Twelfth at the Back of the Stage

Twelve chords of silicon resound to make mellifluous resonances, each note resounding the Josun Dynasty when the ancestral instrument Kayakeum was made. Deft little fingers plucking the chords to play a Minyo, a Korean folk music, sadly do not belong to me. No, those belong to a scornful ten-year-old girl, teaching me the proper placement of my clumsy fingers.

“So when do I use my left hand again?” I ask. “You press your left hand on the chords indicated in the scores—‘ALWAYS’ about thirty centimeters away from your right.” the girl answers...