“I guess he doesn’t have much of a fan base huh?” Ashley asked as she thought back to that morning.

“Certainly not amongst his students. I’ve heard he’s pretty much the same with anyone though…but class will be starting soon so we should go take our seats before our stuff mysteriously disappears and we are forced to sit in the back.” Nicole replied as the three headed back to their seats.   

The rest of the class piled in and all the seats were filled. Ashley looked at the sea of young faces and took a moment to let it all sink in. She sat on the front of her desk and cleared her throat.

“Good afternoon everyone. I’m Ashley Davies the new music professor here at SCU.” A big round of applause sounded throughout the classroom. “As I’m sure you all know I have done the whole rock experience; touring, selling records, and making music that I love. This class is a new type of class that I wanted to try this semester. I really wasn’t sure what to call it but really I wanted to allow you guys to find your own musical foundations. So…the biggest project for this semester is for you to find your favorite piece of music; learn that piece; and then use that piece to create your own. I won’t limit you to any single type of music so don’t be afraid to try one extreme or another. You will be graded at the end of the semester when you perform in front of a small audience of your peers and professors. Well seeing as we really don’t have much more to cover for today let’s call it a day and meet back tomorrow same time, same place. Remember to bring in your piece or your prospective piece by the end of this week. You don’t have to commit yourself fully to that one piece but at least have one in mind.”

All the students cheered at the shortness of the class but they were also clearly excited at the project that they were just assigned. Ashley smiled as she saw the reactions in the room from her students. She spent the rest of the class time getting to know her students telling them stories from her tour experience and all the celebrities she had met. Eventually, she got back to her office and sat down in her chair thinking about how right she was in deciding to join this school. She had the perfect job, some great new friends, and the woman of her dreams.