Music 101!: Music Appreciation.

The halls of Shibusen were always filled with noise. The sound of the students scrambling to their next class, out of the school, or just conversating with one another in wait of the next class period. Today was no different in this aspect, at least in most of the school. However, down one of the hallways of the school, the sound of the students was replaced by some sort of music. The source: one of the new teachers at the academy. Like a few of the others, this new teacher was a former student and a very talented meister. His name was Charles Moore, well, Dr. Charles Moore. He was the new music teacher at the academy and whenever he was anywhere near the music room, all occupants of the academy could expect some sort of music to be coming from it.

The music room was at the end of the hallway and the door was wide open so all could peek and hear what was going on inside. If anyone were to walk in, they would see four tables, with two chairs at each, set up in a half circle with a rather large desk being the focal point. Behind the desk was a rather large rolling chalk board with the writing "Welcome to Music 101: Music Appreciation" and below it was "J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude." At each seat of the desk there was a one page syllabus and a small hard back book with a CD next to it.

As the students would walk into the music room, Dr. Moore sat in front of his desk, playing his cello. His eyes were closed and a soft smile graced his face as he leaned his head back a little. He was playing the piece mentioned on the chalk board behind him: the prelude to Bach's first cello suite.

_{Note: There is a link to a video of the piece being performed if you are interested in hearing it}

A tall redhead walked through the hallways with one hand holding the strap of his schoolbag. The other hand was busy moving the thumb to write a message on his cellphone. The good thing about not having the new "touch screen" phones was that Ethan did not need to remove his gloves to type anything, or even access anything with his phone. Any student that looked his way could have told that it was a short message by the fact that he typed, sent, and closed his phone right in front of the classroom where the music was coming from. The phone was quickly slid in his pocket as the young adult entered the class.

He walked as quietly as he could past the teacher, placed his schoolbag slowly on the table beside the given tools by the teacher (presumably) and sat down. The suited student leaned back slightly in his chair while resting his hands on the table, fingers crossed together, and one leg over the other. It was a rather calming atmosphere, and it pleased the red haired meister to hear a teacher of skill playing a wonderful piece.

No, he did not pay attention to what the teacher looked like. Not now, at least. That would have to wait until the man was done playing and to start class. In the meantime, Ethan would just sit in his seat and relax until then.

That very sound, the interminable drone that accompanied places like this, was ruptured by intermitted exclamations, proclamations, and the occasional exuberant F bomb, followed quickly by short apologies and one "well, F*** you too" as Cyrus tried to navigate the packed corridors with five and a half feet and fifteen pounds of bass case. Which seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, why in the world would you show up to a music class without an instrument? That's like showing up to a test without a pencil...or pants!

Such is what Cyrus thought as he bounded out oh his dorm, case in hand, ready for his first music class of Shibusen. Music was one of his things,not just that, one of his everythings, why he got up in the morning and laid down at night, why he had ran away from home and lived on the streets not too long ago. So it was understandable that the usually calm, cool and composed Meister exuded exuberance and excitement all the way until he hit the crowd.Oddly enough all his energy bled away as he shuffled awkwardly forward, trying to keep his case and his hands out of those odd places.

With a huff, he grabbed his case with both hands, holding over his head as he waded through the sea of people between him and the door, not caring anymore about such petty things as politeness. And with a final push, he made it through, dramatically huffing and puffing. he set down his case right near the front, grabbing a seat and pointing back towards the door.

"anyone else see that? "

He didn't wait for an answer though. He grabbed a CD off the desk and propped his feet up on his case, his eyes closed and his shooting~glove covered hands cradling his head as he immersed himself in cello.

Music was always one of those topics that sent people in a bunch of different directions. Some people actually like Justin Beiber, for instance. For Vespera Velázquez, she had a broad taste for music. She definitely had her dislikes, such as most rap music, mostly because so little of it actually sounded like music to her, but for the most part she loved all sorts of music. As she walked down the halls of the Academy there was a bounce to her step as she was listening to something on her headphones. It clearly sounded like some heavy rock. It wasn't even a real song, she was listening to something that was artificially lengthened from a trailer rather than the genuine article. She didn't care, because this was the closest she was getting to it before a single or something, anything would be released officially.

She didn't even like video games that much, but she played these games simply because the music was outstanding, so something new was something she had to have. She just couldn't wait to hear what else would be coming from the new game. Now, if only a new Mega Man game would release... She grabbed her MP3 player and turned it off for now, as she was arriving at her destination: Music Appreciation class. She didn't know what to expect at all from such a class, but hearing Bach was definitely a step in the right direction. What? Just because the blue-haired rocker loved her electric guitars doesn't mean she can't appreciate some orchestral music as well? Please! She could listen to those kinds of instruments all day as well!

She quietly took a seat at a table that hadn't been seated at for now, eyeballing the syllabus, book, and CD before looking back at the man sitting in front of the desk. He seemed so peaceful, it seemed really out of place in a school like this. At least, that was her experience so far. As a slight force of habit she took out a spiral notebook and a pencil in case she needed to jot down anything.

Why was everyone always in such a rush? These were classes that were pretty close together usually, except for the battle training classes that would have to be all the way across the campus. The reason behind everyone's rush was such a puzzle to the meister James Johnson, also known as JJ. The sword meister walked down the hallways of the academy with his usual cool demeanor. He was wearing a large black t-shirt with gold colored trim along the bottom of the shirt and the bottom of the sleeves. On the back of the shirt was the emblem of the DWMA with the letters "JJ" beneath it. He was wearing blue jean shorts and his black tennis shoes with the navy trim. His dreads were tied back into a pretty loose ponytail and it swayed back and forth carelessly as he walked.

As he made his way down the hallway with the finer art classes, the sounds from the music room immediately filled JJ's ears. He followed the sound of the instrument and walked into the larger than normal classroom and scanned everything before him. He took a seat at one of the tables, next to a red headed boy. The meister yawned and put his hands behind his head, looking at the board and raising his eyebrows. That must be what he's playing... Bach. Heh, he must be pretty stiff. James looked over the teacher, at least what he could with that big instrument covering most of his body. His eyes went to the syllabus and shrugged, waiting until the glass began. He was a little disappointed that not many other people seemed to show up for the class. Either way, JJ knew that it was a class that he needed to be successful. Why not sit through it!

Charles finished the piece and opened his eyes slowly. He was pleased to see that his students had found their way into his classroom and decided it was time to start. The slightly pale man stood from his chair and lifted the cello, turning around and setting it gently on his desk. He turned once more to face his new students with a friendly smile. His hair was tied back into a ponytail that flowed down between his shoulder blades. He donned a navy blue pinstripe suit with a white shirt underneath and an icy blue and dark blue tie. To top off his outfit, the doctor was wearing black dress shoes.

Clearing his throat a little, Dr. Moore reached into his interior jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses putting them on his face. "Good evening class. Welcome to Music Appreciation. I am your teacher, Dr. Charles Moore. I have my DMA in music and have studied it for far longer than I have been a meister. Seventeen years ago I took my last lesson in this academy and I have returned upon request of Lord Death to teach you all how to be competent meisters and weapons." He took this moment to close his eyes and listen to each of the students' wavelengths. They all sounded at the same volume, which let him know that no one in the class was particularly ahead of the others and the fact that he heard four individual frequencies let him know that none of them were partners. 

Opening his eyes, the professor continued, "This class will mainly open your mind and your ears. You will more than likely hear music that you have never heard before... and you will hear music that you absolutely despise. You will also hear music that may send you into a euphoric state. We will make the connection towards music and the soul. Why is music essential to training the soul? You will have formed an answer to this question by the end of this class. You may have one now, but it will be well thought out and tried before you leave this class. And you will be better people for it." His voice became stern, but his face was still as soft as it was when he was playing his cello. An odd and contradictory combination.

With this being said, Dr. Moore moved behind his desk and opened one of the drawers while taking a seat in his chair. The meister crossed his legs and looked at his roll-call sheet and grabbed his pen. He looked up to the class and grinned, "Musicians build a type of relationship when they play together. They have to know the people they are playing alongside to make wonderful music. So we're going to begin by getting to know each other. Stand and introduce yourselves. One at a time. Tell us who you are, where you're from, how old you are, if you're a meister or weapon, and something you enjoy doing."

Kaylee Bai was running late.

She wasn't aware of this, of course. Her progression through the world was akin to a wave, possessing both depth and frequency. Her frequency was in harmonious synch with that of her surroundings. She walked at the same pace as any other student might to reach their class normally. The hallways, of course, were devoid of bodies, but Kaylee paid no heed to that. Her eyes were closed and her feet moved in a happy rhythm. She had class soon. She had to get there.

And so it was that her frequency was correct, and her depth, the amplitude of her progression, was far greater in magnitude than that of her fellow students. Her gait suggested that she possessed no fear of looking foolish, a skip with her left, a skip with her right, a hop on the left, and then she would repeat the process beginning on the alternate foot. Her wrinkled skirt flourished in the air, dancing a playful dervish around her thighs, and her hair, too, made no attempt to stay in place.

What was wrong, of course, was her phase. The girl was objectively behind schedule, but she played the time-invariant fool nonetheless. There was not a thought in her mind that suggested she was doing anything wrong by following her sinusoidal path. Up. Down. Up. Down. Rhythmic.

But something stopped. A tune being played down the hallway ended, and Kaylee was jerked back into the reality that was that she was late! Her pattern changed, no longer rhythmic, now panicked. She dashed for the door, her throat keening a loud "Aaaaaaah!"

And she entered just as the teacher had finishing his final words. What had he said? Had she missed something? She stood there, panting, a somewhat plump-looking girl dressed in a delicate white blouse and golden skirt, both of which had very obviously been picked up from her dorm room floor without much ceremony. Taking a seat behind the others, she hoped that she hadn't entered with too much bluster. Perhaps it would go unnoticed.

In a class of five? Unlikely.

Once the teacher was finished with his piece, Ethan was slightly saddened by the fact that he couldn't ask for an encore. But this was class, not something that he could freely ask for another go at the musician. The meister opened his eyes and looked at the three other students that had arrived, one which he met before. As the teacher spoke, the redhead made a half-salute and finished with a small wave as a sign of "hello" to the student seated directly in front of him.

Afterwards, Ethan's emerald gaze turned to the teacher, giving the man his full attention. He quietly listened to the teacher. Now Ethan was sitting up-right, and then leaned a tad forward. That position was short-lived, however. Without giving a notice, Ethan stood up and was about to say his name when someone entered the room. The male blinked a few times before resuming what he tried to start.

"Ethan. I'm from Italy, but due to family reasons, I had to move back to England. I am eighteen years old and currently attending my third year at the DWMA as a Meister. Something I enjoy, for one, is always a good book to read."

Without adding any more, Ethan finished by sitting down and waited for another student to present themselves.

Vespera thoroughly enjoyed listening to the cello, and felt just a bit of disappointment when it had to end. She knew it had to stop at some point for class to start, but she was hoping to hear more of this later. Everything he was saying sounded like exactly what she wanted to hear. It was great that the Academy recognized how important music can be, and she had her answer already to the question question of its importance: Music touches the soul. She was going to have to come up with more than that when such a time came, something she was already formulating when a late student burst through the door in a panic.

Vespera couldn't help but grin at it, and it took all the restraint she had not to laugh. That shout was a funny way to punctuate the girl's entrance in her opinion. Then a boy in the class stood up to introduce himself. He had green eyes too, and red hair. Wow, and he loves to read too? What was this, some sort of opposite yet equal? She had blue hair, his was red, they both loved to read, he was from a European country but lived in England as well? Vespera was going to have to track this guy down after class. She was fascinated already by the similarities. If she didn't care so much about Tensai she might have asked if he had a partner, but that doesn't mean they can't be friends, right? Well, she decided she would be the next to speak, and stood up, speaking with her British accent.

"I'm Vespera Velázquez. I was born in Spain but I was raised in England if you couldn't tell from the accent. I'm sixteen, I'm a Weapon, and I've only recently started attending. I love doing a lot of things but I spend a lot of time reading as well." she said, grinning widely.

James sat in his seat and listened to the professor speak. He eyed the man up and down, sizing him up. The next instant, he was looking at the man's soul, trying to gauge what kind of meister will be teaching them. Needless to say, JJ was a little impressed. He didn't think that a teacher would be so competent after Dianne. It seems like Lord Death is getting the best of his old students to come back and help lately. The thoughts filled the meister's head and almost zoned out on the introductions. Before the first boy started his, someone barged into the room. Late. JJ's right cheek turned up in a grin as he turned his head to look over his shoulder. He looked the late student up and down, but decided against sizing the girl up like he did to the teacher.

Turning back to the red head, James gave his attention to him as he rose and spoke. Ethan huh? Hm. I'll have to keep a watch on this one. He thought to himself as he scratched the side of his neck. Before he could think to get up, the girl sitting a little ways behind them stood and introduced herself. Vespera. Ethan from Italy and Vespera from Spain. Both raised in England though. James was a little shocked that they crossed the ocean just to become a student of Shibusen. I guess this place has a bit more renown than I thought. He laughed to himself a little and assumed it was his turn to stand and introduce himself.

With a subtle stretch, James stood and cleared his throat a little. "Well. My name is James Johnson; I go by JJ for short. I was born and raised in Tennessee and I am a meister. I'm eighteen years old. I'd have to say that the thing I enjoy doing the most is playing basketball." He seemed a little out of place so far. Everyone else seemed like the more intellectual type, but good ol' JJ didn't mind being the jock of the room. A class full of intellectuals wouldn't be that fun anyway... right?

Barely moments after James sat back down, a frantically wiggling hand shot up into the air followed by a frantically wiggling girl.

"Kaylee!" she started, grinning broadly. "Oh, err... that's my name: Kaylee Bai! I'm from a little farm village in China only I probably don't look Chinese, but really I am!" Interrupting her stream of language was the hand that had ascended first. It was now digging into her bag beside her. "I even have a picture of my family and me. They all look a little different, but Mama said that's got to do with genetics, so I figure it's nothing to worry about."

Truth be told, the blond-haired, amber-eyed girl was as far from a traditional Chinese farmgirl as could be, but it was obvious that she thought her words to be the truth. Of course, as she rambled, she paid no heed to the stares of other students as she got off track and distracted by her excitement.

"Oh! Name, birthplace, age, uh... weapon or meister, and... something you like," she recounted, splaying a finger open for each one like a child would. "I said my name. I said where I'm from. I'm sixteen and a weapon; it's a traditional weapon where I'm from: a meteor hammer!" Her right hand, still clutching a picture of her family and herself smacked into her left palm to emphasize the hammer portion. Certainly, a brash personality fit her.

"And and and... and things I like are singing, dancing, meeting new people, wearing pretty clothes, practicing martial arts- I've never played basketball. I bet it's fun- dancing, eating really tasty food, and... and..." With but three fingers left unextended on her left hand, she struggled to come up with more to fill the gap. With a shrug, she grinned and said, "I guess that's it really. I'm sure I like other things I just can't think of right now. Anyways, I'm excited to be here too."

And with a final great inhalation, she sat back in her seat, no doubt to stares from the others in the room.

Dr. Moore watched as there was an extra student that found her way stumbling into his classroom. He wanted to chuckle a little and, at the same time, scold the young girl that interrupted his classroom. His attention was soon taken away from her when one of his students student to introduce himself as instructed. Ethan Lorenzo.. The musician eyed the young red-head with intense curiosity. The next was Vespera Velázquez. Then there was James Johnson. The professor checked off each name as they spoke, memorizing the faces of his new pupils. There was one who decided to stay quiet, unfortunately. The musician stared at the boy for a moment.

Before he could say anything to the boy, the late comer rose and began to speak. Her excitement surprised the cellis/tubist. He couldn't help but grin a bit at the girl's thought pattern became visual and audible. Kaylee Bai. Apparently this one truly likes to dance. She wasn't on his roster of signed up students. Well, if she wanted to join the class, he wouldn't be the one to deny her. He wrote her name at the bottom of the roster list, adding her officially (in his mind) to the class. He set down the clipboard with all of the children's names and moved back in front of his desk. He leaned back against it and crossed his arms after adjusting his glasses.

"Well. Welcome everyone. I am troubled by one thing though. As meisters and weapons, you all should be partnered with another. You would have enrolled in this class with your partners, and that would make the later lessons much easier.."

Dr. Moore when to his desk and pressed a button on the top of it. The left corner closest to the students started to rise and he inserted a cd into it. Afterwards, he picked up a remote and a stack of papers. He passed them out to the students and leaned back against the desk. "Alright students, write your name in the top right corner of the paper and the name of the piece you are about to listen to in the top left. It is, the 'Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia.' Every day we will begin each class with a listening to a different piece of music. Symphonic, Choral, Rock, Pop, Rap. Whichever pops into my head when I wake up." The man smiled and pressed play on the remote, letting the music fill the room. There were speakers placed in each corner of the room towards the ceiling to create a surround sound effect. "You are to write what you find interesting, uninteresting, cool, boring and whatever comes to your mind about each piece. What you like or don't. Your opinion. There are no wrong answers."

Link to listening assignment: HEHE

The Doctor's Eyes fell upon unopened ones as Cyrus sat in the classroom, his head back and cupped un his hands. Had he been conscious of the others he would have risen, sitting his case vertically and propping his wrist upon it. He would Have told them his name, that he was from both Drogheda, Ireland and New Orleans, and had just moved to this soft little spot of hellfire recently.On the question of his enjoyments, he would have patted his bass with one hand and said that this really was his one true enjoyment.

But he wasn't in the classroom at the time, not really. His mind was still back ten minutes ago, listening to the Doctor play Bach suite No. 1, flipping it into different keys, from its usual G major to an E major, then B major, Ab minor, D minor. Changing styles, from its original straight eights to a swing style, slowing it down and making into smooth jazz, and, as always, writing his countermelodies bass parts along with each change. It enthralled him, the endless possibilities, the sheer magnitude of what one person can do with a slightly changed hand position on a keyboard or guitar, changing not only how a song sounds but what it says. Music isn't something that you take and go " oh, thats nice" and forget. Music, true music, is a language just like any other, only it doesn't have barriers, or hurdles, you do not have to play music to understand it, what it says to you. And with a simple key change, One can make something so Light as Song of the blacksmith into a creeping, dark, malicious song.

These thoughts and more entrapped Cyrus as his classmates one by one stood, and as Dr Moore came around, passing opinion~based question sheets around the class, the now~five of them not making job easy by sitting bunched together, forcing him to hand each one to them specifically. Cyrus snapped his eyes open as the wood chair shuddered under Dr Moore's light kick, the paper held out expectingly. He took it lightly, pinched between the bottom of his index and top of his middle fingers. "My apologies, Monsieur. I was still in the music.