Joining the Chorus

Joining the Chorus

Will A. Sanborn

9/19/96

Once there was a rrakith cub named Jannil, she was much like any other cub, happy and energetic, though also a little shy, a bit more reserved than the others. She loved to run and play like all the other cubs, but sometimes, especially around people she didn't know, she would find herself becoming self-conscious.

One of the things that Jannil really loved was music, ever since her parents had sang her lullabies as a baby she'd always been responsive to it. Now that she was older, she loved it even more, and would often listen to the songs playing on her radio, laying on her bed up in her room, happily humming along with the melodies.

She would even sing occasionally, joining in with the songs, but only if she was alone, where nobody could hear her. For some reason, she thought her voice sounded wrong, out of key and odd. Perhaps it was just to her own ears, and she didn't sound bad at all, but she was careful not to let her singing be heard, in fact most of the time, even when she was alone, she would only hum quietly to the music. She would sometimes get lost in the melodies and sing along with them, but often when she realized that, she became critical of her voice once again.

Then one bright and beautiful day, as she was walking through the quiet woods of the park, humming softly to herself, she heard the faint strains of music drifting gently through the breeze. Her ears picking up as the notes caught her attention, her tail twitching with her interest, she figured out the music's source and began to follow it, the soft melodies calling out to her.

Drawing closer, the notes becoming louder, she soon neared a clearing where several other cubs of varying ages sat. It was a small group of children and young teens, a few of them with different instruments, their varied sounds blending together, one older cub tapping rhythmically on a drum with her paws. The others in the group were humming and singing as they all sat together on the grass, enjoying the music they were creating.

Listening to them, it was a song Jannil was very familiar with, in fact it was one of her favorites. Standing just outside of the clearing, her shyness stealing over her once again, she hid behind a tree as she watched and listened to them. As the moments passed, she stole more furtive glances towards the group of minstrels, remaining quiet, secluded in her hiding spot.

The power of the music calling her, Jannil found herself humming once again, almost without her knowing it she began to match the notes of the song. Caught up in the melodies, her humming grew louder, her throat rumbling comfortably with the music, a soft purr to its tones.

Opening her mouth, her shyness forgotten in the protective shadow of the tree and the soft flow of the music, she began to sing, ignoring the odd timbres of her voice. Her enthusiasm growing, the volume of her singing followed suit, until she was surprised when the music stopped abruptly, the off-key notes of her voice trailing off into a nervous gasp.

Peeking out of her hiding spot, she quickly ducked back behind the protection of the tree, as she saw several of the musicians looking in her direction.

"Ah, I thought I heard something," one of the teenagers said with a soft laugh. "It's okay little one, you don't have to hide back there."

Having been caught, she poked her head out once again, to meet the smiling faces of the others in the clearing, her ears flattening slightly as she noticed all of them were looking at her.

"Come on, why don't you come and sit with us," one of the other members of the group said, her flute resting in her lap. "It's much better than having to listen to the music from way over there."

Coaxed out from hiding, Jannil walked slowly into the clearing, looking at the faces of all the friendly, but new people. Sitting down beside the flautist, she was greeted with a warm smile, which she returned a little nervously.

"What's your name little one?" the older rrakith asked.

"Jannil" the cub replied, her voice now softer than it had been when she'd been singing in the sanctuary of the tree's shadow.

"Well hello Jannil, it's nice to meet you, my name's Krrell," she said, then quickly introducing her to the others in the group.

With the introductions out of the way, they soon began the music once again, the beautiful notes of the song drifting once more along the gentle breezes of the warm afternoon. Hearing the melodies, Jannil soon forgot her uneasiness, swaying her head slightly to the notes, even humming along with the beloved tune.

It wasn't until Krrell paused in her playing and leaned down to touch her shoulder to get her attention that Jannil became self-conscious. Smiling at her, the older rrakith whispered "why don't you sing along, like you were before, when we first noticed you?"

Surprised, Jannil shook her head nervously.

"Oh, come on, you were enjoying it, and you sounded good" her new friend coaxed her.

Finally, at Krrell's gentle insistence, with the other members of the group focused on their music, Jannil opened her mouth slightly, risking her apprehension, and let the notes escape her. They came softly at first, but gaining courage with Krrell's accompaniment, the power of her voice slowly began to grow.

As the volume of her singing grew, becoming more audible against the notes of the instruments and the voices of the others, the timbres of her notes mixed in with the music. To her surprise, her voice no longer sounded flat and off-key, instead as it added to the tapestry of the song, its qualities were complemented by the varied nuances of the melodies.

Her addition to the music gave as much as it received too, the different notes of her voice filling in empty spaces left in the chords by the others. As she rejoiced in this, the enthusiasm in her voice evident, spurred on by the smiles of Krrell and the others, she sang with even more feeling. On that sunny afternoon, singing along with the others, Jannil found a deeper appreciation for music, enjoying it on a different level than before, for as she had learned, it's not so much the singer, but the chorus.