Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Deck 4 Garden- A Picnic

Posted by Civilian Sair Songz (Counselor) in Deck 4 Garden- A Picnic

Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Deck 4 Garden- A Picnic

(snip)

Cochrane nodded and said “It is. Four strings, tuned in fifths to C, G, D and A. Played upright while seated.”, his eyes moving over the instrument and taking in every detail.

Cochrane, CO

Sair nodded with understanding. “The prizar is tuned to a major pentatonic scale and…” She plucked the next few strings in turn, only adjusting the third one before she continued. “This is not too out of tune, fortunately for me. Otherwise it can take awhile.”

She finished tuning and the metal strings had a resonate quality to them even as they got into the higher register. Then she took some time to flex her fingers and stretch out her hands.

“Mira? Play eeso” Koro said, making Sair grin as she looked at Alex. “He wants me to play a specific folk sing that’s often used as a lullaby.”

“I used to hum it to Sair when she was a baby,” Kel said, smiling softly.

And ready to play, Sair blew out a breath. “Aright, here we go.” Inhaling slowly, she began to pluck out a tune that began in the lower registers. It was calm and flowing, almost like waves rolling in and out from shore. But there was a deeper part of it, a yearning almost, as she used her bare left fingers to cause tremolo or to add a softer harmony. As the song moved along it expanded into the upper registers of the instruments and Sair allowed it to be brighter, but still there was something quiet about the piece.

Koro watched with animation though he seemed to be relaxing much like his mother was. It wasn’t just that Sair was calmer, no. It was like for a few moments she could touch something deeper. For some music was a release but that had never been Sair’s experiences. Music for her had been about expressing the unspeakable, the things that everyday made normal that should not be. Even in a lullaby, there were things one could not escape.

Her fingers slowed slowed, finishing with a flourished chord and Sair blew out a breath. “Not terrible,” she said with a smirk.

“Nonsense! You father will be so just pleased you still play at all,” Kel said, beaming at her daughter.

~Sair & Family

Cochrane had sat, enthralled by the music… so much so he had to shake his head to clear it from his mind. He then clapped softly and said “Fantastic! I had never heard the instrument before, but its simply wonderful. It reminds me of an orchestral string section, but different enough that it stands apart. Just… absolutely fantastic.” He smiled at Kel and said “You should be proud to have a daughter with as many talents as she.” and then he looked at Sair. “Impressive, Counselor. Well done, indeed.”

Cochrane, CO

Heat touched her cheeks and for a moment she struggled to just accept the compliment, dipping her head slightly. It was a strange resistance for her to have, but she did know where it came from and it was complicated. Still, she wasn’t used to effusive reactions to anything she did, let alone her music, which was ostensibly just a hobby. Since leaving Koblid this last time, the instrument had sat in its case, not so much abandoned as waiting patiently for Sair to be ready to come back to it. Her fingers gently plucked the strings in basic chords just creating background music. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“Oh, Captain, her father and I are exceptionally proud. Sair has always been our pride and joy,” Kel said with more than just warmth and love, but also a tiny bit of awe. “You may not know this, but on Kobliad, health care care and the arts are the most highly regarded professions you can be selected to study. Health care, I think you can understand why, but art and music are so vital to us maintaining something of a society. For a long time it was starting to fade though. My husband, Sal, said that over the last couple decades he could feel the energy at performances change and not in a positive way. But that’s shifted in the last few years. As much as our situation has been a medical one, I think we’re starting to see artists finding new inspiration to create more… boldly, I guess. “

~Sair & Family