The Violin Conspiracy

Ray arrives at his soloist debut and finds that the air conditioning is broken; everything is sweltering hot. Janice introduces Ray to the conductor, who tells them that the music lineup has been changed at the last minute. Ray and Janice aren’t happy, but Janice tells him that it’s a good learning experience. He practices with the orchestra before the show, and Janice berates the conductor for his unprofessionalism. When Ray goes home to prepare for the evening, he discovers a letter from Andrea Marks thanking him for finding their family’s lost heirloom violin and encouraging him to return it promptly. The letter unnerves him, but he puts it aside to perform. When he begins, he realizes that the stage lighting is directed so that he can’t see his music. He plays it from memory successfully and revels in the experience of soloing with a full orchestra. Partway through, his mother arrives and noisily disrupts the audience. However, Ray manages to play through all his distractions and obstacles and feels empowered. When he finishes, he holds the violin out toward the audience. This gesture goes on to become a hallmark of all his shows.