Sounds
by Stephen S. Goto

Through an open door
The warm air flowed
And women laughed and talked.
When they went out the door
The men remained.

The group began, forming a semi-circle standing casually.
Tones filled the room in a minor key
And the tones seemed to pull the life out of the whole room.
Then a change of mood to a major key
Brought tones that climbed high
Which seemed to intensify the environment.
When they finished, all became silent
As the instructor took leadership.

Starting with a uniform breath
The quick tempo was taken.
With the hesitation of the group,
It can be said that the tempo was too fast.
Then practice began with individual parts put on the spot.
Within the turmoil, occasional "clicks" echoed from the tape player

Finally with the instructor’s call
The group restarted the piece.
With the same tempo as taken at first
The melodic tones were produced.
Individual parts moving freely
Clashing and resolving, scaling and jumping.
The final tone ended with precision
And silence once again filled the room.

The women flocked through the open door
As chatters and babbling revived once again.
The instructor walked off
And the monotone signal triggered a mad rush
As the class pushed and shoved for the door
And the room once again fell into silence.