Author's Note (PLEASE READ)

Author-nim here! I know I've been busting out these classical music themes pretty often, but this particular story takes place in the same world as my previous story, The Bucket List. For previous readers, you might run into some familiar characters here!

(SunnyBunny023)

The storyline is based off a dear, late friend of mine who was a music major diagnosed with a Stage IV acoustic neuroma and lost her hearing over time. She was bullied at school by hearing peers for being hard of hearing and as a result, she took her own life. All details, from the music to the diagnosis are based off of research and anecdotes of my friend. In no way does this story entirely dictate the real life personalities and lives of the idols, their parents, the musicians, those who are deaf and hard of hearing, and other important figures mentioned in this story. I'm writing in deaf characters as an exploration so I can understand my friend's world a little better. I will implement some of my own experiences as well. Please let me know if you have any concerns or points that you want to make. I'm working to improve myself as well. I'll be clear that I do not intend to use hearing loss as a trope to increase angst levels; my main goal is to raise awareness and ensure that people don't turn to suicide or anything else of a similar extent. Deaf/HoH people are real and not simply a plot point and like I said, a trope to increase angst levels.

MitangMan, (who is deaf in the left ear, partially deaf in the right ear, and wears hearing aids) will be counseling me in writing these chapters. There's nobody that can describe hearing loss than someone who is actually hard of hearing themselves and I want to respect their community in that way. Even though I had a friend who was deaf, interacted with the Deaf/HoH people within my HS special needs group, and hold a job watching over kids with disabilities, it is difficult to write about experiences we don't fully understand. And of course, his experience alone does not dictate the opinions and ordeals of ALL members in the Deaf/HoH community so I will not limit my outreach to him. I will seek the counsel of others and use a variety of writing resources as well. 

This story will also be posted on my Ao3 Account: Minariina

(MitangMan) 

Hello guys! Just like Chaeyoung in this story, I lost my hearing as a result of prematurity and alcohol consumed by my mother before pregnancy. I have profound hearing loss in the left ear and moderate hearing loss in the right ear. I just recently attained hearing aids by my own consent and without pressure from outside forces, and I made this choice because I wanted to know what music sounded like and I had the desire to learn an instrument (I'm working on piano, drums, guitar, xylophone, and just recently bassoon thanks to this story). Compared to SunnyBunny023, I am not that much of an eloquent writer; I volunteered for this position to proofread and read through the story to make sure that there's a good representation of my community and that there's no negatively-charged language. For the most part, I do the speaking on deafness (This sounds like a paradox, I know!) and SunnyBunny023 puts it into words. I help out where Chaeyoung is involved, where Mina is faced in a situation where she has to use sign language (I know ASL, PSE, and SEE, and I'm currently learning BSL because I live in London now), where she can't hear, the topic of hearing aids/cochlear implants, medical visits, and other related topics. I also write out dialogue where sign language is used. I've been reading Silent Sonata for a long time and I'm amazed at SunnyBunny023's persistence and strive for improvement not just within her writing, but within herself. She's a very sensitive person and I honor that in her. 

I'm pretty shy but I've decided to make a Twitter just in case people have questions about the Deaf/HoH community or just anything in general!

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WARNING: Because the story takes place in a college setting, there are going to be swear words, mentions of (not explicit, only mentioned), alcohol, and drug use. There is also mental health issues, suicide, bullying, ableism, and other sensitive topics that may be triggering to readers. This story was made to highlight and give awareness to serious topics that are apparent in the real world. These circumstances are not merely used to raise angst levels.

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A Glossary of Terms has been added to enhance your reading experience! You don't need to be musically-oriented to enjoy the story or to understand the plot, but these terms will come to use throughout the story so use the glossary if you need a guide. This glossary is formulated so that you all wouldn't have to go through the trouble of searching up the terms online. Let me know if there are questions! UPDATE: MitangMan will also be adding terminology pertaining to medical conditions and Deaf culture.

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. 

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Past Posters (Credits Below)
Credits

Poster credit goes to COLOR HOUSE ™ (Current Poster) 
-ARMIN- of Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ ILaria Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Multi shop, sakuretta of Spotlight Posters, and 70hyyh of [1 9 9 7] (Previous Posters)

I'm very thankful for all the hard work that you've put in to bring my story to life!

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Preview

Light blinded the wine-haired girl as a teardrop nearly escaped from her right eye, trailing down her pale cheek.

Mina Myoui should be used to this — giving out thirty concerts a year, participating in numerous world-class competitions, even giving out mini-masterclasses to the young ones at the Juilliard pre-college division. But this isn't just like any ordinary concert; it's the BBC Proms, one of the most celebrated orchestral concert series to date. It is considered a haven for hardcore and amateur classical music fans alike, and tickets sell out faster than the blink of an eye. It is considered a privelege to stand on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall, especially if one is still in their late teens such as Mina. 

The girl entered the stage in a stunning black gown, shimmering like an star from above. She shook the conductor's hand after the formal applause and made her way towards the center. She winced as her neckstrap placed a huge strain on her nape. She could feel her heart hammering as her bassoon nearly slid off her sweaty palms. She pulled the reed closer to her lips and took in a deep breath.

She can't wait for this performance to be over.

Light dazzled on the tall girl's golden hair as she flashed a smile at the audience sitting in front of her. 

Sana Minatozaki's eyes lit up at the scene — standing on the stage of the Davies' Symphony Hall and performing with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. This all occurred while a pool of children and their parents sat there watching her and her friends with rapt attention, wide-eyed as Park Jihyo introduced the cast of Peter and the Wolf in her typical boisterous, over-excited voice. Sana gets to play the role of the evil, nasty wolf along with two other horn players. However, this quirky girl put a spin on the whole menacing demanor of the wolf by wearing adorable dog ears.

Sana took her bow and then sat down in her respective seat, tucking the lacy material of her black dress below her thighs. The children settled down, loud chatter diminishing to a soft whisper. She adjusted the mouthpiece to her lips and  in a deep breath.

She can't wait for this performance to begin.

Light bounced off the petite girl's dark eyes, gripping her mallets as if they were handguns.

Son Chaeyoung held back her tears as she stared at her reflection on the surface of her vibraphone. The so-called "percussionist extraordinaire" had just gave her worst performance tonight at one of the most revered music competitions in the world — The ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany. The audience, sprinkled with professional music critics here and there, gave Chaeyoung a respectful applause before chattering likes birds again, criticizing her performance. If only she had not hammered the wrong note in Sejourné's Vibraphone Concerto.

Chaeyoung made a quick bow and scurried backstage, whirring by a handful of percussionists who had just witnessed this embarrassment right in front of their eyes. She located her personal backstage room at the end of the hallway. Tucking her prized mallets gently in its case, like a mother tending to her baby birds, she wiped the tears off her red eyes and took in a deep breath.

She can't wait to get the hell out of this place.

Main and Supporting Characters (There are more characters than currently listed below)