Gemotions

The stack of sheet music sat untouched on the piano bench. The upcoming music recital loomed, a symphony of preparation he was nowhere near ready for. An immense weariness had settled over him, making the thought of practice utterly unappealing. He glanced at his phone. Mrs. Garcia, his music teacher, had started following him on Spotify.

A cold wave washed over him. He knew he'd been listening to a lot of pop music lately, not exactly the sort of thing he should be doing when he had a classical piece to learn. He felt a deep sense of inadequacy, his fingers suddenly clumsy. He stared at the keys; the recital seemed like an impossible hurdle.