disappointed sigh.

"You're welcome", Sana smirks at me.

"I didn't ask for your help", I grumbled.

The Third Measure

Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals never go unnoticed without Maestro Gilbert's spontaneous announcements. The course of events is always the conventional assembling of instruments, wetting reeds (if you play a woodwind like me), tuning, Maestro's speech (occasionally with the interventions of Kai), and then the actual rehearsal. With my hanging from my mouth, I gloss over the orchestra syllabus that tabulates our upcoming concerts and the pieces that will become a part of the program. Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and another piece that has yet to be announced. The date for our next concert also hasn't been listed, meaning that anything could be subjected to change. 

Symphonie Fantastique? I'm still having nightmares about the time when Jun and Vernon shouted at Yerin. 

Speaking of Vernon and Jun, I haven't said a single word to them since that incident. Jun isn't at rehearsals today because the instrumentation for Symphonie Fantastique only calls for four bassoons. Vernon is still awkward with me, turning to Joshua for Mingyu for assistance instead. I don't regret calling them out for what they had said to Yerin, but gosh, it feels like everybody has exhibiting negative energy towards me since the competition. Forget about tinnitus; this notion of being abhorred by nearly the entire school is giving me a bigger headache.

"Minaaaaa", Chaekyung hovers over my head. I almost forgot about this girl since Sana came in.

"H-Hi!" I sputter, my reed falling out of my mouth and landing in the palms of my hand.

"Sana wanted me to tell you that she's going to stay after Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals and help me catch up", Chaekyung briefs before grabbing my wrist and propping something in my hand, "I'll leave you with our room key just in case you come back to the dorms early."

"O-Okay..."

Maestro Gilbert rambles on about the happenings of the Parisian Winter Music Festival, including our performance and the results of the competition. That being said, he affixed his attention towards Sana, who is still sitting in the row behind me with Chaekyung on her left. 

"Because of Sana's popularity, I'm keeping her in this orchestra", Maestro Gilbert declares, "She and Chaekyung will become co-principal horns."

I knew it. I had a gutted feeling that Maestro wans't going to release Sana given the fact that she became a phenomenon overnight. Nobody seemed to pay attention to the fact that Chaekyung had returned home as well; they're too stoked about having Sana remain in the lineup.

Speaking of this semester's lineup... 

"Starting this spring semester, I'm expanding the size of the Juilliard Orchestra. I held auditions over the past week since we returned from Paris", Maestro Gilbert greets with a rare smile, "They are from the Pops Orchestra as well."

"The Pops Orchestra? You mean the leftovers?" Yuzuna scoffs from the flute section and the rest of the orchestra joins her party ideology.

"Not leftovers", Maestro Gilbert gives the haughty flutist a disapproving look, "These folks possess a lot more talent and passion than I initially thought, and I believe that some out-performed others in the festival competition. In fact, because of the results of their auditions, I'm making seating arrangements to some of the sections. Anyone who disagrees will just have to deal with it until you wish to challenge them for their seat."

The Juilliard Orchestra members glowered. They were not happy to hear that the new members would be overriding their supposed importance.

Ten new members file into the auditorium with welcoming smiles implanted on their faces. I recognize most of them: Jackson and Eunha on violin, Youngjae on oboe, and Eric Nam on percussion. When the last six members come into my periphery, my eyes shot open — a brown pixie cut timpanist, a wavy dirty blonde second violinist, a chocolate-colored signature-ponytailed violist, a small double bassist who dyes her hair every month, a gorgeous cellist with silky dark hair, and lastly, the jet-black clarinetist who has decided to make her comeback in the Juilliard Orchestra.

It's the "Crack Squad".

"Please give a warm welcome our new members — Jackson Wang, Eunha, and Momo Hirai on violin; Park Jihyo on viola; Chou Tzuyu on cello; Kim Dahyun on double bass; Choi Youngjae on oboe; Im Nayeon on clarinet; Yoo Jeongyeon and Eric Nam on percussion", Maestro Gilbert sweeps an arm out to give them a handshake before leading the orchestra in a round of applause. The claps emitted from most of the Juilliard Orchestra members were rather pathetic, but at least Sana and Chaekyung were there to enliven the spirits of the ten new members.  

"Surprise motherfu— OW!" Dahyun opens to give a snappy regard to Yuzuna when Tzuyu pokes her in the rib with her cello's bow.

"And now for seating arrangements", Concertmaster Kai pulls out a clipboard from his "man purse" and jaunts to the center stage, "Jeongyeon will be co-principal timpanist with Rocky. Eric will be on third-chair percussion in between second-chair Justin and fourth-chair Chaeyoung. Youngjae will be on second oboe next to Shuuka, Momo will be fourth chair out of sixteen second violinists. Tzuyu will be seventh chair out of twelve cellists. Dahyun will be sixth chair out of eight double bassists. Nayeon will be second chair clarinetist next to co-principals Jennie Kim and Shori Sato."

"Everyone starting from principal violist Rodrigo Santos, move down one chair", Maestro Gilbert intervenes.

"¡Qué mierda!" (What the hell!) Rodrigo groans in his thick, Argentine accent.

Karen, the violist who is probably the most distraught at hearing Jihyo's name being called, stands up from her second chair, "This is outrageous!"

"I know right?" Yeonjung, sitting in the tenth viola seat, cries in protest.

"Just do what Maestro says or else we're all going to get in trouble", Pinky, the seventh violinist, pleads quietly.

The violists whisper amongst themselves when Maestro Gilbert and Kai's intimidating stare settles into their skulls. They make their move, grumbling and complaining in low murmurs until the very first viola seat is left wide open and unoccupied.

"Jihyo, sit in that first chair. You are now the Juilliard Orchestra's principal violist", Maestro Gilbert directs and the obedient girl complies. Jihyo makes herself comfortable when Karen bursts into tears after being downgraded from second chair to third chair, as well as being surpassed.

Then Kai's eyes dart towards his own section — the first violins

He bit his lip before he began, "Starting from Reina Washio, move down two chairs. Jackson, sit in the second chair. Eunha, sit in the third chair."

The prideful violinist who had once sat next to Kai was fuming, her narrowed eyes and face growing as red as a tomato. It was as if blood was boiling in her veins, clenching her violin's bow to the point where it can almost break, snapping into two pieces like the breaking of one's back. Reina was now sitting in the fourth chair instead of second chair in the first violin section, and she isn't happy about it in the slightest.

Maestro Gilbert clapped his hands together in satisfaction, "I didn't make these seatings arrangements to deem anybody untalented. No one is not talented. But I believe that a change of attitude needs to be enforced here. You're all aiming to become pros, right? Professional musicians need to remain confident yet also humble in their work, and I believe that humility is one of the most valuable traits a human can possess." 

That made everyone shut up.

"I am tough on you guys, that's true. I also tend to push everyone's limits, but I don't do this out of spite; I do it because I want to see everybody succeed", he spoke deliberately and slow, "The classical music industry is a stone-cold world, and I am here to prepare you for that world."

I'm pleasantly surprised. This is one of Maestro Gilbert's rare moments where he formally prepares a meaningful speech. I felt stupid, all of a sudden. Maybe and abashed. I used to believe that I was hot and I grazed that sort of mindset from The Six and my parents. I need to remind myself that I'm human too and that I make mistakes just like I did in my musicology class, and just like the London Symphony Orchestra did during The Firebird. I just declared that I'm not a manipulative product of my mom and dad anymore. I make music because I love to make music.

"Speaking of pushing everybody's limits, I'm making an alteration to our syllabus", Maestro Gilbert gushes with elation. His hands are pumped up and it spooks the young musicians, including me. "I'm pushing back Symphonie Fantastique and the other unannounced piece to a different month. Our orchestra and a select number of students from Juilliard's Voice and Opera Department has been invited to the Bay Area Opera Festival that will take place at the end of March. The opera faculty and I settled on a large-scale opera work that will surely test our students."

The end of March? That's around my birthday. And the Bay Area? The only major city that I could think of in that locality is San Francisco.

"What opera are we doing?" Sana asked, genuinely excited about these news, "And where is the festival taking place?"

"The festival will take place in San Francisco", he announces coolly and the hornist screams in bliss, startling the musicians sitting around her. The thought of revisiting her hometown just whirls her head. "And for the first time, we will be performing Wagner's spectacular Der Ring des Nibelungen, colloquially known as "The Ring" — all four parts: The Rhinegold, the Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods."

Everywhere I turned, there was chatter — both of mixed emotions. Performing Wagner's "Ring" cycle is parallel to climbing Mount Everest. "The Ring" is the most epic, the longest, and most physically taxing opera for vocalists and musicians alike. The entire production, all four parts consolidated into one, spans fifteen hours in length if the conductor chooses to keep pace. It seems almost unthinkable to make a student orchestra, even a well-versed student orchestra like the Juilliard Orchestra, perform every single part of "The Ring" over a span of four days.  

Maestro Gilbert is a huge fan, one might even call him "obsessed", with Richard Wagner. When he was pursuing his master's degree at Juilliard, he took Kurtz's Wagner Class and in 2015, was stirred to push the Juilliard Orchestra to perform his rendition of called A Ring Synthesis. Wagner is an unconventional choice for students because of the grandeur and longevity of his works, so assigning the actual opera itself was really pushing it. 

But this is what being a performer is all about: testing the waters and doing things out of our comfort zone.

"I think performing "The Ring" will be a huge milestone in the Juilliard Orchestra's history", he insists passionately, "This is also why I expanded the size of this orchestra, to accomodate the required instrumentation for "The Ring". I'm also extending rehearsals to meet the needs by March."

The fact that he's extending Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals means that none of us will be able to make it to Pops Orchestra rehearsals.

The Fourth Measure 

Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Momo came to a consensus that the Pops Orchestra will be on hiatus for the time-being that we are preparing for Wagner. None of us could attend Pops Orchestra rehearsals anymore due to the extension of Juilliard Orchestra rehearsals. After a rather rigid practice session, where Maestro Gilbert wanted to test our familiarity with the entire piece, I returned to my dorm with rivulets of sweat rolling down my forehead as I propped my instrument case next to my bedside. Sana's makeshift bed has been laid out to accompany a familiar guest.

Chaeyoung did not attend rehearsals nor any of her other classes because she contracted a fever. Sana offered to have her stay at our place since the percussionist made an effort to show up to her first class, where the professor reported Chaeyoung to the health center in the residence hall.

"How was practice?" Chaeyoung signed from her bed with an ice pack remained above her forehead, closing her laptop. Much to my surprise, She seemed to sound alright even after the impact of a sudden fever. She's even updating the Juilliard's admissions blog with her own posts.

"Interesting..." I gestured for a lack of a better word.

"I heard from Sana that Jeongyeon and the others joined the Juilliard Orchestra. We're also performing "The Ring" and attending the opera festival in San Francisco this March", Chaeyoung's smile is natural even in the downfall of a cold, "I can't wait to show you my hometown."

This is good for Chaeyoung because with some of the Pops Orchestra members there, The Six and the other Juilliard Orchestra members can't go near her at their own leisure. I'm also happy for her because she has a chance to revisit the city that she grew up in.

"What are you writing about on your blog?" I ask the percussionist as she's typing away on her laptop.

"Stuff", Chaeyoung simply answered, looking up at me.

I raised an eyebrow, "What kind of 'stuff'?"

She seems flustered and nervously embarrassed, "N-Nothing important! I swear!"

"Shouldn't you be resting then?" 

"What about your health?" she counters, "Are you going to be okay performing 'The Ring"? You know that it's a fifteen-hour opera, right?"

Dammit. Chaeyoung makes a really good point. I barely got through today's rehearsals and we were only running through the beginning of Part One: The Rhinegold. I felt that my lips were going to fall off from holding that low E-flat for four minutes, added to the fact that Maestro Gilbert would rerun through the phrase several times. It's a wonder how I managed to slog back to the dormitories without a hitch. The opening drone doesn't leave any room for bassoonists to take in a proper breath and fill their lungs properly. I was constantly fighting for air even after rehearsals. 

This occurs during the first four minutes of a fifteen-hour opera. Now I can envision my freaking lungs climbing Mount Everest.

"Don't forget to wear your hearing protection", Chaeyoung reminds me with a motherly grin, "You're sitting in front of trombones the whole time."

Right. That too.

*Knock Knock*

Intuitively, I got to my feet and scrambled towards the door, assuming that it was Chaekyung and Sana. But alas, they were two different figures — both in uniform, one man with lithe muscle under his suit and one man with the overhead lights reflected in his large sunglasses.

My voice comes out wobbly, "W-Who is it?"

"We're the NYPD", the guy with the sunglasses says, "Are you Mina Myoui?"

NYPD. The only possible solution to that acronym is these two men from the New York Police Department. It's never good news when two police officers arrive at your door minutes before midnight, and it's even worse when they know your name and politely request to come inside. I took a deep, shaky breath before opening the door, struggling to keep my composure when all I see is their dark blue uniform, shiny shoes, and badges screaming "authority". Chaeyoung immediately shuts her laptop down when the attentive eyes of the officers scan the perimeters of my room. 

"Is it okay if we take you to the police department at this time?" the toned officer asks, "You're not in trouble. We just need to talk to you."

BONUS (Blog Entry Number Eleven)

JUILLIARD ADMISSIONS BLOG

Performances Opportunities with The Pops Orchestra!
Written by: Son Chaeyoung — Second Year, Percussion Major

Before I came to Juilliard, I heard so many rumors about the community there. Many of them were true. All of the students are amazing and talented and competitive. But what I didn't notice at first glance were those who help create a community and genuinely care of the well-being of others. The friendly community that I've experienced were fostered by the members of the Pops Orchestra — Juilliard's newest ensemble made for the intention of bringing happiness to music lovers of all generations, all different genres together and inspiring others. That was Jeongyeon's philosophy and it resonated with all of the other Pops Orchestra members as well. Half of the members don't even come from the instrumental division. SinB and Bambam are dance majors, Yuju and Dawon are voice majors, Sohye and Saeron are drama majors — plus many more! 

The Pops Orchestra also offers a ton of outreach programs, from teaching to performing. All ninety members have performed all over places in New York City such a nursing homes, hospitals, and shelters. Often times after performances, we would stay to converse with the audience members. They give us all kinds of stories, such as how they got into a favorite song, or about how they also have a child that plays an instrument. 

Three days after we returned from Paris, Mina and I performed pieces from the musical The King and I at a retirement village. An elderly woman came up to us crying because she hadn't been able to enjoy music after gradually losing her hearing. She told Mina, who translated to me afterwards, that our music gave her hope and it touched our hearts. Mina bursted into tears as we were on the train leaving the premises. Even though we were only there for a couple of hours, it truly represents the Pops Orchestra's motto of spreading happiness to others. When I learn that I'm making a difference in somebody's life, it becomes a reminder of why I continue to pursue music despite my deafness.

A/N: Wow. Can you guys imagine rehearsing a fifteen-hour opera? I can't even survive a three-hour K-pop concert (The feels, man...) and I've been to four concerts in my life (B.A.P. Live On Earth Pacific Tour in San Francisco, KCON 2013, KCON 2014, and KCON 2016). Luckily, the troupe will be performing one act each day to keep the musicians sane, meaning that the Opera Festival/San Francisco story arc will span over four performance days plus the other days where there are rehearsals and the characters doing other stuff in SF (Also, Mina's birthday!). It's still too early to get into the SF arc because it takes place at the end of March/beginning of April.  

Speaking of SF, the "Sana and Chaeyoung with the Youth Orchestra" bonuses will continue once we reach the Opera Festival/San Francisco story arc. For now, I'm focusing on giving out a fresh start to the second arc as well as revisiting some highlights that were left behind in the last portions of Arc One (Mina and her parents, Sana becoming famous, etc.) Were you guys surprised to hear that Mina's friends joined the Juilliard Orchestra? Did the ending shock you? Let me know in the comment section below ^_^

Characters