Stephen's Secure Blog #320
These stories about Stephen began was when he was 10 years old, and
moving to a new part of the country to attend a special school for
gifted students, in the 1950's. This was from a time before computers
would fit on a desk, and when people communicated with friends in other
countries by actual letters sent through the postal service. He wrote
225 of them to a friend. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he
still wanted to record his life, in case he lost his memory again, and
wrote 30 entries in his first logbook. Then he wrote to an artificial
intelligence called Geenee, in the master computer in his school for
gifted students, which he started attending in 2016. Now it's after
2018, and he's continuing to save his memories in a secure blog.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stephen is 17 in this story, in Summer of year 7 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #320 "Boston Pops Concert"
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I said to the Music Director of the Boston Pops, "I think you have
some disappointment that it's not expected to rain." He laughed, and
said, "I admit it, yes." I said "Still, I expect there won't be any
birds er, dropping by and making deposits, or pesky insects." He said
"But that won't be visible, will it?" I said "Nope. Sorry." Then I said
"Strangely, I have an impression of somebody ardently praying for
rain." He laughed really hard. Then I said, "Do you know of what I did
in Vienna?" He said "Yes. Your manager sent me copies. Amazing!" I said
"I suppose you wouldn't like those kinds of odd surprises here." He
you say today." He laughed, and said, "Officially, I must oppose that."
I said "And?" He said "Personally, I think you know." I said "Well,
this Hatch Shell doesn't have a full size pipe organ. I think a
temporary one could be useful." He looked very interested, and said,
"If you asked if you could make one here, I might have to request that
you don't. If you do it without asking, I wouldn't have been able to
stop you, and after it was in place, it would have been bad form for me
to ask you to remove it in front of the public." I said brightly, "I
knew all that." He laughed.
I said "But there is a problem. I asked first in Vienna. What is
known about me, is that I wouldn't do that without asking, which would
be unfair and unjust. I can't be that way. However, there is a
instruments right before I port them to me, such as violins and flutes.
I could ask you if you would object to my making and porting my
instruments in like I usually do for performances, but without
mentioning what they might be, and how big." He grinned and said, "That
should work!" I said "But if the trusties have a problem with that,
won't they decide not to invite me back again?" He grinned wider, and
said, "Not a chance!" I said "I suppose that we consider that request,
as I very carefully worded it, made and approved?" He said
"Absolutely!'
He said "One more thing. I know it's not in the program, but while
I'm not officially requesting it, that 'Over the Rainbow' er, was
terrific." I said "Are you REALLY trying to get me in trouble?" He said
laughed. I said "Now my one more thing. What to play on the partially
discussed instrument. Any ideas?" He said "Well, we've never done
anything like that here before. Should I assume you can do whatever you
do better than anybody could think possible?" I nodded. He said "Well,
I did hear a very good 'Blue Danube'. I think that would be a good one.
And latter in the concert, 'Stars and Stripes?" I said "Only if the
audience is allowed to participate, because they WILL." He grinned and
said, "Absolutely!" I said "That poses a problem. They won't be able to
sit down after that, so it needs to be last, which will rob you of the
final bow." He said "Do it anyway." I said "I knew you would say that.
One more thing. I AM going to do it, so don't bother to say no. For the
march, there will be a gigantic glowing American Flag floating above
the Shell." He said "Unofficially, go for it!" I said "I hear that a
lot." He laughed.
I said "Hmm, another idea. The National Anthem isn't in the program.
Any particular reason for that?" He said "We don't usually do that
be in, and then I said, "Without rehearsal, it's not going to work. How
about my manager on the organ, with me singing?" He said "THAT will
work!" I said "Now we have to tell him." He laughed. I said "I'll
arrange for him to be here now." Chad ported in, and we told him about
the organ and the music. He said "Role reversal here. Short notice. I
suppose I deserve it. Once!" We laughed. I pushed the arrangement at
him, and handed him the sheet music which he wouldn't need.
When it was time to start, I walked out onto the stage. I said
"Hello, I'm Stephen. Before we start, there is something I want to do.
I usually create my instruments and transport them to me as I need
them. Today there is an instrument I want to use which will require
more than a moment's work. It might be a little dramatic looking. If
you become alarmed, well, I hope you have a working snooze button."
Some laughter. I turned to the rear of the stage, and put some pipes
there. Then outside the Shell, on either side, I put some larger pipes.
I even put some on top of the Shell, and on the ground in front of the
stage, but not so they would rise above it. I balanced the controls so
the sound would be correct for the strange placement, when I made the
console, which was powered by the 4th. When I was done, I turned back
to the stage, and said, "Now we're organized!" Some laughter, mixed
with their amazement.
I said "Oh, one more thing. Some of the musical selections will have
something like active hologram effects associated with them. This first
one will. I will sing, and my manager will play the organ. Chad, please
test the volume." He sat at the organ, noted the presets and trusted
them, and played some cords, and adjusted the volume with my input.
Then I said, "All please rise for the National Anthem!" Chad played the
intro, and the organ sounded terrific. Then he reduced the volume, and
I sang 'The Star Spangled Banner' a little fancy, with a lot of
expression, with a giant image of an American Flag of 1812, tattered,
with holes in it, gently waving above and over the front of the Shell.
The audience looked like they were saying oos and ahs, but were drowned
out by the organ and my voice. When I was finished, the old flag was
replaced with a current version. Then I let that vanish.
They applauded wildly. I bowed a lot. I made Chad bow, too. When it
was quiet enough, I called out to the director, who was in front of the
orchestra, "You didn't expect me to do something NORMAL, did you?" He
shook his head vigorously, to some laughter. Then as planned, I sang
and danced to the orchestra playing show tunes. We received a lot of
applause. I said "That was a lot of fun. Well, for me, anyway. I hope
you enjoyed it. Now for something I've been saving for the right
occasion." Then, with the orchestra, I sang "Some Enchanted Evening".
That earned us a standing ovation. Then I said, "Now Chad and I will
play, him on the piano, and me on the flute, the 'Flight of the
Bumblebee', my arrangement." We did that, to a lot of applause. Then I
played 'The Blue Danube' on the organ, with some extra fancy fingering,
and a lot of expression. More great applause. Then I said, "This next
selection has some special effects. You will NOT be in any danger.
Well, unless you drink something the wrong way." Some chuckles. I did
my strange "Over the Rainbow". There was stunned silence when I was
done, and then wild applause.
I said "Now, I will be conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra, in
Tchaikovsky's 'Marche Slav'. Would you like to know the very important
reason why I chose it? I'll tell you, anyway." Some laughter. I said
"Because I like it." More laughter. We did it very well, and received
some good applause. I said "Next, we will play for you, Capriccio
Espagnol, by Rimsky-Korsakov. Why did I select it?" I cupped my ear,
and some yelled, "Because you like it!" While some others laughed. I
gave them a big grin, and said, "Absolutely!" Some applause. We did it,
and received a lot of applause. I said "Next, I, with the orchestra,
I made the director bow, and the orchestra.
Then I said, "That was supposed to be the last thing. I would like to
do one more. What do you think?" They were overwhelmingly in favor of
that. I said "Well, I think I will. This is something I've wanted to do
for a while, but there hasn't been the right time and place for it.
Until NOW! On the organ, 'The Stars and Stripes Forever'! Feel free to
join in." I went all out on the song, and made it as fancy as possible
for me, with hands and feet flying. I couldn't do it all that way, so I
changed the stops in mid note with 4th hands. The audience got up and
danced and sang to it, and they had a really good time. I had the
lyrics running just above the floor of the stage, in blue lettering. I
had the big flag waving overhead, and glowing brightly. Alongside of it
I put images, one after another, of various national landmarks, such as
the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument. When it was over, I
let the images fade away. There was a LOT of applause. They were
already standing, so that made it a standing ovation.
I bowed a lot, at the front of the stage. After a while, I ported my
violin to me, and they quieted down. I played my usual encore, and did
the usual love blessing and porting away, this time taking all the
organ equipment with me. In the temporary office near the Shell, I said
to the director, "Did I ruffle too many feathers?" He said "I don't
know, and I don't care. You were terrific, and the audience knows it! I
really wish you could do the 4th." I glanced at Chad, and then I said
to the director, "There are some reasons why I can't. I'll be in Tibet
then, and will be doing another world love broadcast." He said "But the
patriotic songs with God mentioned in them. I can't be a part of an
event which does that. I have no problems with patriotic songs at all,
and I have absolutely nothing against religious songs. Well, I've sung
most of them of all faiths. But I don't think I should be involved
where they are combined." He said "You aren't the first person we've
invited, who felt that way. I understand completely. Other reasons?" I
said "You usually have a lot of military people there, and in the
front. I admire their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice, and I was in
the military myself in many past incarnations, but who I am now, has a
conflict with what the military does and stands for. But that's not all
of it. The wounded. I could not ignore that. I would not be able to
perform." He said "Oh! I should have thought of that." I said "Not
really. People who actually should have, didn't." Chad nodded.
I said "Chad, I've just made a decision. New Year's day, in Tibet.
World love broadcast. I expect to be er, augmented. Please schedule it,
and the warning. I'll do it from Tibet, 11PM. Half frozen, probably."
Chuckles. He said "Why then?" I said "Well, people might be a little
more sedate than usual. Less traffic jams. You know, hangovers?" They
laughed. I said "Then I will increase the frequency of them." Chad said
"Why the change?" I said "Orders." He said "Oh!" The director said, "I
don't understand. Who could order YOU?" I looked at him very seriously,
and said, "You know who. The same Who, who ordered me to free Tibet,
and who did all that healing through me. This is partly what I am for."
He said in awe, "Wow!" I said "Yeah, that too." He almost choked. I
stood, and they did. I said "Please let me know what the bosses think
of what we did, and tell them I will protect you from their possible
assault." He tried to laugh. I opened my arms, and he came to receive
my loving hug. Chad helped him to sit. I bowed, and we ported to my
living room.
Rose and Hawk hugged us. We undressed and sat. Rose said, "Of all
your songs you sing, 'Evening' really gets me the most. I don't know
why." Hawk said "I do. It's one he can use the most resonance in his
voice. Does something to females." I said "I noticed the effects of my
singing, the first time I did it." Rose said, "That's when I fell in
love with you." I nodded, and said, "Strange. Not that I'm complaining
one little bit!" We laughed and hugged with love.
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Grant
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