Duet by Tamiko Dooley

Let me accompany you
As you hit the bass notes
Your bow gliding along the strings
Support your harmonies with chords from above
I want to be syncopated with you
Fingers dancing dotted rhythms
15/8 changing to 9/3 mid-bar
Switch my time signature to yours
Give me your key of 6 flats
Your double sharps and clef changes
Notes floating above and below the staves
I’ll take them all
Through interrupted cadences we suddenly face
Arpeggios to climb up and over
I’ll be there, pedalling to smooth over any mistakes
A metronome at your tempo
When we get to the coda
I’ll do it all again with you
And as we reach the end, ritardando
I want to catch your eye and smile
Hold your hand and take a bow together
So that the crowd applauses:
What a performance.
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Tamiko is a half-Japanese mother of two. When there's no pandemic, she's hired as a wedding pianist from time to time.