At the End of the World

The Artist in Residence - Adele Graham

The Eisley School of Music was founded ten years ago by Gerald Eisley, a talented musician and an ardent lover of music.  Recognizing the need to promote the arts in the lives of young children, he used his own money to start it up.  He didn't have very much support at the beginning.  People in this small town scoffed at the idea of a music school - what was the point of it?  Music didn't pay the bills or put food on the table - therefore, he had to be a waste of money.  But Gerald Eisley believed in his school, and did what he had to do in order to get his dream off the ground.

And he did just that.

The Eisley School of Music went on to become one of the top music schools of the country, a huge feat considering it wasn't located in a populous city.  While the programs always took care to educate the young local musicians, it also attracted a good amount of international students who wanted to take their programs.  For the first year, Gerald Eisley taught all the classes himself, but eventually a group of talented musicians flooded the school, hoping to work in such a positive environment.

It took a lot of hard work, but Gerald Eisley's dream came true in spades.

His most cherished success story was his very own niece, Lenne Eisley, who took to the violin when her older brother and sister wouldn't.  It wasn't always an easy partnership.  Gerald would discover while other five year olds were eager to learn to play, Lenne was more interested in monkey bars and swings.  But the violin would eventually win his beloved niece over, and oh what a wondrous partnership it was.  Everytime Lenne and her violin touched, it was magic.  Everyone was amazed as the sweet sounds she could produce with four strings and a bow.

Gerald often bragged that he hoped his niece would remember him as she performed in heralded concert halls around the world, propping his lovely school in the most elegant of ways.

...but it wasn't meant to be.

Gerald passed away suddenly of cancer seven years ago - and Lenne disappeared a short time after.  Luckily for the school, a group of his dear friends took over operations, and it's continued to thrive since then.  But no one ever heard from Lenne Eisley again.  Some said the waters carried her away when she jumped off of Tomlinson Point that fateful night.  Some said she survived the fall but her mother sent her away - after all, she continued to insist over and over again that her daughter was fine and the family never held a funeral.  But all agreed that Lenne disappeared without a trace, and doubted that they would ever see her again.

It was a reality that Ethan was slow to accept.

The two of them drove into the school's parking lot in silence, a silence that carried them for most of the trip.  He was lost in his memories of Gerald and Lenne - the reason for him being here in the first place.  He considering himself more of a Hard Rock/Heavy Metal kind of guy, but that all changed when he met Lenne.  Then, it wasn't so bad.  He could just sit there in her room all day, listening to her practice her repertroire, or just her playing around with her beloved instrument.  Whenever he was angry or trouble, Lenne didn't hesitate to whip out the violin, ready to remedy his peril.

Music has charms to soothe the savage beast, she'd always purr to him.

And it always did.  He could be on the verge of a total breakdown, but Lenne was the way to pull him away from the edge - Lenne, her four strings, and her bow. 

What I wouldn't give to listen to her playing once again...

"Ethan."  Bree stared at him, arms crossed agains her chest.  "We don't have to do this, baby.  We can just go home.  There's no reason for us to be here."

He sighed, stealing himself for another argument.  "I told you, Bree.  I want to come here.  I want to pay my respects to Gerald.  This concert kicks off the tenth anniversary of the music school."