This book is a collection of eight short stories by Roger Hecht. The main work and title story is about a professional trombone player as he prepares for and performs an audition for a seat with the Detroit Philharmonic Orchestra. The story itself is very interesting, and the author describes the practice and preparation, the audition process, and the fine nuances of trombone playing in great detail. He also displays a fine writing style in describing various composers, their compositions and their styles.
Another story in the collection called Meet Not Cute is also based around a musical theme, with an unexpected meeting between two concertgoers. Roger Hecht has a very human style of writing that brings the characters alive, and his personal knowledge of the world of music greatly adds to the depth and realism of his stories. Other stories in the collection are based around themes of personal relationships, growth, longing, caring, and different views of the world and its consequences.
I would commend this book to short story readers, and for the title story alone, particularly to anyone who is interested in gaining insight into the auditioning world.
Bruce McCollum
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