On the cherry wood stage, an orchestra assembles, ready to invite a god inside with their music. Kids are uncomfortably crammed on the stage, with two people where one should be. On their stands are black music folders which they are not yet allowed to open, as they will soon perform the music with rawness, per their conductor’s instructions. Soon enough, the conductor gets all of the kids riled up, promising to tell them a secret, but instead starts tuning the orchestra. They then get ready for their piece, “Hammer and Throat,” which will be performed in 7/11 time, in order to nurture the musicians with a challenge, which will both bring out a god and please themselves in doing so.

When the orchestra starts playing, everyone is hot, drenched in sweat. The heat threatens to warp the instruments. They know what they must do, call a god, but still, they don’t necessarily know what it entails. However, the conductor assures them that the heat is a good sign, even though they sound out of tune and awful. They feel like they’re playing their worst, but the conductor urges them to play even worse, as worse as they can. However, the conductor eventually stops them, telling them how to use their bows again. By the fermata, birds join and sing with the orchestra, and the conductor feels like things are taking off. Soon enough, the god appears, but only some notice that the god is there. Slowly but surely, they notice, and the mood in the room changes. They keep playing and playing, as the room gets hotter and hotter.