It was overcast today. After school, Mom told me she (had) got the news that I (had) passed my music exam. I was overjoyed! I’m no longer just a dilettante, (which is) what my dad always calls me—I’m officially a serious, dedicated music student now. I am going to frame the certificate and hang it up somewhere. This is only the beginning, but it’s also proof that all the efforts over the past year paid off. Truth is, the certificate itself doesn’t really matter. No audience cheers for a piece of paper—they cheer for your performance. So my focus hasn’t changed one bit: I’ll keep working on my overall singing technique, and now guitar too.