So much depends 
Upon 
 
The way that I  
Play 
 
The crisp sound  
Travels 
 
To judges 
Faraway 
 
One break  
Appears 
 
My score goes

Down

About two  
Levels 
 
Down, down, 
Down 
 
I hear them 
Breathe  
 
Their lungs  
Expanding 
 
My heart 
Races 
 
As I keep on 
Playing 
 
Another crack I  
Hear 
 
As I wait and 
Pause 
 
The silent 
Sound  
 
Of  
Disappointment, 
 
Fills the  
Air 
 
I exit out the 
Door 
 
The next goes 
In 
 
The sound  
Travels 
 
Through the 
School, 
 
Sounding of angels 
Singing 
 
The smooth  
Sound 
 
Sends tingles up my  
Spine 
 
As I  
Think  
 
Of my past  
Audition, 
 
I am  
Disappointed 
 
In 
Myself 
 
Although I 
Know 
 
I did my  
Best  
 
I have a sense of 
Failure 
 
I know, I know, I 
Know 
 
I got 
In 
 
But, I feel as if I don’t  
Belong. 
 
My horn to 
Theirs 
 
It doesn’t  
Compare 
 
Their noise to  
Mine 
 
I can not 
Lie  
 
It’s better than 
Mine 
 
Theirs is shiny and 
New 
 
Mine is dented and  
Screwed 
 
Thiers silver does not 
Compare 
 
To my  
Brass 
 
Their sound is like fingers running through straight 
Hair 
 
As to mine it’s like fingers on  
Sandpaper 
 
The valves so  
Smooth 
 
But mine don’t  
Groove 
 
They come up  
Slowly 
 
Like an old man  
Walking  
 
Like a turtle running a  
Race 
 
As to theirs it doesn’t 
Compare 
 
Theirs is like a baby 
Running 
 
Or like a hare in a  
Race 
 
No matter what it doesn’t  
Compare 
 
The smell of brass fills the  
Air 
 
The day has  
Come 
 
For us to  
Play 
 
I play  
Again 
 
I sound like a bird learning how to 
Fly 
 
Not so  
Smooth 
 
I play  
Again 
 
It sounds way  
Better 
 
Like two birds of a  
Feather 
 
Only it’s one  
Bird 
 
Meant to  
Be 
  
But, not too 
Clear 
 
I tilt my 
Horn 
 
To the  
Right 
 
Then upside 
Down 
 
Drip, drip, 
Drip 
 
Goes the 
Spit 
 
As I empty out my  
Horn 
 
I then turn it  
Left 
 
Then upside 
Right 
 
I put my shiny mouthpiece 
In 
 
Its silver color is  
Beautiful 
 
The end is  
Dented 
 
I slide the end into the  
Slot  
 
Like a tiny  
Puzzle 
 
I get it 
In 
 
I then bring my chapped lips up to the  
Mouthpiece 
 
I buzz into  
It 
 
A sound comes 
Out 
 
This time it sounds like a runner running a 
Race 
 
Smooth like 
Silk 
 
I then play the  
Song 
 
I sound  
Okay 
 
But I could do  
Better 
 
We then play  
Together 
 
5 minutes till the  
Performance 
 
The director  
Yells 
 
We all as a band run through the  
Song 
 
We don’t sound  
Phenomenal 
 
But I will be good for  
Now 
 
We head onto the  
Stage 
 
The conductor has us play  
G 
 
We then start the  
Concert 
 
Butterflies are flying in my 
Stomach 
 
Bouncing from wall to  
Wall  
 
We play our first  
Song 
 
Then our  
Next 
 
Soon enough the concert’s  
Over 
 
What I  
Relief 
 
Some stress has been removed from my 
Body 
 
I continue with my  
Life 
 
And for now, it is just a  
Memory