Singing Monologue

For the third day in a row, I wake up to a clogged nose, a throbbing head, and a sore throat. It’s 6:00 in the morning, and I can barely open my eyes, let alone sing. I quickly drink a cup of strong, fragrant tea, which warms my throat and temporary clears my sinuses, preparing me for the long hour of singing ahead. Once a week, in the quiet, early hours of the morning, my a cappella group assembles to practice and perfect our songs. In a cappella music, the voices have no instrumental accompaniment, so the music solely consists of vocals. In my group, each girl sings her own part, and if she doesn’t sing her part correctly or loudly, the song falls apart. The absence of just one part causes the harmonies to disintegrate, or even worse, the key to change. During rehearsals, we practice our songs over and over again to avoid shifting keys. …show more content…
In a few seconds, the group begins singing. Voices grow, parts interlock, and harmonies change while my weak, small voice hides in the background. However, without my part, each chord sounds slightly off, and as the group continues through the song, every harmony gets progressively worse. Suddenly, everyone stops singing.
“Rose, we can’t hear your part. What’s wrong?” the girl next to me asks.
“I’ve been sick for a few days now and I just can’t sing too loudly without hurting my throat.” I reply, looking down at my feet.
“We can’t keep working on the song without hearing your part