It was the first day of sixth grade.  Every child waited impatiently for the doors of Rosewood Middle School to open.  The Middle school boasted a particularly good music program for such a small town, Rosewood City, Co.  The band had even been featured on the acclaimed radio music program “From the Top”.  Every sixth grader entering the school had to audition their first day there.  One little girl, medium height, for an eleven year old, long black hair, rosy cheeks, fair skinned and with vibrant blue eyes, which showed her every emotion and glowed like sapphires.  Similar to the precious stone, her eyes held an “elusive star” which showed its presence only when she was truly happy.  Today her eyes showed her to be truly nervous.  As she stood outside the school doors, she trembled.  At her elementary school she had been a stand out flutist, at eleven she played on an open hole flute.  She knew, however, that she always choked in auditions, it didn’t matter who she played for, it could be her best friend, who she’d tried to play for hundreds of times, and still she would always freeze.  Tears would well in her eyes, her body felt tingly; she couldn’t breathe right…stage fright.  That was the word; her mother asked her at her first audition if that was her problem, she said she didn’t know, how do you describe it?  Her mother, a world famous clarinetist said the exact symptoms her daughter had and the little girl replied, then yes, she had stage fright.  The little girls name was Ellie, short for Eilonwy.  The bell rang for the children to enter the school.  Ellie’s best friend, Gracie, who played trumpet, walked up to her.

“How excited are you for the auditions?” Gracie bubbled; “I mean the teacher is supposed to be really sweet and…” she stopped after looking at her distressed friend, “what’s the matter El’?” Gracie inquired.

“Stage-fright.” Ellie replied.

“You’ll do fine,” Gracie said, “You’re the best flute player to ever walk the halls of Rosewood MS!” But privately, as Gracie read the distress in her friends face, she felt Ellie had no chance at placing in the band.  Her stage fright is too much for her, the teacher won’t understand!

“I won’t place,” Ellie said, “I know, it’ll be the same as always, but don’t you worry or you won’t place and you should.” Ellie urged “You’re a phenomenal player and have no fear!”

Gracie laughed, “only fools have no fear El’. You don’t think I freak every time I try and make music with that trumpet of mine?  I tremble, it’s natural.”

Yes, Ellie thought, it’s natural, but it doesn’t get in the way of your abilities!

“Ellie!” Gracie said fiercely as the friends turned toward the audition room, “You’ll do fine!”

“Thanks Grace,” Ellie said, “I know you’ll do great!”

“We’ll see,” Gracie said as she disappeared through the door to audition, “but thanks anyway!”

As Ellie waited for Gracie’s audition to end, she tried to calm down, but the more she tried, the more nervous she became.  After an hour, or so it seemed, of tormented waiting it was Ellie’s turn.  Gracie left the room with a huge smile!

“I placed tenth, at least for now.  It may be last chair, but I have a few years to move up.”  Gracie said with a smile.

Ellie stood up, her eyes looked like huge pools, and she was already trembling.  As she walked in Gracie called, “You’ll do fine!”  Ellie turned, but couldn’t find the strength to answer, she just walked in.  The instant she closed the door, she wished she hadn’t.  She wanted to leave that room more than anything.  She was so afraid she actually turned and looked at the door.  Just then, a gentle voice called from behind her,

 “The music’s over here, love, that way will only lead to silence!”

Ellie turned around to see a young man, no more than twenty-five.  Had Ellie had control of her mind I am sure she would have thought several things: one) my, he is young, therefore perhaps very advanced, two) how hansom he is, for he was a very hansom man.  He had short, curly, blond hair, a rosy complexion, warm features, and most of all, those same expressive blue eyes as Ellie.  Once Ellie had turned to face him, she began to put her flute together, but almost as though it where something she had been trained to do, like a dog that had been trained to do a trick since its youth.  There was no love or tenderness in her touch of the instrument, it was like she wasn’t in the same room, like she was watching her audition on a television and watching it she could see and feel that her stage fright was worse than usual.  Non-the-less, merely watching she could do nothing.  The young band director placed the music in front of her.  She automatically brought the flute to her lips, but could not play.  She looked at the young man holding a clipboard and a pen expectantly waiting for her to play and all in one she was herself again.  This time she lost all control of herself, her hands loosened and her flute fell from her grasp as she too collapsed on the floor in total distress.  Tears flowed from her eyes, as she sat there weeping she knew, she knew, her chance at the band was through, her flute was broken, she knew.  She had embarrassed herself in totality.

“I believe,” said a calm voice, “that you dropped this.”

Ellie forced herself to look up, there was the band director holding her unharmed flute.  To her utter surprise he wasn’t laughing or angry, he looked genuinely concerned.

“My flute,” Ellie gasped through her still flowing tears.

“Yes, well,” said the director in a vaguely more business like manner, “I’ve seen and been through a great deal of nerves, I followed what might happen.” He smiled and it was all Ellie could do to smile back.

“I see you have a small issue with stage fright,” her future teacher pressed.

“If you…,” Ellie gasped through her easing tears, “call th-th-that small,” she stuttered, “then WHAT do you call BIG?”

“Well,” said the man, “fainting on stage, I think beats crying a bit, but no matter, I’d like you to try a different flute.  Now, no opposition,” he said because Ellie had raised her voice in argument, “no, none of that now.  Wait one moment please.”  He reached into his bag and withdrew a beautifully carved flute case with the word “Flewt” written on it.