by Ash Kotter Walls textured with abstract brush strokes of gold and green. Globe string lights draped overhead, the kind you find in backyard patios and beer gardens. No harsh distinction between audience and stage, only warmth. Strings and keys had already taken their places. Pages of programs shuffled, shoes scuffed against the floor — the percussive underscore of an eager audience waiting for the opening number. A sudden caesura in the general murmur as two musicians cas