A Secret Symphony🔊

Once upon a time, in the picturesque town of Medici, Italy, a peculiar yet illustrious tale unfolded. The tale revolved around a conscientious and introverted little boy named Amico who had an extraordinary gift.

Amico was far from ordinary. He was born with a distinctive ability to perceive all sound as music and play it back flawlessly on his oddly shaped, rustic violin. Despite this impeccable talent, his music was heard only by the silent walls of his tiny room.

Amico lived with his ailing grandmother. Though eager to hear his music, his grandmother’s waning hearing ability denied her the luxury. Thus, Amico’s tiny room indulged in his elegant melodies by itself. However, fate had other plans.

One unsuspecting afternoon when Amico was playing a birdsong on his violin, he was interrupted by an audible gasp. Discovery was made by a wandering street urchin, Pippo. The awe-stricken Pippo pleaded Amico to share his gift with the world, to which Amico sheepishly disagreed.

Amico’s secret was nonetheless out, and the tales of the music magician found their way to the town’s celebrated, albeit arrogant music maestro, Agostino. Intrigued and threatened, Agostino invited Amico to challenge him in the annual music competition of Medici, La Serenata. Despite his hesitation, Amico's fondness for a silver ear trumpet as the winning prize, which his grandmother could use to hear again, nudged him to accept the invitation.

In preparation, Agostino worked tirelessly, composing an original masterpiece for the competition—a complex musical concoction that he assumed the young boy could never recreate. All the while, Amico comfortably slid through his usual life, observing sounds, imitating them on his quirky violin, paying no heed to the approaching show-down.

Scenes were set for La Serenata. A grand stage resided at the town square eagerly waited to host the music maestro and the discovered talent. As Agostino bedazzled the crowd with his entrancing melody, Amico’s anxiety spiked. As his turn approached, Amico closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started recreating Agostino’s tune. Every note, every nuance, was replicated flawlessly, leaving Agostino and the audience awe-stricken.

In addition to Agostino’s piece, Amico started playing the sounds of Medici—the rustling leaves, the chirping birds, the gentle stream—tunes that maybe only he could perceive, but ones that he perfectly reflected on his violin. The audience, familiar with these sounds, felt an unspoken emotional connection. Tears welled up, smiles broadened, hearts beat in sync with Amico's grand symphony.

The audience roared with applause even before Amico could strike the last chord. Overwhelmed by his glory, Amico returned home, with the silver ear trumpet clutched firmly in his hand. As he softly clipped it into his Grandma's ear and played his violin, the room was no longer the only thing that heard his magical symphony. The happiness in her moist eyes was the only validation that Amico ever needed.

The tale of the 'Music Magician' of Medici went down in history, reminding everyone of the undiscovered talent that every individual beholds, ignored, and sometimes lost, in the everyday cacophony. It encouraged the people of the town to pay a little more attention to the everyday sounds, for echoing amongst them was Amico's secret symphony.