To those who build the confidence to believe in themselves.
—R.H. & K.H.
Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Letter
CHAPTER 1 Hidden Talents
CHAPTER 2 Ready to Rock
CHAPTER 3 Convincing Carlos
CHAPTER 4 Bouncing Back?
CHAPTER 5 Sour Notes
CHAPTER 6 Changing Pace
CHAPTER 7 Imagine That!
CHAPTER 8 Panic!
CHAPTER 9 Mustang Surprise
CHAPTER 10 Rocking the House
Sneak Peek
Preview
About the Authors
Copyright
* * *
Dear Reader,
Everyone has a special talent. Sometimes it takes our family and friends to help us understand what our talent is. When I was younger I had always wanted to play the guitar, but when it came time to choose an instrument to learn, I chose the trombone. I picked it because it was the biggest instrument in our school band and looked like it would be a lot of fun to play. I took lessons and played the trombone all through high school. I even played in my school’s marching band.
I have a great appreciation for musical talent, which is why I thought it would be fun for Rhino to learn how to play the guitar for his school talent show, even though he was already taking trombone lessons. To this day, I enjoy listening to music while I’m on my way to baseball practice or a baseball game. When I hear certain songs on the radio, it brings me back to the days I played the trombone, marched in the marching band, and took music lessons in between schoolwork and baseball practice. It’s not always easy, but whatever your talent may be, practice it to succeed, and don’t forget to always have fun.
* * *
Little Rhino watched the baseball sail high over the field. He’d hit it hard, but it was drifting toward the foul pole.
Stay fair, he thought. He felt a surge of energy as the ball flew past the pole, clearing the right-field fence in fair territory.
Home run!
Rhino smiled. This was batting practice, so he didn’t run around the bases. But the excitement was there anyway.
“One more swing,” said Coach Ray, who was pitching.
Rhino drew back his bat and waited. He’d hit three balls over the fence while at bat. Rhino had turned into a strong hitter during his first baseball season, and his confidence grew with every swing.
Just like a major leaguer, he thought.
The next pitch was straight down the middle and waist high. Rhino clobbered it, sending it streaking toward center field. It bounced near the top of the fence and rebounded onto the grass. Another solid hit.
Rhino walked to the dugout and went to bump fists with his best friend, Cooper. But instead Cooper raised a finger to his lips, signaling to Rhino to stay quiet. Cooper jutted his chin toward the only other player in the dugout.
Carlos sat alone on the bench, singing softly. His blue Mustangs cap was pulled low over his forehead.
Rhino raised his eyebrows. Carlos was one of the smallest players on the team, and he was one of the quietest kids Rhino knew. But his singing voice was surprisingly good. Clear and tuneful.
Carlos was singing a hymn. But then he switched to another song, more upbeat and soulful.
Rhino laughed.
Carlos stopped singing and clamped his mouth shut.
“Don’t stop,” Rhino said. “You have a great voice. I was only laughing because I was surprised to hear it.”
Carlos looked down, but he smiled. “Forgot where I was for a minute,” he said.
“Sounded like you could have been on a stage!” Cooper said. “Are you a singer?”
“Sort of,” Carlos replied. “I’ve been in our church choir since kindergarten. But I’ve never sung a solo or anything like that.”
“You should be performing,” Rhino said. “The school talent show is coming up. You’d win with a voice like that!”
Carlos laughed and shook his head. “I’d have stage fright in a talent show. Wouldn’t be able to make a peep.”
“You need a backup band to give you confidence,” Cooper said. “I play drums. Do you play an instrument?”
Clang! A baseball rattled off the dugout fence, making them jump. Their teammate Dylan was at bat, and he’d lined a hard foul ball in their direction.
“Wake up in there!” Dylan called.
“Try hitting it straight!” Rhino yelled back.
Dylan grinned. “Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention,” he said.
They watched as Dylan smacked the next pitch toward the shortstop. Then Rhino and Cooper turned back to Carlos.
“I can play the keyboard,” Carlos said. “I have a little portable one.”
“We should do it!” Cooper said. “That would be so cool. We’d rock the place.”
Rhino nodded. “Think about it, Carlos. It could be a lot of fun!”
Carlos shrugged. “Maybe,” he muttered.
The idea sounded great to Rhino. He had another idea, too. His thinker told him not to do it, but he blurted it out anyway. “A rock band needs a guitarist,” he said. “I’m the man for that.” He held his baseball bat like a guitar and pretended to strum it.
“You play the guitar?” Carlos asked.
“Sure,” Rhino replied. He pictured himself on a stage in front of a large audience, rocking out with a hot guitar solo. All the fans were on their feet, dancing to the music.
“Wait,” Cooper said, looking puzzled. “Since when do you play the guitar, Rhino?”
“I’ve been playing for a while.”
“Really?” Cooper asked.
Rhino’s voice sounded a little less sure this time. “Yeah?” Uh-oh. What am I saying? Rhino’s thinker chimed in.
“You and I hang out together every day,” Cooper said. “I’ve never seen you play the guitar.”
Rhino looked away and his palms started to feel sweaty. “C.J.’s been teaching me. At night.”
That was somewhat true. Rhino’s older brother had been taking guitar lessons for a couple of months, and he’d shown Rhino how to play a few chords. But C.J. was no expert, and Rhino definitely wasn’t either.
Rhino had recently begun taking trombone lessons, so he was familiar with reading musical notes and he had a good sense of timing. When C.J. started taking lessons, Rhino remembered his brother saying that every band needs a guitarist. That’s why Rhino had jumped at the opportunity when Cooper and Carlos were talking about performing at the talent show, but Rhino knew that he shouldn’t have said he could play the guitar. There was no way he was ready to perform in a band.
Still, the idea seemed very cool. And the talent show was two weeks away. If Rhino practiced every night, maybe he would be good enough by then.
Carlos slapped hands with Cooper. “I’ll do it,” he said. “We’ll sign up for the talent show tomorrow at school. What will we call ourselves?”
“Mustang Rock!” Cooper said. “Starring Carlos Rivera.”
Carlos blushed. “I was just trying to practice for Sunday’s church service,” he said softly. “I didn’t expect to be discovered by a talent agent like Cooper.”
“Speaking of practice, there’s no time to waste,” Cooper said. “How about Saturday after our game? We can practice at my house, since my drums are set up there.”
“Sounds great,” Rhino said. He gulped. What was he getting himself into?
“Should be interesting,” Cooper said, smirking at Rhino. “We uncovered Carlos’s hidden singing talent today. Guess we’ll see your hidden guitar talent on Saturday afternoon.”
Coach Ray called the players onto the field. The practice session was nearly over, but there was still
time to work on fielding. Rhino grabbed his glove and hurried to first base.
I’m in a big mess now, Rhino’s thinker told him. Cooper’s suspicious, and he has a good reason to be. I only have two days to learn how to play the guitar!
Rhino rushed into the house. He wanted to see if he remembered any of the guitar chords C.J. had shown him.
“Hi, Grandpa!” he called as he ran up the stairs. “I’ll be right down.”
“Wash up,” Grandpa James called. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
Rhino poked his head into C.J.’s room, but his brother wasn’t there. Rhino carefully picked up the guitar. He set his fingers in position to play a chord, just as C.J. had shown him. Then he strummed the strings a few times.
Not bad, Rhino thought. If I can learn three or four more chords, I might be all right.
Rhino changed out of his baseball gear and washed his hands. He eyed his small alto trombone. Rhino knew more about playing that instrument, even though he’d only had three lessons. He played a few notes, then went downstairs.
C.J. was setting the table. The two brothers looked a lot alike, but C.J. was taller and had more muscle than Rhino.
Rhino took the milk carton from the refrigerator and filled three glasses.
“Sounded like a symphony up there for a few seconds,” Grandpa James said with a smile. “Glad to hear you practicing.”
“Was that my guitar I heard?” C.J. asked.
“Just one chord,” Rhino said. “Can you teach me more after dinner?”
“Hold on,” Grandpa said. “You just started learning the trombone, Little Rhino. I think you should concentrate on that.”
Rhino nodded. “I will. But I’d like to learn to play the guitar. A little. In a hurry. Just enough to help somebody out.”
Grandpa set a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese on the table. He squinted at Rhino. “How would learning the guitar help someone out?” he asked.
Rhino scooped some lettuce and tomatoes onto his plate and squirmed. “You know Carlos, from my team? He’s an awesome singer. But he’s shy. He wants to enter the school talent show, but he needs some support. Cooper can drum for him …”
“And you can told him you can play the guitar?” C.J. asked. “Every band does need a guitar player …”
Rhino shrugged. “I’ve got two weeks to learn.”
C.J. laughed. “I’m sure you’ll be a pro by then! You’ll be rocking and rolling and jamming.”
Grandpa cleared his throat and raised his bushy eyebrows. “Sounds like you boxed yourself into a corner. What do you plan to do about it?”
Rhino’s thinker told him he should call Cooper and Carlos and admit that he wasn’t ready to be in a band. But he really wanted to perform. “Can’t I learn enough in two weeks?” he asked.
“I can show you some more chords, but I’ve only had a few lessons myself,” C.J. said. “There’s no way I would join a band yet.”
Grandpa rubbed his chin. “Did Carlos choose a song?”
Rhino shook his head. “It would have to be something easy to play. I figure that I can keep up with the melody if it’s just a few simple notes.”
“You’re supposed to practice the trombone for an hour a day,” Grandpa said. “Plus there’s schoolwork, baseball, and chores. You don’t have much extra time.”
Rhino set down his fork. “I could get up early.”
“Hold on,” C.J. said. “Nobody will be able to sleep through an early-morning jam session.”
Rhino frowned. He felt certain that he could learn quickly enough to play something.
“Here’s what you can try,” Grandpa said. “Half an hour of trombone every evening, and half an hour of guitar. If you find some extra time, you can put in a little more guitar practice. We’ll give it a week. If you’re not playing well enough by then, you’ll have to tell your friends. It wouldn’t be fair to Carlos.”
Rhino lifted a forkful of food into his mouth. “I’ll start tonight,” he said. “Thanks, Grandpa!”
“We’ll see,” Grandpa replied. “Homework first.”
“I know.”
Books were always first in Grandpa James’s house. On days like today, when baseball practice was right after school, homework could wait until after dinner. Rhino and C.J. worked hard at their schoolwork so they could enjoy other things like sports. Taking on another activity like playing the guitar would require some extra hard work.
I’m ready for this, Rhino thought. I hope. He scooped up some mac and cheese and shut his eyes, enjoying the smell. He saw himself strutting with the guitar while Cooper banged the drums and Carlos belted out a song.
“Can we listen to some of your music collection later?” Rhino asked Grandpa. “Those old songs, like the Jackson 5 or the Supremes. What do you call that style?”
“Motown,” Grandpa said with a smile. “You think you can handle that? Pretty cool stuff.”
“Carlos is a great singer,” Rhino said. “But I think he’ll want to sing something a little more modern than Motown. If we can get his confidence up, he’ll rock!”
C.J. laughed again. “I don’t think Carlos is the problem. But he’ll need a real guitarist backing him up. You’d better find a lot of spare time in the next couple of weeks.”
Rhino nodded and took another bite of dinner. He’d learned so much lately because he’d set his mind to doing it. Playing first base for the Mustangs meant learning all sorts of baseball skills he’d never imagined. Things like proper footwork for positioning himself on the base, and how to handle a bouncing throw from another infielder.
I learned all that by sticking to it, even when I struggled a few times, his thinker told him. I can apply that same effort to learning the guitar.
Rhino thought about one of his favorite songs. He tapped his foot and pictured himself jamming on the stage again. He could see it. He could believe it.
But, like hitting a home run or making a diving catch, it wouldn’t come easy. There was a lot of hard work ahead.
And not much time at all. Stay committed and always try my best.
Rhino unwrapped his peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. He looked around the cafeteria and saw Carlos in the corner.
Rhino always ate lunch with a group of his friends so that they could talk about fun things—like dinosaurs and astronomy. But today Rhino had some business to take care of first.
“Hey, Carlos,” Rhino said. “Let me join you.”
Carlos pulled his tray closer to him and smiled. Rhino had never noticed Carlos without his Mustangs cap. His hair was cut very short, so his ears seemed to stick out.
“Should we sign up for the talent show after lunch?” Rhino asked. “We can leave the cafeteria a few minutes early and sign up at the principal’s office.”
Carlos looked down at his tray and winced. “Well,” he said. “I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong?” Rhino asked. “It’ll be great.”
Carlos tapped his fingers on the table. “I’ve never sung in public.” And I don’t actually play the guitar, Rhino’s thinker said.
“But you sing in church every week, right?” Rhino was surprised that Carlos seemed unsure of himself again. Hadn’t he and Cooper convinced him yesterday?
“Church is different,” Carlos said. “I’m with a big choir, so no one’s looking just at me.”
Wow, he’s very shy, Rhino thought.
“I practiced for two hours last night,” Rhino said. C.J. had shown him two new chords. Rhino’s fingertips were sore from the extra practice. “There are a lot of cool songs we could perform.”
“Maybe,” Carlos said. “I wish I was confident like you.”
“I’m not so confident,” Rhino said. “Not at everything. But I’m confident at the things I’m good at and enjoy doing, like hitting a baseball or talking about dinosaurs. And you’re great at singing, so you should be confident about that.”
“I love singing,” Carlos replied. “But being on stage, with every kid in the school wa
tching me? I wouldn’t love that.”
“You never know,” Rhino said.
Carlos shook his head. “It’s like baseball,” he said. “When I get up to bat, I’m scared stiff. Not that I’ll strike out or get hit by a pitch, but just because everyone’s watching. That makes me nervous. Singing a solo would be even worse!”
Rhino had to think about that. He loved being at bat, especially when the game was on the line. Hitting a home run to win a game was a great feeling. He looked forward to it every chance he got.
“Let’s sign up,” Rhino said. “Then we’ll practice. If you decide you don’t want to perform, then we can drop out. But let’s give it a try, okay?”
“I guess so,” Carlos said weakly.
“Remember, Cooper and I will be up there on the stage with you.”
“I know,” Carlos said. “But I’ll be the one singing.”
“Exactly,” Rhino said. “With your great voice!”
Carlos laughed. “All right,” he said. “You can go to the dinosaur table.”
“I’ll be back in plenty of time,” Rhino said. “Don’t leave the cafeteria without me.”
Rhino should have invited Carlos to join the dinosaur discussion, but he knew Carlos would rather not. Maybe soon, his thinker told him. After you give his confidence another boost!
Rhino took a seat between Cooper and their friend Bella. She played right field for the Mustangs, and her father was the coach of the team.
“What was that about?” Bella asked. “Baseball strategy?”
“Talent show strategy,” Rhino said.
Bella’s eyes opened wide. “Are you entering?” she asked. “My dance team is. We have a very cool routine.”
“We’ve got a band,” Rhino said.
“Wow!” Bella shook her dark ponytail and grinned.
Cooper leaned forward so he could see Bella. “We might have a band,” he said. “Depends on our mystery guitar player.”
“Carlos?”
“No,” Cooper said. “Carlos is the singer. Rhino claims to be a guitar hero.”
“I never knew that,” Bella replied happily.
The Talent Show Page 1
