"The first two verses of my favorite, then."

"Hah, how long are they normally?"

"Half an hour. A slot on the Eyrie song rotation is an hour long, so you'd do that one and another the same length, or two shorter ones, for a performance there."

"Were there lots of performances?

"Round the clock, every day."

"Oh wow, that's cool. My culture has interactive theater pieces that usually last 5 to 11 hours. The nicer ones will go on a few days but those are more of a special occasion to attend than an everyday thing."

"My hold is the only one that does this but I always miss it when I'm away, that constant background harmony. And a lot of people find it easier to practice for a slot than just on general principle."

"Hm, you know, I could help you setup music to play in your room."

"I would like that! We have some music machines in the angel holds - well, the Eyrie and Monteverde, Cedar Hills is too new."

Graft can show her how to set that up for her room, how to search and make playlists, and even get her some earbuds to walk around with (the diplomatic budget will cover that expense). 

There isn't any music from her planet on the net, but there is from his - like this piece where someone uses three different vocal registers to sing the three different parts of a passionate argument between childhood friends.  

She will explore the station with her new earbuds in, then! She can even take them flying.

Eventually the open mic night happens! Grafts does a soliloquy where a character contemplates whether they should change a deep part of who they are to be a better parent for their oldest child - he asks audience members for advice on what decision he should make and incorporates their responses into the piece.

Other performances include an ethereal song by an amalien played by lightly touching a rotating glass cylinder and a lightshow from a plasma globe contraption by a student at the university. 

There's a university here?

Isabella sings the first five minutes of a favorite hymn.

A small one!

The hymn is written popular and a few people come inner to tell her it's fantastic.

One of those people is Graft: "You know, people would really enjoy a longer performance from you - you're a much better singer than anyone I've heard live before."

"I'd be happy to! I'm used to singing for at least an hour at a time more days than not, I could put on a much longer concert. Though of course everything's better with harmony and there's no one here who knows my repertoire."

"Yeah - there might be a few people who are quick studies but I'd expect them to be busy with other tasks."

"Understandable. Everyone seems very busy. I didn't even realize there was a school here, what does it teach?"

"Engineering and science mainly - a lot of the best researchers are here and it makes sense to colocate them and the best students."

"Is it all - war related -"

"No. Most of the classes are 'how to uplift your planet' related. The labs here are mostly war related but a bunch of the research is multipurpose."

"Can I take classes?"

"You'd be pretty behind?"

"Oh. I didn't know what level they were pitched at."

"The students are some of the best from their respective home planets with at least a few years of classes before coming here. You would benefit more from some of the video courses on the fundamentals?"

"Can you direct me to those? I've been availing myself of the library but it's so sprawling."