Page 55 of Losing the Rhythm

“Do you know who that is?” Seth whispered.

“I think it’s Nadia Boulanger. My dad was a fan of hers.”

“A singer? Musician?”

“Composer. And teacher. She’s one of the earliest women who conducted major orchestras. I’m talking about places like the Boston Symphony.”

Before I could say anything else, soft music began. Everyone grew quiet as the Nadia hologram began moving her arms, conducting the music. The show continued like that, with Nadia front and center, spotlight on her, as she waved her hands and seemed to practically control the music that surrounded us.

The quality of music was so good that I truly felt like I was in a music hall standing before an entire orchestra. I couldn’t see them, but I felt every note as my skin practically tingled with awareness.

I closed my eyes and let it permeate so deeply that it was like I was falling in a whirlwind of music notes. I could practically feel the thrumming of bows against the strings, the whistling of the wind from the wind instruments, and the thumping of the percussion. It all combined into a melody that grew higher and higher, into an intense tempo that left me feeling energetic and wanting more.

And then all too soon, it was over. I was even breathless, as if I’d been on stage with them.

“Holy shit,” Seth said, grinning at me.

I grinned back, feeling like I had just finished my own personal concert. “Right. My heart is still drumming to the beat.”

He chuckled and grabbed my hand as we were herded into the main exhibit hall. The closest section to us was about how holograms were being utilized in the music industry, starting with how they were made and then going into the legendary concerts both currently happening and planned for the future.

“I know when we talk about technology advancing like this, it becomes a heated topic,” Seth said. “How does it make you feel?”

“No clue,” I admitted. “I have none at all.”

“People said the quality of concerts would be lacking because it isn’t the real person.”

“I think with any performance, there is always a chance of it lacking even with real people. That’s why people go to a concert and leave it feeling let down.” My thoughts trailed off as I got a little lost in the video that started its replay, going over how they created the hologram in the first place. It ended up being rather fascinating.

Seth stayed by my side as we went from section to section and explored the history of music. Displays varied, going over the development of different genres, from rap to pop, and even classical and opera. My favorite section though was folk music, as specific music delved deeper into their cultural background.

The music instrument section was absolutely fascinating too, seeing how they developed over time into what we had now. Someone even made drums out of cheese.

Never did I feel rushed as we explored every inch the exhibit had to offer.

When it was over, I was a bit sad. I didn’t want to leave, for it to be over. I had no idea how to pull puppy dog eyes, but Calv was a good reference, so using his version as motivation, I gave Seth my best look.

He chuckled. “Look at me like that all you want, it doesn’t change anything.”

“I don’t want to leave,” I said.

“And we don’t have to yet. Now we go to the final part.” Seth led me off to two double glass doors. Inside was darker than I expected with dim lights, and I had to blink through the shadows to make out more of the space.

A woman smiled at us. “Table for two?” she asked.

Seth talked with her as I realized we were in a little restaurant. Most of the tables looked to be full already, but no one was eating yet. They were all enjoying drinks.

“What is this?” I asked as we followed the woman to our seats.

“A dinner performance. It’s going to start in about half an hour.”

“And we get seats?”

Seth leaned into me and lowered his voice. “It was a show I refused to let you go without, so I made sure to reserve a table. It was why we didn’t have to rush here.”

Giddiness filled me thanks to his thoughtfulness. We settled at a table near the front, with only another table between us and the stage. A fake candle sat in the middle of a small table, making it feel even more romantic.

We completely transitioned from friendate to just plain date.

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