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 rich, nothing like my tinny electric keyboard at home.

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

Mrs. Porter strides 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, surprised that I’m sight-reading. Mrs. Porter shakes her head and tells Melody to sing with me: the two of us together have more talent than most congregations.

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

The front door opens, and a teenager bursts in, saying he thought he heard the voice of his wonderful sister, Melody Ellison. Melody laughs and runs to hug him, Dwayne. Mrs. Porter scolds him for not knocking, but he says he did. She just didn’t hear him. He winks at us and says he’ll join in. He sits beside me on the bench, and I suddenly feel shy.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants, but Melody stands beside me and I feel better. As we start, Dwayne taps out the rhythm on the side of the piano, and Mrs. Porter claps on the offbeat. Soon I hear her deep voice layered with Melody’s sweet, high one, and Dwayne croons softly too.

The music fills me with happiness. Is this what Ms. Stricker meant about playing with passion? I don’t want the song to end. But as I play the last notes, Melody keeps singing. Is there another verse? I turn the page, but that’s it, the song is over. What do I do?

I stop playing, but Melody keeps singing, and so do her grandmother and brother. Mrs. Porter sways and claps as they sing. So I put my hands back on the keys and repeat the last few bars, not knowing what else to do. It works. The notes and voices blend into one, and somehow we all stop at the exact same moment. The hair stands up on my arms. For a few seconds, there’s pure silence.

Dwayne finally breaks the silence, saying that was some jam. I laugh with relief, admitting I thought I’d mess up. Melody says I was so good, and Mrs. Porter adds that there’s no messing up with improvisation. Dwayne says lots of Motown artists improvise, making up their own words and melodies as they play.

I ask what Motown is. Dwayne’s jaw drops and he asks if I’ve been living under a rock. It’s Mr. Berry Gordy’s record label here in Detroit, putting 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 it, he changes it a little depending on the event and the audience, letting his heart find the words as he speaks.

Mrs. Porter talks about Martin Luther King as if she knows him, and I remember that Melody and her family heard him speak at the Detroit Walk to Freedom. I get chills imagining that. Then Melody says Dwayne is a Motown star too, his group, The Three Ravens, just recorded a song. Suddenly 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 she’s officially a recording artist now too? A slow smile spreads across Melody’s face. 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!

Dwayne stands up, saying he’s got to run. They have rehearsal at the studio tonight, and he has a few things to take care of first. He kisses Mrs. Porter’s cheek. I try to think of something to say, should I ask for his autograph, but my mouth goes dry.

Before I can say anything, Dwayne is on his way out. Then he stops, turns around, and asks if we want to hang out at the studio tonight and watch rehearsal. I immediately think yes. Melody says yes too, but then remembers we’re going to listen to gospel music with Big Momma tonight.

Melody looks torn. 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 we can go to the studio if that’s what we want. Her warm smile says she means it, but that doesn’t make the decision any easier. Melody looks at me. What do we do?