Music in My Heart: My Journey with Melody

Melody settles onto the sofa as I play a few scales. The piano keys are more yellow than white, but the sound is pure and rich. It’s more real than the “tinny” sound of my electric keyboard.

Melody tells me to play a song. But then my mind goes blank. I can’t play “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” That would take me home. I start to play my recital piece, but Ms. Stricker was right—it sounds flat. So I play the song in the music book in front of me: “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

Mrs. Porter sticks are headed through the swinging door and asks if I know that one, too. I say no, this is my first time playing it. Melody scoots to the edge of the couch. She’s surprised that I’m sight-reading it. Mrs. Porter shakes her head and tells Melody to sing with me. The two of us have more talent put together than most congregations.

I start to play again, as Melody’s voice blends with the rich notes of the piano.

Then, the front door opens, and a teenager bursts into the room. He says he thought he heard the voice of Melody Ellison, his wonderful sister! Melody laughs and runs to hug him. She calls him Dwayne. Mrs. Porter scolds that he forgot to knock, and Dwayne says that he did. She just didn’t hear him. Then he winks at us and tells us to continue playing. He can join us. He sits down beside me on the bench, and I suddenly feel shy.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants, but when Melody stands beside me, I feel better. After we start, Dwayne taps out the rhythm with his hand on the side of the piano. And then Mrs. Porter begins to clap her hands on the offbeat. Pretty soon, I hear her deep voice layered with Melody’s sweet, high voice. Dwayne croons softly, too.

The music fills me up and spills over, like a wave of happiness. Is this what Ms. Stricker meant when she said playing with passion? I don’t want this song to ever end. Then, as I play the last few notes, something happens. Melody keeps singing. Is there another verse? I turned the page, but that’s it. It’s the end of the song. What do I do?

I stop playing, but Melody keeps singing. Her grandmother and brother do, too. Mrs. Porter sways her shoulders as she claps. So, I put my hands on the keys, and repeat the last few bars of the song. I don’t know what else to do. It seems to work though, the notes and the voices around me blending into one. Then, somehow magically, we all stop at the exact same moment. The hair stands up on my arms. For a few seconds, there’s pure silence.

Finally, Dwayne breaks the silence and says it was some jam. I laugh with relief and admit that I thought I was going to mess up. Melody says I was so good. And Mrs. Porter chips in saying that there’s no messing up with improvisation. Dwayne adds that lots of Motown artists improvise. They make up their own words and melodies while they play.

I ask what Motown is, wanting to understand. Dwayne’s jaw drops open and he asks if I’ve been living under a rock. Motown is Mr. Berry Gordy’s record label here in Detroit. He puts out music by The Temptations, The Supremes, and Little Stevie Wonder. I recognize the last name. Mrs. Porter says it’s not just musicians who improvise. Preachers do, too. Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t just read the words of his “I Have a Dream” speech. Every time he gives the speech, he changes it a little bit, depending on the event and the audience. He lets his heart find the words as he speaks.

Mrs. Porter continues to talk about Martin Luther King as if she knows him. Then, I remember that Melody and her family heard him speak at the Detroit Walk to Freedom. I get chills, imagining what that must’ve been like. Then, Melody says that Dwayne is a Motown star, too. His group, The Three Ravens, just recorded a song. Suddenly, I feel like I can’t look at Dwayne. He’s like a real star—like Zoey Gatz.

Dwayne says that’s not the whole story. Is Melody seriously not going to tell me that she’s officially a recording artist now, too? A slow smile spreads across Melody’s face and I can tell she’s excited. Melody says that she recorded at the studio with Dwayne, too. Singing backup.

My jaw drops. I can’t believe I just jammed with not one Motown star, but two!

Then, Dwayne stands up and says that he’s got a run. They have a rehearsal at the studio tonight, and he has to take care of a few things. He kisses Mrs. Porter’s cheek, and I try to think of something to say. Should I get his autograph? My mouth goes dry.

But before I can say anything, Dwayne is on his way out the door. But all of a sudden, he stops and turns around and asks if we want to hang out of the studio tonight and watch rehearsal? In my head, I immediately think yes. Melody says yes, too, but then says that we’re going to listen to the gospel music with Big Momma tonight.

Melody looks torn about what to do. Going to the studio would be so cool! But we already told Big Momma we’d go to the performance hall with her, and that would be fun, too. Mrs. Porter says that we can go down to the studio if that’s what we want to do. Her warm smile says she means it, but somehow, that doesn’t make our decision any easier. Melody looks at me. What do we do?