The Come Up

Chapter 24 - Practice Room

The link to the song Chanel sings is attached. Enjoy the chapter. 

Look for the *~* symbol for the best time to start playing the song! 

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"So this is a C chord, specifically middle C which should be right in the comfort of your vocal range. A lot of strong notes will come from this chord, a lot of popular songs, easy to sing. When you go up to D chord..." Devin's finger leave a triplet of piano keys and moves to the next. 

"Of course you are not as comfortable and low as you are in C but after hearing you sing, I believe you should stay in D for most of your songs. It's a little higher but you get a better sound on top." His fingers shift to D# and I hum the note as I have been doing as he goes up. 

"Sing 'I can't make you love me if you don't' real powerful." He says. 

I do as told in the D# chord and piano keys follow. I didn't know he could even play until lessons started a few weeks ago. 

He changes the chord and I am forced to go higher. 

"Again, same words." 

I do as told, not needing to switch to falsetto yet, but right on the brink. 

He pulls back and looks at me. 

"Wow, that was beautiful. Let's try the song in that key." 

*~* Devin plays the intro to a song I have always loved and I sing out bright and loud. Pushing my voice harder than normal but not too hard. We practiced breathing all of last week, so I've been getting better at extending my high notes and controlling my voice better. 

"Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

Turn down these voices inside my head

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

Just hold me close, don't patronize" 

I sing as his fingers glide over all the right keys. 

"Big voice here, but soft. Big and soft." He warns as the chorus comes. 

I take in a deep breath and flow into the chorus easy, giving it my emotion.

"  Cause I can't make you love me if you don't

You can't make your heart feel something it won't

Here in the dark, these final hours

I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power

But you won't  " 

I stretch the last note out and riff it down into pretty adlybs and Devin closes his eyes. 

I continue singing, but my focus is now on him. His strong hands so gentle when it touches the black and white keys. His head sways and at times when he is really feeling it, his shoulder twitches up and he shivers. I was witnessing someone who truly loved music, with every fiber of his being. 

"This part is soft. Glide into it easy." He directs me as the bridge approaches. I follow his instructions and his eyes are still closed but he smiles. 

"Good." He compliments. 

He continues to play but for a moment I stop singing. I take in the moment in this large practice room with wide windows and this big wooden piano in the middle. We are the only ones in the room and chairs are pushed into a circle around us as if a class is taught here.