Rising Star Read Online Free Page B

may. It was still early. She would find a way. Maybe she’d be able to pick up some tips from her friends before the next lesson. It wasn’t a good idea to panic. So she pushed all her secret fears as far away as possible, into a dark corner of her mind, and went to join the others for registration.
    â€œSo how did it go?” Pop asked, sitting at her desk.
    â€œIt was a bit disappointing,” said Chloe, not wanting to admit to being a total failure. “I wanted to ask about a song for the concert, but Mr. Player was going on about me not using the right muscles when I sing.”
    â€œWhat are you doing at this school if you can’t sing properly?” said Tara.
    â€œTake no notice,” Pop told Chloe, glaring at Tara. “Tara is a bass player. Singing is a sideline for her. She doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” added Lolly. “It’s only your first lesson. The concert isn’t for ages. You’ve got plenty of time to choose a song and I’m sure Mr. Player will get you in shape.”
    â€œHe might not,” said Tara. Pop scowled at her, but she went on regardless. “If you can’t sing properly,” she said nastily, “you’ll never be a Rising Star!”

6.
    A Disappointing Week
    Somehow, Chloe had to swallow the disappointment of her first singing lesson and concentrate on the rest of the school day. There was a full schedule of ordinary classes, as well as all the extra ones, too. After school, there was supervised homework in the homework room at Paddock House, and by bedtime everyone was exhausted.
    â€œ Our first singing lesson is tomorrow!” said Pop as they climbed into bed.
    â€œJudge Jim Henson, Head of the Rock Department, sat in on my first bass lesson!” bragged Tara. “He might write something for me to play at the concert!”
    â€œPigs might fly!” Pop shot back. Chloe pulled her quilt up around her ears and closed her eyes. She’d have to get her singing figured out quickly or the others would be ahead of her with their concert preparations.
    But after several voice lessons, Chloe had still made no progress, in spite of the breathing exercises Mr. Player had asked her to do. At one lesson, he even brought a drawing in to show her, with lungs, diaphragm, and stomach muscles marked on it.
    â€œDo your breathing exercises again with your hand on your tummy,” he told her patiently. She did as she was told, letting her muscles go slack as she breathed in through her nose, and feeling them tighten as she pushed the last puffs of air back out through her mouth.
    â€œThat’s what should be happening when you sing,” he reminded her.
    But Chloe was getting frustrated. “I can’t do it!” she snapped. “I’m too worried about what I’m going to sing at the concert.”
    Mr. Player folded his arms and leaned against the piano. “Getting your voice in shape is far more important than thinking of performing,” he said. “There will be other concerts ... when you’ve learned to use your voice properly.”
    Chloe stared at him in horror. “But I have to do the concert,” she told him. “I can’t possibly miss it!”
    â€œListen to me,” he said. “You have the potential to be an excellent singer, but you’ll only make trouble for yourself if you try to perform now. Get your technique right first; then you can sing in concerts. Now, don’t let me hear any more about it.”
    Chloe stumbled through the rest of her lesson in a daze. Not sing at the concert? She had to sing. Everyone was performing. She’d die of shame if Mr. Player wouldn’t allow her to take part. She could imagine what Tara would say. And what about those precious Rising Stars points?
    After the lesson was over, she pushed open the door to the little courtyard nearby. She didn’t feel like