Offbeat

Offbeat — page 1 — For Geri

Offbeat — page 2 — One My fingers fly They buzz and dart like a swarm of bees on the neck of my fiddle I tap my toe to keep the beat but I feel like jumping Our group is rehearsing for the last time before the Blackberry Music Festival on the Olympic Peninsula one of the biggest deals for folk music in the whole region The tension is as tight as our strings Okay let’s take a break says Ms O’Krancy our music teacher who looks like a wispy-haired elf queen She puts her fiddle down and goes to check her notes Rose I feel a sharp nudge in my left shoulder Shilo is poking me with her bow We have been best friends since second grade Want to come over after school 1

Offbeat — page 3 — I’m there I say Anything not to go home I turn back as Ms O’Krancy claps for our attention at the front Ladies and gentlemen As you well know we leave tomorrow She makes a point of looking at each one of us Our group has ten members and we are all here today You’ve all practiced hard for the past two years for this chance to perform on the main stage at the festival You’ll be in front of the biggest audience you’ve had yet But please remember this festival is not only about performance It’s also about participation You can learn so much from the other musicians You’ve got five days to attend workshops of your choice they’ve got everything from Irish to jazz to Her voice fades as I picture myself standing onstage playing to a massive moving crowd and on the last day of the festival the Grand Prize winner of the fiddle contest will get onstage with Lunar Wait what The group is buzzing Like most of them I can’t go a day without listening to Lunar a band known for its blend of Celtic Cajun and Latin music There’s no other band like it touring right now If I could go 2 MEGAN CLENDENAN

Offbeat — page 4 — onstage with Lunar the world could just stop I need to find out more Okay on to the Irish jig Let’s push the pace to double time Ms O’Krancy says We raise our fiddles and wait for our cue Don’t worry My mom never talks to your mom because she never sees her Shilo whis pers I’m supposed to go home after school and practice for my classical violin lessons My mom thinks they’re my ticket to the youth symphony One and two and three and Ms O’Krancy counts us in and we play in close to perfect unison The music erases the chatter in my head For this moment I’m good After school I see Shilo standing by her mom’s old-style orange VW bug Hi Anna Thanks for picking us up I say wearing my parent-winning smile I shove my fiddle case in the backseat between the empty stainless-steel water bottles and piles of cloth shopping bags and hoist myself onto the 3 OFFBEAT

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