Afterward, a younger student approached her. “I failed my first theory test too,” she said quietly. “How did you keep going?”
That night, Melody didn’t practice scales. Instead, she wrote a short melody on scrap paper. It was rough, uneven—just like her path. But it was hers.
Mr. Harmon sat beside her. “Do you know what I see? I see a girl who practices at 6 a.m. because that’s the only quiet time in her crowded apartment. I see a student who taught herself finger placements by watching online videos on a borrowed phone. I see someone who keeps showing up.”
“Everyone knows my background,” Melody muttered. “I’m slow at reading music. I started lessons two years later than everyone else. My family can’t afford a private tutor. That’s all they see.”
“Isn’t she the one who failed the theory test twice?” someone snickered.
