[fax machine whirring]
[Yuki] Maya, Shuji, fax... [continues in Japanese]
[speaking in Japanese]
[in English] OK.
[Fred] Dear family...
[toilet flushing]
[Fred] ...arrived in Cleveland today.
The weather is cold, but my drumsticks are on fire!
How are you all?
Miss you very much. Love, Dad.
[Maya] Dear Dad, I miss you so much.
Yesterday I scored a goal at soccer.
I wasn't ready.
I was right there with you.
Get it, Alice.
[Fred] Dear Maya. I wish I could've been there to see your goal.
I'm not surprised though, I was quite the athlete myself.
Must be in the genes! How's Anna?
Are you making any new friends?
[Maya] Dear Dad, Anna's still my best friend,
but my impression of Jim Carey is getting really good
and there are at least four popular kids that want to be our bf's,
"Best friends" now.
I'm also starting to sleep in my own bed more. Ask Mom.
Actually don't.
[Fred] Dear Maya. That sounds nice. I miss sleeping in the bed with your mom.
It’s lonely out on the road sometimes. We've all got our ways of dealing with it.
For me, it's reading your letters.
So, please keep sending!
Love, Dad.
[Maya giggling]
[mumbling]
♪ High ♪
♪ I am high ♪
♪ That view I showed to you ♪
♪ Is just a lie ♪
♪ You take what you want You get what you take ♪
♪ High, high, high ♪
[indistinct chatter]
What?
[Maya breathing heavily]
Alex broke up with Heather.
Hmm-hmm. Hmm-hmm.
Are you losing your mind?
-It's all happening. -[Maya] It's all happening.
This is the moment. Oh, my God.
[plays celebratory tune]
[Mr. Wyzell] All right, everybody, take your seats, please.
-I have some very exciting news. -Alex Nolan is single.
I mean, like, if you're a girl that's more exciting
maybe.
Just like, you know the whole school's been talking about it.
I'm not weird, you guys are weird.
OK.
This Friday is Trailview Middle's "Night of Amazing Music"
which means the band and the chorus will be performing for the whole school.
And what's more, you all will be performing
an original piece of music, written by yours truly.
You'll find the music on your stands.
Na, I only have three notes solo. How many do you have?
I have, like a five-measure solo.
[Mr. Wyzell] All right, let's try the piece. Shall we?
One, two, three...
[playing out of tune]
[Mr. Wyzell] All right, hol-- Just hold it.
-Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. -[music stops playing]
Timpani. I--I don't know what that is you're playing
but you should be playing
a straight 4/4 count in time.
Yeah, sorry. Do you mean the snare 'cause I feel like
-Timpani was doing four, four. -[Mr. Wyzell] No, Timpani-- No, the snare is fine...
Try to stay within the four, four times.
You want me to do it differently?
-'Cause I was doing a four, four. -[Mr. Wyzell] So-- No, right. Somewhere in there.
I'll tell you what. Play it like your dad.
[Mr. Wyzell] Why don't we try it from the top again.
[boy laughing]
[Anna] Do you wanna watch me practice
for my chorus solo audition later?
[Maya] I mean, I would, but I have enough on my plate
with that three notes solo, you know what I mean?
-But you're the best singer I know, so... -Yeah.
Do you think Alex is gonna come to the show later?
-Yeah, it's kind of... Oh, my God. -[Brendan] Hey.
-Hey. -I'm, uh, I'm Brendan.
-I'm Anna. -[Brendan] I know who you are.
We're in band together.
I mean, anyone who does music at Trailview knows you.
Really?
Are you excited for the "Night of Amazing Music"?
Sure. I am, yeah.
-What-- Are you Maya? -Yeah.
I'm gonna get a new hat after school for it.
-Are you allowed to do that? -I'll do what I want.
OK.
Good.
-Oh, my God! -[blows raspberries]
[Anna vocalizing]
[Kathy and Curtis speak indistinctly]
-[Curtis] Where? -[Kathy] Um...
-[Curtis laughing] -[Kathy] After you've build the deck.
-[Curtis] Yeah? [mumbling] -[Kathy] Yeah.
-Why not? -[Curtis] I don't know.
-What's the question? -[Curtis] The question is...
-I forgot the question. -The question is...
When you've build the deck.
-[Curtis] Question and the answer is... -[Kathy] Pretty anemones.
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Makes me feel free ♪
♪ 'Cause at the end of the day ♪
♪ You're my Mister May ♪
♪ You're my Mister June, July and August ♪
♪ August, Baby Every month you are to me ♪
♪ And we have a family ♪
[Maya clanging]
[fax machine whirring]
Oh, my God! Fax is coming in.
[fax machine beeps]
It's to me.
[Fred] Dear Maya...
[Fred voice-over]
[Maya] Dear Dad,
guess what?! We have our first big band concert Friday night.
The whole school's gonna be there. Wish you were coming.
I got a huge solo.
Like daughter like father! Meow, Maya.
Mom, help me with the fax.
Mom!
[opera music playing]
Ah.
-Oh my God, Dad! -What?
-[mimicking] -[Curtis] What?
I have one good eye left, OK?
I'll protect you from this one.
I don't think it's funny.
Look, mom, I am dad and I'm 12 feet away from the flame.
[Kathy laughing]
[Curtis] That's not what I did.
-That is what you did. You're like... -[Curtis] That's not what I did.
[Anna] It's so far away.
-[Curtis] OK. -That's immature.
[Curtis] Oh, you think so? Don't you dare.
How was school today, sweetheart?
Um, it was good, like I have a music concert on Friday.
and I have a solo in band
and I also have a chorus solo hopefully, if it goes well...
Oh, that's great, no?
-That's amazing. -I'm so proud. Yeah.
-Congratulations. -I'm in. I'm totally in. You in, Kathy.
-Of course I'm in. -Yeah. Good.
Afterwards we'll go for ice-cream and we'll have an ice-cream cake.
[Kathy] Yeah.
[fax machine beeps]
[Fred] Dear Maya.
[Fred voice-over]
I'm coming home early from the tour, so, I can see my little girl's show.
I am so proud. See you soon! Love, Dad.
[tapping]
[music instruments playing]
Very good.
Excellent.
[stutters] All right, hold it. Hold it, hold it.
-[music stops] -What was that?
[sighs] You're late.
-Let me see if we can work on this. -OK.
I just wanna... I know... I know you can get it.
-Yeah. -All right. Yeah, but just from the top...
-Hmm-hmm. -...and that's the first two beats, OK?
-All right. OK. -So count it out. One, two, three, four...
One, two, three...
One, two, three, four... One, two, three...
Here, here.
Am I early or late?
Early.
No.
Late.
-No! Try it again. From the top, please. -[plays drum]
-One... One, two, three, four... -...three, four...
-No! Again! One, two, three, four... -[plays drum]
[clapping] One, two, three, four... One, two, three...
No, it's late, it's late, it's late. Again, again, again!
[school bell ringing]
Saved by the bell.
Miss Ishii-Peters.
You need to practice this before tomorrow, please.
All right, everybody, let's pack it up.
[indistinct conversation]
You'll get it.
Can you help me after school?
I have chorus practice. I would, but...
-Or maybe Sam can help. Sam? -No, don't ask him. Stop...
-[Anna] Sorry, he's already here. -Fuck you, Anna.
Can you help Maya?
Sure. I am the best drummer in the bands.
He kind of is, so...
OK, fine, can you just, like, help me after 3:00, I don't really care.
-Yeah, I don't--I don't care either. -I don't care either.
Let's just not care and just don't be late, but, like, whatever.
-See you at 3:00. -I'll see you at 3:00. Don't be late.
Wait, is that for me?
Hector.
Oh, my God!
It says Anna.
-Really small. Yeah. -What?
Oh, my God.
-Amazing! -[Maya] What does it say?
[Anna] I don't know. Doi!
-I haven't read it yet. Doi. -[Maya] Uh! Doi.
[Ms. Honay] We are going to look at the microscope today.
We're gonna be very delicate.
Time to pair up.
Jared, you go with Connie. Alex, go with Anna.
♪ Waiting for the Sun So I can see your face again ♪
♪ I miss you, oh, so much Can't take another now ♪
[Ms. Honay] What you're gonna do?
-What's up? -Oh, what's up? [clears throat]
[indistinct conversation]
You smell nice. Um, can you, like read that? Or...
I can't quite... I don't know how to use a microscope, so...
[Alex] It says, "I like playing with you, Anna. Let's hang out sometime."
Oh, my God!
-Whoa! -Who's Anna?
It's just me. Stupid.
-He--he likes you. -Who?
You? What?
[Alex reading]
Who's--who's that?
Oh, him. I don't know. Who cares.
-Yeah. -So, what's up with your,
um, your G.F. or whatever?
I broke up with her. I don't have one anymore.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
It's chill.
What did you hate about her?
She was just, like, always there.
If I was your boyfriend, I mean, girlfriend
I would not be anywhere,
unless you wanted me to be somewhere.
And then I'd be there on time.
Cool.
It's crazy there's this, um...
like, kind of music concert thingy tomorrow night...
-so... -Cool.
-And I'm in, like the band and chorus. -Nice.
I barely have time for a boyfriend, but I do have a little.
Are you gonna go, or...
Well, I--I think we have to go.
Like, hate that thing.
Let's focus on the basics, all right?
Let's start with your breath.
All right?
-Yeah. -OK.
OK. So, close your eyes.
And breathe.
[band vocalizing]
[Ms. Bennett] Sound forward.
[continues vocalizing]
We do one more.
[continues vocalizing]
[clears throat] And who'll be auditioning for a solo, raise of hands.
Girls, fantastic.
Heather, come on up. You're gonna go first.
An audition etiquette, everyone, no laughs, no sounds.
Right here.
[Heather clears throat]
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
I can feel your breath, it's kind of distracting me.
Sorry.
Here.
Put these on.
Listen to this.
♪ ...I don't know yet Tell it to your friends ♪
♪ Leave your troubles so far out That they'll forget to come ♪
♪ In the blink of an eye ♪
♪ Oh! Let's say It's the time of our lives ♪
♪ Let's say it's the time of our lives ♪
-You OK? -Ow.
[Ms. Bennett] That was fantastic, Heather.
-Thank you so much. Very brave. -So good.
-She's really good. She's really good. -[Ms. Bennett] Really good.
That was fantastic, Heather. Anna?
Come on up. Everyone applaud for Anna as well.
OK. And good luck. You're gonna be great, honey.
Fantastic. Go for it.
[breathing deeply]
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
[plays in tune]
♪ Let's say it's the time of our lives ♪
That--that was really good.
That was really good.
[music continues playing]
Thanks.
Round of applause again.
You guys have made my decision tough.
Anna, you will be singing the two-bar solo
and, Heather, you will doing
the sign language solo that accompanies it.
[clapping] And actually I know one.
Thank you.
-[Maya] And then Commonwealth of Nations. -[Yuki] Hmm-hmm.
-But then I wonder if, like the... -[Fred sighs]
-[speaking in Japanese] -[Maya] Daddy! [continues in Japanese]
-[Fred in English] Oh! Sweetheart! Oh! -[Yuki chuckles]
-It's so good to see you. Oh! -[Maya] Hi, Daddy.
-Hey, Shuj. -[Maya] OK, Dad. Look at my new dance.
[Yuki in Japanese]
[in English] Welcome home.
-[Maya] Dad, look. -That's great.
[Fred clears throat] Gigs went really, really great.
Oh, man!
So good to see you guys!
-Are you ready for the big day? -Yeah.
-Yeah? Timpani. -Yeah. I know.
-You need some help rehearsing? -I'm killing it.
-You are? I would love to see that. -Yeah.
Can I see that?
-Can I help you? I kill that. -No, Dad, I'm like...
I kill on Timpani.
After dinner.
Rehearsal, like do it the solo in front of you?
Yeah.
OK. Hamper sounds good.
-Dad. Stop! -OK.
So, start playing.
-OK, just don't say it like that. -I--I didn't say it like anything.
Yes, you did. Can you just shut up for a second,
'cause I was about to play and you are messing me up.
Maya, just...
-Come on, calm down. -I am calm, Dad.
I'm just trying to play for you, so, can you, like, stop.
Don't look at me like that. It's gonna mess me up.
Look away.
Don't look at the drum, literally look at that wall over there,
and listen.
Dad! OK.
[stutters] All right, all right, I--I got to stop you.
-Oh, my God! -[Fred] You are holding the mallets wrong.
-You know, let me show you. -Dad, this is why
-I didn't want to do this with you. -If you can't play for me
-how you're gonna play for everyone else. -I don't know
because not everyone's in, like, a professional Steely Dan Cover Band, Dad!
And they never will be if they don't know how to practice!
Oh, no!
Now, I'm gonna suck tomorrow night 'cause of you.
Oh, fine. It's all because of me.
-Get out! -Fine. I--I looked at your wrong.
Yeah, you did.
[sobbing]
[boy] You know, Anna goes first today.
[indistinct conversation]
Hi, Ma. I got you some ginger ale to settle your tum.
What are you doing? You shouldn't look at the crowd.
It's just gonna make you more nervous.
You're right.
[Maya] Anna, your parents are here.
-[Anna] Together? -[Maya] Yeah.
[Anna] Oh, my God. That is so embarrassing.
Alex. Six o'clock.
Oh, no, I don't know what o'clock is. He's right there.
Oh, where?
-[Maya] He has a rose. -[Anna] Oh, my God!
-He came. -I'm getting nervous actually.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Trailview Middle School's
performing art showcase.
[in French] La musique!
[crowd applauding]
-[inaudible] -[music starts playing]
[singing "Ave Maria"]
[Maya burps]
[continues singing]
[singing continues]
[inaudible]
[door opening and closing]
[breathing heavily]
[in English] Oh, shit!
Oh, shit!
Unfreeze.
Oh, no, don't do this. Fuck!
[crowd applauding]
Quickly. Maya, quickly.
Sam, can you take my solo 'cause my hands are claws.
-Just remember what I said. -What--what did you say?
What did you say?
Hey, Anna, your song was awesome.
-Oh, really? -You really act it out.
Thanks.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you're in for a special treat this evening.
The band has been hard at work on an original song
composed by me.
[music starts playing]
[speaks indistinctly]
Just breathe.
[screams]
[vocalizing]
One. two... [speaking gibberish]
[gasping]
[sighs]
Go.
[mouthing]
[band resumes playing out of tune]
[audience gasp]
[man] Great job.
-Don't read it now. -What?
Hey, honey.
Hey, Dad.
You were great.
-Oh, thanks. -Really great.
-It was fine. No. -So proud. Yeah.
-Thanks. -Your Mom had to leave early.
Yeah, I know. I saw. But I don't care. Is she OK?
Yeah, she's fine. You know her.
She was in, uh, a mood.
Yeah.
Dang it.
I forgot to buy you flowers.
-Dad, stop, it's fine. -I mean, look at that nice young man.
He's got flowers.
♪ Waiting for the sun So I can see your face again ♪
♪ I miss you, oh, so much Can't take another now ♪
♪ Without you in my arms... ♪
[Curtis] You know what?
Here. Five, six, seven... Seven...
Seven dollars. There.
-Dad, it's fine. -OK, OK.
Um, you're gonna ruin my shirt, Sweety.
-OK. You know what? -OK.
You were great.
Maya?
Can I--can I come back?
How are you? You OK?
Did you like my solo?
Did I like it? I--I will never forget it.
-So, it wasn't amazing? -[Fred] It was.
I--I don't think it fit with the-- with the rest of the show, but...
-Uh... -Thanks.
It was amazing.
[sighs]
You know I only made up that solo to impress you, right?
That I was only supposed to play three notes.
[sighs]
You--you don't have to come up with some fancy solo to impress me.
In music
every single note is important. I would be proud of you
with just playing those three notes.
Are we OK?
Yeah.
-[coughs] Hi. Sorry. -Hey. Uh...
No, no, it's OK. It's all right.
Um, you know what? Um, we'll see you outside.
-Yeah, OK, we'll see you outside. -OK, OK, all right. All right.
So what? Are you like...
Are you gonna make fun of me?
Probably at some point but not tonight.
Where did that come from?
I don't know, like...
You really like The Exorcist.
-Hi. Hey. -Hey.
-How was I? -Oh, my God. That was crazy.
-Oh, did you find Alex? -Hmm-hmm.
-And? -Can't really talk about it.
[Maya] Oh!
Sometimes love means...
um, ignoring someone for years.
-That's a 100% true. -[Sam] Yeah.
Um, can you look at this for me?
What is it?
-Nothing, it's-- -Back off.
[Anna] He did it a little bigger this time.
I guess he like loves me or whatever.
What are you gonna say?
Which one should I say?
[Maya and Anna giggling]
-[Anna] I have a boyfriend! We do! -[Maya] We have a boyfriend!
[quirky music playing]
[fax machine beeping]
[Fred] Dear Maya, it’s tough having to get back on the road
but your performance inspired me.
We've got a pretty big gig in Florida.
Had my own solo and it brought down the house!
[man applauds]
Wish you could've seen me.
Love, Dad.
[speaking gibberish]