“Your background isn’t a weakness,” Mr. Harmon interrupted softly. “It’s the soil you grew in. And soil doesn’t decide the flower—the seed does. What kind of musician do you want to be?”

And in that moment, she realized: the story of your past isn’t a wall behind you—it’s the very ground you stand on. And anyone can learn to dance on that ground.

Melody looked at her shoes. “But my background—”