He scanned the musical notes on the page, hearing the flowing melody in his mind, the various sections of the orchestra taking the lead as his concerto ebbed and flowed, rose and fell, insisted and reserved.
Reaching the thunderous crescendo, he took the standing ovation.
He glanced at the clock. Five minutes until the client would be calling to hear their first demo.
He tucked away his undiscovered masterpiece and picked up the guitar.
He strummed out the catchy jingle for ‘Doggies Snack’ems: Sweetie Treaties,’ corrected a couple of notes, and waited for the irritating executive to call.
Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
How one suffers for one’s art. Nice one.
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Apparently you have to! Thanks Sandra
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Aye, life in a nutshell!
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Pretty much.
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I’m sure his day will come when what he dreamed of will come true. Thoughts become things 🙂
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Here’s hoping, I admire your optimism! 🙂
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Really enjoyed reading this, Iain. I wasn’t expecting that twist and I hope his masterpiece is recognised one day!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks Susan – we can all dream while making a living!
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Dear Iain,
I guess everyone has to start somewhere. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS This sentence, “He and glanced at the clock.” I don’t think you need ‘and.’ 😉
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Thanks for the spot Rochelle 😉
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There’s art and there’s making a living.
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The trick is finding a way to combine the two.
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I hope his masterpiece does get discovered! 🙂
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Maybe one day!
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Great work!
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Thank you
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Genius undiscovered. One day, he’ll reach his dream.
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A lucky few do get there in the end!
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Ah, how real is that for most struggling musicians – his magnum opus lies disregarded and he has to debase himself writing jingles. Well written Iain
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It did make me smile but how real that is for many of us struggling with a day job, waiting for a break.
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Yes musicians, writers and artists alike can all sympathise.
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His day job pays the bills and his true passion will be exposed for all to hear when he is good and ready…
I like being optimistic.
Very well done, Iain.
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He admires your optimism 😉
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I like the mystery you weaved into this musician’s secret project. I wish I could ask him for a listen. 😊
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One day the world will hear it! 🙂
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Amen!!!
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You have to work for your living… hope he one day can live from the masterpiece
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Most of us are never that fortunate. Thanks Bjorn
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Standing ovations are all very well but they don’t pay the bills. Made me smile 🙂
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Thank you
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Most executives are irritating.
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Very.
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Oh, I very much like the way the opening of your story leads us to believe this is his big moment. Then, boom, doggie treat jingle. Thanks for the suprise.
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Thanks Alicia 🙂
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Jingles can be awfully catchy. It takes a certain level of ability to make a good one, kinda like crafting flash fiction?
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If only there where more ways to allow more musicians the opportunity to inspire. I love hearing good street musicians, much as I enjoy seeing how we all interrupt the picture prompts
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Thanks Michael
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Good rehearsal.
Am sure the client will be impressed! 🙂
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Thanks Anita
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His day will come – meanwhile, a chap’s got to eat!
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Exactly Liz 🙂
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Artists sometimes have to sell our souls to create our art. A sad, but true tale. 😦
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So many do. Thanks Jan
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Such a sadly common story, the artist who stoops to doing crap work to pay the bills while working on their true masterpieces. But this feels hopeful to me, because he really is writing his true love work in his spare time, and not just pining and wishing he were while his days slip away.
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Yes, he still has the passion and the belief, and hopefully it will one day pay off!
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Wondering how many got bogged down in the struggle to survive and lost their passion. Wonderful take.
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Hopefully he perseveres. Thank you
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Maybe not that concerto, maybe not the opera, maybe not the six string quartets that he composed feeling sure he could persuade some friends to perform them…
Experts reckon it takes at least 10,000 hours to fully master the craft; that’s an awful lot to find in your spare time, but not impossible. He needs to persevere, then start networking like crazy. Are any of his irritating employers patrons of the arts, I wonder?
BTW boring technical detail, a crescendo is not a point that you reach, it is the process of getting louder over a musical phrase.
I enjoyed your story, Iain. I felt your main character accepted his fate with a degree of good humour that was rather endearing.
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Thanks Penny – interesting point about a crescendo. It appears you can reach a crescendo in popular speech, but in as a technical music phrase, you can’t! 🙂
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I’ve written some damn good songs that never got to tickle a recording executives ear, but then my writing hasn’t made it too far either. Oh well, we keep doing what we love and hope that someday it will find acceptance. How many artist didn’t become recognized until after they were dead?
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I’m assuming my writing will be discovered and considered masterful once I’m dead. I guess that’s what all those agents are planning….
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So many classical pieces were discovered after their composers had passed on. We can only hope his talent and passion is recognised before too long.
Click to read my FriFic tale
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Thanks Keith
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Well, that’s one way to put doggie treats in the food bowl.
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Got to pay the bills somehow 🙂
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A sad truth but there was a sweetness here. He’s still passionate about his own music, still pursuing his dreams. Writing jingles is just a pitstop. There’s still hope!
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There’s always hope, thanks for reading 🙂
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Oh fabulous. Well told. The dream vs reality
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We’ve all been there
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Hey, at least he’s earning a living via his passion in one way or another! Great story. I loved the contrast between the beautiful, lyrical description of his music in the beginning and the plain ridiculousness of “Doggies Snack’ems: Sweetie Treaties” at the end – it really sums up the the double life the musician must feel like he’s living.
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Thanks Ellie, glad the contrast worked for you. Perhaps one day he can look back and remember it as a funny story on his way to fame and fortune!
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sadly, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
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We can’t all be Beethoven or Bach.
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Hey…even the greatest of talents have bills to pay!
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Exactly Dawn 🙂
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Love it. Very reality-like and fun.
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Thank you Lisa 🙂
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Art is great, but you’ve got to pay the bills!
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Exactly Russell! Thanks for reading.
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Ah! A struggling artist. I hope he is one of those who really get to live their dream.
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It happens for some!
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I hope this dreamer realises his dreams. The jingles must be soul-destroying, but will get him to where he wants to be, eventually.
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They keep a roof over his head and food on the table. His time will come hopefully 🙂
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He’s had to sell his soul to make a living but there’s hope, the future looks bright. Nicely told
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Like so many he just needs that lucky break. Thanks Michael
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Very relatable Iain and well crafted!
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Thank you Dahlia
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I really enjoyed how you started the story, as he imagined himself onstage and taking the standing ovation. Then, reality crashes in. You painted well a picture of real life and fantasy. But sometimes fantasy can become real life. Hopefully, he will have his day! =)
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Fingers crossed – it’s got to happen to someone 🙂
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and the greatest catchy tune ever was unleashed to the world making dog owners everywhere pause to think about the quality of food they gave their pets.
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It did some good then! 🙂
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Doggie Snackems! Love it. At least it pays the bills so he can write his masterpiece.
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Thanks Sascha 🙂
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I wish his talent gets recognized soon and he gets to live his dreams 🙂
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Don’t we all wish this?! Thanks for reading 🙂
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Absolutely! We all wish this 🙂
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The things we have to do to fill our bellies.
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Food on the table is always necessary.
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ahhhh… the things we do for love – I mean the things we do to pay the bills –
hope his jingle was great
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It was a catchy classic 🙂
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🙂
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We can all relate to this story, sad but true.
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Afraid so. Thanks for reading 🙂
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Like your story very much, a perfect ‘cameo’- you create a particular moment in time- love the unexpected ending – made me smile.
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Thank you so much 🙂
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They say if you work at what you love you are never working but for most of us, including your protagonist, it’s not possible. Not yet anyway. You have told his story neatly, Iain.
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Maybe one day – for a few of us at least! Thanks Jilly
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