Wanting to play his piccolo trumpet before it got cold, Mike began with Handel's The Trumpet Shall Sound. He couldn't help but marvel in irony and nostalgia, as this was the piece that had begun his journey with Melody a week ago. Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he focused completely on his style and expression as he began to play. Though the notes were not difficult, they required great precision and the right tone quality to blend properly when played with a full orchestra, which is exactly why the panel wanted to hear this piece.
After he had finished, Mike switched over to his standard C trumpet, and Jessica called out the next excerpt: the Petrushka Ballerina solo. Regaining the ironclad focus he discovered from his preparation yesterday, he danced through the music as gracefully as the ballerina it depicted. All the while, he made sure to keep his tempo rock solid, as this was the most common mistake trumpet players made in this piece: speeding up or slowing down without realizing it.
Robert chose Mike's next challenge: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The opening solo to the piece began with nothing but the trumpet, testing not only the nerves of the player, but also their consistency, as his tempo set the pace for the entire orchestra two measures later. Playing with a pompous elegance, Mike's performance was effortless, jumping from low to high notes as if they were nothing.
After a moment of silence for his sound to finish reverberating through the hall, Philip named the penultimate excerpt: the opening to Mahler's Symphony No. 5. Considered by professionals to be the most important solo in all of trumpet music, this piece combined elements from every excerpt Mike had played thus far: the necessary style and blending of Handel, the varying volume and ranges of Stravinsky, and the nerves of a complete solo trumpet from Mussorgsky. Beginning the funeral dirge at barely a whisper, he masterfully built the music up to the startling climax, fully engulfed in the orchestra playing in his mind as he did so. Finally closing the solo with a return to the trumpet's lower range, his sound elegantly faded into nothingness.
At last, they had arrived at the final excerpt, and Mike's ace in the hole: the second movement solo from Respighi's Pines of Rome. Mike stepped away from the music stand before beginning; he had no need for it. Closing his eyes, he lost himself completely in the soothing, lyrical solo, clearly picturing Melody in his mind as he played. Her deep red hair, emerald eyes, and intoxicating laugh were all the inspiration he needed to paint a true masterpiece for the panel. As he finished the haunting melody, the panel sat in wonderment for several seconds, fully appreciating everything they had just heard. They said nothing, but it was clear from Philip's eyes and Jessica's smile that he had delivered a rare performance for them that day.
Moving into the interview portion, Jessica started by presenting Mike with a scenario in which egos in the section were creating drama and disagreement, asking how he would handle his colleagues in this situation. He replied that he would sit down with the section in a roundtable discussion, emphasizing that they are professionals, each hired to play specific roles in the orchestra. Being sure to never cut anyone down publicly, he would remind everyone that, without the role that each trumpet part plays, the orchestra's quality deteriorates, perhaps resulting in lower pay or less work for everyone.
Robert then asked Mike to tell him the name of the janitor that came in to clean the equipment storage room every Tuesday. Smiling to himself, as he had chatted with the portly man on several occasions about sports and family life, Mike identified him correctly as Jamal Anderson. Clearly impressed, Robert commended Mike for being familiar with all the staff members that help the symphony run effectively, regardless of their position or background.
Thinking for a few moments, Philip then said that he did not have any interview questions for Mike. Rather, he asked if there were any specific techniques he used that helped him prepare for this audition. Mike gave a quick overview of his typical daily routine. Sensing that Philip wanted more, he then began to describe the fire drill that his friends had set up for him two days previous, leaving out the part about them mooning and flashing him of course. His smile a mile wide, Philip told Mike that he had some incredibly dedicated and loyal friends, and that he must never take that for granted, no matter how successful he becomes.
The trio again rose to shake Mike's hand, and Robert dismissed him so that they could converse and come to a decision on which of the candidates best fit the needs of the orchestra. Thanking them graciously as he left, Mike returned to the green room to pack up his equipment. Reappearing with quiet footsteps, so as not to startle him, Melody applauded his performance.
"You are something else," she marveled.
Drawing her close with a big smile, he kissed her, stating, "The die is cast. It's in their hands now."
"Wanna know what they're thinking?"
"Nah… they'll tell me when they're ready," he replied. "Ok, so I'm gonna head outside and chat with Darcy for a bit. We'll have you walk up during the conversation as if you're here to pick me up. That'll be a good way to make the introductions."
"Sounds good to me." Another quick kiss, and Melody had vanished once again.
As he walked out of symphony hall, Mike couldn't help but have the same thoughts he had felt one week ago.
Nailed it!
"There's the man!" called Darcy from her favorite courtyard bench.
Running up to her with his arms in the air, Mike channeled his inner Rocky Balboa, exclaiming, "Yo, Adrian! I did it!!!"
"So, how do you feel?" she asked with a laugh.
"Excellent. You guys really got me ready to go. Good thing too; Philip Smith was the third panelist."
"Philip Smith?! Holy crap! Is he really as soft-spoken as he seems in his interviews?"
"Yep. Great guy, definitely my personal and professional hero," Mike replied. "But hey, if I can ignore your antics, avoiding the intimidation of playing in front of the best trumpet player in the world is no biggie."
Laughing with a smug look on her face, Darcy shot back, "What? He doesn't have the rack I've got?"
"Not even close," said Mike, comically gazing at Darcy's bust.
"You got any plans for the evening? Wanna join me for dinner? I'll gladly drive if you need to down a few beers."
"Actually, I think my ride's here now," Mike said, looking over Darcy's shoulder.
"Hey baby!" Melody called, walking across the courtyard toward them.
Stunned with a dumbfounded look on her face, Darcy could only ask, "And just who… is that?"
Grinning his trademark smartass smile, Mike replied, "My girlfriend. Come on, I want you to meet her."
Meeting Melody at a nearby picnic table, she and Mike sat together across from Darcy. "Darcy, this is my girlfriend, Melody Roberts. Melody, Darcy White, the best bassoonist the city of Atlanta has ever seen!"
"Great to meet you!" Melody said, shaking Darcy's hand across the table.
"You too," Darcy replied, glancing at Mike. "Ok mister, what happened to 'no contact of the female variety,' huh?"
Shaking his head in exasperation, he responded, "Well, the truth is that Melody and I have been communicating for a couple of months now. I just wanted to keep things really close to the vest until I was certain of how serious things were, if you know what I mean. We met online, went on a couple of coffee dates…"
"Bullshit!" Darcy interrupted. "I know damn well you don't drink coffee."
"…Which is why I ordered a Coke! Anyhow, we have very similar personalities and interests, and last week, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend."
Sitting silently for a minute, glancing back and forth between Mike and Melody, Darcy finally asked, "You guys are serious, aren't you?"
Entwining his fingers with Melody's, Mike simply replied, "We are."
Smiling, Darcy continued, "Then in that case, you need to join us for dinner," pointing at Melody.
"That'd be great! Gotta celebrate, after all. I just know he hit it out of the park," Melody gushed.
"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," Mike mused, pointing to the exit to symphony hall. At the top of the steps, Jessica, Robert, and Philip were saying their goodbyes and shaking hands. Mike was sure he could hear them chatting about "making an excellent decision."
"Wonder what that means?" Darcy asked with a sly grin.