The Color of Music by Millie Su (16, Washington)*

Rich, dark purple chords vibrated from the piano and into the open air of my practice room. My arms trembled from the constant force being strained upon them, as they unforgivingly played on the innocent white and black keys to constitute an angry melody. Bursts of color sprang together to form sound waves, each overpowering the latter. A mournful black downed by a blood red sea that clashed against impulsive white streaks. Over and over. Louder and louder. Until the last measure climaxed in a climbing arpeggio of bright orange dots to confront an unfinished seventh chord. My fingers hesitated over the final note for a sliver of a second, then gently satisfied the end of its melody.

---

The moment my fingers released the keys, it was as if all the color previously endeavoring to
escape from the glossy cover of the piano, suddenly shrank backwards, rewinding itself back into the deep confines of nothingness - this lifeless instrument.