Silent Music

Can you even imagine a world without music? No hip hop, rock and roll, country. No singing, symphonies, music concerts. And no memory of music or ability to make it even if you knew. Whistling? No can do. Door bells? Ring tones? Song birds? Not anymore. That's the problem for DIANA, 14, and her adopted-from-China brother CHRISTOPHER, 16. She of stage fright and the terrific voice, he of marginal talent and the edgy violin. All Diana wanted to do was get out of performing, but Mr. SILENZ, visiting from another world, made sure it went just a little further than that. So now the two teens have to get it back from wherever it was he came from. First stop, a large cavern where a race of people, gifted with magnificent voices, has secreted itself. A cappella, Renaissance polyphony, operatic solos, a full choir, it's all here. But the teens can't bring it back without a charm that hangs around Silenz's neck. LENA, another teen, whose voice has not yet matured, will help guide them to him. But there's more to music than just voice. Second stop, wind instruments. All the villagers at a rustic town gather, having assembled tubes of all shapes and sizes that capture the wind and make the sounds of flutes, saxophones, oboes, trumpets. But wait, Silenzs army comes. "Beyond is a valley huge with spears." So the teens have to flee, but where? Third stop, percussion. A small group of raggedy and colorfully dressed beatniks agree to lead our trio on. Snapping fingers, tapping various objects with their drumsticks, they create, not a cacophony of noise, but an orchestrated percussion symphony. Only one part left. Fourth stop, strings. They are in the Gossamer Glen, the last refuge in the kingdom for string musicians. A "battle" ensues between the musicians and the soldiers, bows v. swords. The soldiers (like everyone else in the land) have been deprived of music for so long that they freeze in ecstasy when they hear tuneful music. But only long enough for the teens to proceed to Silenz's stronghold. Final stop, Silenz. Although he has captured all the musical miscreants in his land and seized their instruments, he fears music may return. So he planned to leave his world and travel to our, now quieted, world. Unless Diana can use his charm to make the same wish in his world, eliminate music and any knowledge of it. But that would hurt all the people in this new world who've helped her and her brother. She could try to foil Silent entirely, but that would require her to sing -- "but I can't, not in front of everyone." What will she do?