Countermelodies: A Memoir in Sonata Form

She won the audition of her dreams . . . only to find that her beloved mentor had become her most dangerous enemy.

Growing up in the shadow of a brilliant older sister, ignored by a father who dismissed her ambitions, music was the one place Ernestine belonged. Her flute teacher saw what no one else did: talent, fire, and potential. For years, he was the father she never had. So when at twenty she wins a seat in the Atlanta Symphony, sitting beside the mentor she adores, it is everything she’s ever wanted. Until, without warning, he turns against her.

In the months that follow, the man who once inspired and supported Ernestine does all he can to destroy her—chipping away at her confidence with relentless verbal attacks, undermining her position, and threatening the career she’s worked so hard to build—until, confused, isolated, and spiraling, she faces a choice no young artist should ever have to make.

Set in the fiercely competitive world of classical music, Countermelodies is a story of betrayal, resilience, and a stubborn love of music that refuses to be silenced.