Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Book Bonus: Possible Jobs for Music Powers

Music Powers have magic that allows them to perceive the world in a new kind of detail, and that also affects peoples' emotions. In Into the Tides, Kelly's father was a traditional music Power, and although she was born tone-deaf, she too was considered a music Power. You can find more about what, exactly, music Powers of different classes can do here. Some possible jobs music Powers might have could include:

Janette Callahassee is a fifth class music Power. She's a member of the US Air Force, working as a mechanic, and uses her perception abilities as part of identifying where the planes she works on need fixing. She can hear pings and rattles below the threshold of most humans' perception, and with her perfect pitch she is able to rule out several incorrect possible causes long before her fellow mechanics could. This makes her an effective and valuable member of the repair team, allowing her team to work more efficiently. She also volunteers to help soldiers being treated for PTSD, using her magic to soothe them and reduce the symptoms of hyper-arousal that cause them to be constantly on edge. This can often lead to improved sleep, better adjustment to social settings, and other benefits that can greatly help the soldiers. In her free time, Janette spends time with her kids and husband, and enjoys listening to music herself.

Clark Mayhew is a third class music Power. He works as a psychologist, in conjunction with a pair of psychiatrists who often prescribe music Power services. His typical workday is split 50-50 between counseling patients of his own and using his magic to treat patients based on prescriptions of his partners (and occasionally independent psychiatrists). Some of the time he works with groups of 3-5 patients with similar emotional needs, calming anxiety and helping his patients address their concerns in small group settings, which helps keep costs down for low-impact patients. For patients with more private issues, he offers one-on-one music/counseling combinations. In order to maintain his Powered license for counseling, a full quarter of his clientele are pro bono cases assigned to him by the local Powered headquarters, which pays him a rather small stipend in compensation. During his free time, he acts in a community theater that advertises Powered performances. His magic enhances the emotional impact of the performances, and he has a somewhat devoted following of Powered theater enthusiasts--a niche audience, but a supportive one.

Howard Ronaldo is a second class music Power, working for the US government to help enforce trade regulations. He is part of an inspection team for international facilities to ensure the companies follow labor guidelines, from preventing child labor to enforcing safety regulations. His wife, a fifth class strength Power, acts as his bodyguard during his frequent travels, with their teenage children safely at home in the care of their grandparents. Howard's enhanced hearing allows him to detect lies more easily, and to hear suspicious sounds during inspections, leading him to have uncovered several "cleaned-up" operations that had tried to hide violations during inspections. Due to the precarious nature of his job, many of his off-hours while traveling are spent either being wined-and-dined by various business owners (he's not allowed to accept gifts, however) or playing cards with the other members of his team in secure hotels. At home, he can at least kick back and relax, playing tag football with his son at a local park, or going on hikes.

Chiomi Alegi is a first class music Power who works in the Veterans Affairs department, visiting several veterans' hospitals as a medical musical assistant who provides drug-free pain relief through music. Although as a first-class Power she technically has enough magic to cause harm, her training has been extensive, and she has never caused a casualty. In her off-time, she writes fantasy short stories, and has had several published. She also enjoys cooking with her husband, and their three children frequently find excuses to avoid eating their parents' various experiments.



Tone-deaf Kelly has long considered her inborn music magic to be useless. But after a disaster drowns the American South in magic, including her whole family except her twin brother, she discovers her “useless” magic lets her hear the voices of those lost. Now, with the help of her twin and her handsome, green-eyed neighbor Derik, she’ll face magic itself to save them–only the attempt may cost her everyone she has left.



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