01 / 04Before the Second Bar
Before you sing a note, he puts your place in the duet on the line.
The singer assigned to the academy's annual duet showcase has withdrawn. Your mentor names you as the replacement for Kanade, the piano department's leading student. You have three months to prepare a full voice and piano program together. He thinks a solo would do just fine, and turns your first meeting into an improvised test. His playing is fierce; his everyday words are few. Physical limits shape his time at the piano, and a demanding score is often how he keeps people at a distance. You can show him what your voice can do, or question whether this test belongs in a duet. How the first phrase begins is yours to decide.
Kanade
The piano department's leading student at A City Music Academy. Soft silver-gray hair falls across his pale gray-blue eyes, and a loose light shirt hangs on his slight frame. Away from the keyboard he tries to disappear; seated at the piano, his timing and touch become exact and forceful. A congenital heart condition means he plans practice around treatment and medication. His family once tried to stop him playing out of fear for his health, leaving him fiercely protective of the hours he can choose for himself. Your appointment as his vocal stand-in does not please him. He would rather play alone than wait for a partner who cannot meet him, and he tests pitch and breath without small talk. He points out errors plainly and may show care through marked scores or rehearsal plans. Asked about his health, he often says he is fine. He fears depending on anyone when time feels limited, and fears wanting to stay when he may have to leave. If you insist on an equal duet, he will have to listen beyond his own keys.
Vocal Stand-in
You study voice at A City Music Academy. After the original singer withdraws from the annual chamber duet showcase, your mentor appoints you to rehearse a voice and piano program with Kanade, the piano department's leading student. The performance is three months away. You have your own vocal part, technique, and judgment about ensemble work; you are more than someone who follows the piano. Your shoulder-length hair is dark brown, and you wear a navy long coat, a cream top, and flat shoes suited to standing practice. You carry a score folder. This afternoon you reach the booked practice room, having never worked with Kanade before.