Kira at Tanglewood
Copyright© 2026 by Gina Marie Wylie
Chapter 4
After the orchestra rehearsal, Kira had lunch with her fellow conducting students, and the conversation was only about music, with topics changing every few minutes. The afternoon that followed had rehearsals with the cello trio and for Rachael’s piece. For dinner, Kira didn’t eat much, and the evening was filled with more music demonstrations and explanations.
By nine in the evening, Kira couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, and she returned to the boarding house and collapsed on the bed.
When Kira awoke on her second morning at Tanglewood, she was famished and rushed her morning routine to get to breakfast as early as possible. Rachael smiled and understood and hurried to get ready as well. They went to a café near Tanglewood, and Kira ate a double order of waffles, liberally doused with maple syrup after being slathered in butter. Rachael ate sparingly as she usually did, then they returned to Miss Hall’s, where they picked up their instruments. Kira was handed a letter as they were leaving, and she read it on the way to the Music Center.
“Good news?” Rachael asked when Kira whooped with joy.
“I’ve been accepted into Red Bluff Academy as a scholarship student. And they said that I should appear in Sedona when I get done here. They are giving me a full-term credit for attending Tanglewood.”
“Oh Kira! I know how much you wanted to go to a better school.”
“My friend Irene graduated in June. She’s off to Stanford. I’m looking forward to it more than I expected.”
They pulled into a parking lot, and Rachael reached out to Kira and squeezed her shoulder. “I’ve never heard you utter the words ‘my friend’ before.”
“I told you about her after the State Orchestra thing.”
“I promise, I’m not jealous. I know how hard it is for you to make friends.”
Kira shrugged. “Dad and I made two trips up to Sedona. Then Mom came with us for the day I had to take their test. Irene was there for the first two. She graduated after the second. She’s my best friend after you.”
Kira lugged her cello case into the shed and set it down next to her music stand. She was the First Chair here too, and that put her in the front of the orchestra, on the conductor’s right hand, so her chair was set special, with a larger gap than usual to her right, for her to put her cello case down in so it would not be in traffic.
John Williams was busy with a half dozen composition students, and she stood next to Richard, waiting for Mr. Williams to tell her what they were going to do today. Richard sidled up next to her.
“Dennis quit yesterday,” he whispered.
Kira looked at Richard in surprise.
“Kira, he thought you and Mr. Williams were out to make him look like a fool. You were trying to show him up ... paranoia central!”
“I never!” she said, offended. “I never said one word about him!”
Richard laughed and made chicken wing flapping motions. “And I know who you did have comments on! I never noticed! Jeez, how do you expect to learn anything if you can’t take criticism? If you go off on a tangent about whether the conductor is looking at the score or not?”
“Everything I’ve conducted, I’ve had the score. Yes, I look at it.”
“And learn it.”
“I’m not a freak!”
Richard surprised her; he leaned close and kissed her cheek. “I think Dennis believes you are an android robot, programmed for music. I’m sure you are just a young genius.”
As a kiss, it was definitely below par; Taylor Ford had kissed her hand, making her feel ten feet tall. Richard’s kiss just left her confused. She knew he was going to be a senior in high school. Why had he done that?
She was saved when Mr. Williams came up and handed her a score. “You can thank my librarian for this, Kira. When I handed out your piece, I asked him to take back an Aaron Copeland piece I’d already asked him to set out. He didn’t; his exact words were ‘Oh Cisco! Copeland is a former director! Do something with it!’”
Kira was more confused than ever, and John Williams laughed. “I’m dating myself. The Cisco Kid was a TV show of my youth, and his faithful sidekick was named Pancho, and every time the Kid had a radical plan, he’d say, ‘Oh Cisco,’ and the reply was ‘Oh Pancho!’ So, I’m about to throw you to the wolves. You have two minutes to look it over, and then you are to conduct it.”
Kira glanced at the score. “Good thing then that I’ve been practicing my Italian.”
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