Chapter Music
Chapters 61–70
Continuous Play advances through the music and continues into the next chapter group.
Keep Screen Awake prevents the display from sleeping while music is playing.
In 1975, twelve-year-old Ricky auditions for a Dallas production of The Music Man and joins five other young performers rehearsing alongside a professional touring cast. Months of demanding rehearsals, his mother Rosalie's encouragement, and his father Arthur's quiet support lead to opening night, when Ricky steps beneath the lights and discovers the thrill of performing on a professional stage.
In 1975, twelve-year-old Ricky agrees to let his mother Rosalie photograph him wearing a ballet tutu after a playful moment in dance class. Makeup, painted fingernails, and backyard photographs leave him painfully self-conscious, until his father's unexpected reaction helps ease the embarrassment. Years later, Ricky sees the pictures as a tender reminder of his mother's love and the vulnerability of being different.
In summer 1975, twelve-year-old Ricky's rush to clean the horse stalls ends with a spectacular plunge into the family's manure pit. Soon afterward, working as a child extra on the Dallas set of Logan's Run brings futuristic costumes, an unwanted haircut, a memorable encounter with Farrah Fawcett, and disappointment when much of his filmed work is cut. Two very different adventures reveal the wonder and cost of being seen.
Listener's Choice
Which version should stay on The Colors of Ricky?
Listen to both interpretations, then choose Version A, Version B, or Keep Both. Your choice also controls which version Continuous Play uses on this device.
Version A
Living in Tomorrow
Version B
Tomorrow's Dreams
Which version should stay?
In 1975, twelve-year-old Ricky explores new freedoms on a powerful prototype minibike acquired by his father Arthur. Riding through the Dallas neighborhood brings adventures and unexpected friendships, but his excitement begins to take time away from his beloved horse Spirit. Faced with choosing between the thrill of something new and the companion who helped shape his childhood, Ricky remembers where his heart belongs.
When his private school closes in 1975, twelve-year-old Ricky leaves his beloved boys' choir and enters E.D. Walker magnet school in Dallas. New classes, unfamiliar surroundings, and harassment in the gym test his confidence. But Coach Dietz recognizes Ricky's discipline and karate training, encouraging him to understand that true strength sometimes means walking away rather than fighting.
At E.D. Walker, twelve-year-old Ricky endures repeated bullying over his long hair despite his efforts to avoid confrontation. After standing up to an aggressor in the locker room, he later faces three boys in a school hallway and must use his karate training to protect himself. The confrontation and its consequences teach Ricky that kindness does not mean allowing others to hurt him.
When Walking Away Wasn't Enough
In spring 1976, twelve-year-old Ricky returns to the soccer field determined to help his team overcome the opponents who defeated them the previous season. Years of practice, ballet training, and his father's encouragement help turn the team into state champions in their league. Proudly holding his trophy, Ricky celebrates with photographs taken by his mother Rosalie, including cherished moments with his horse Spirit.
Bonus Memory
Pony Boys Last Ride
An additional memory that surfaced after the book was completed. The artwork below is designed to unfold with the music as a visual companion to the story.
In 1976, twelve-year-old Ricky earns his black belt through demanding training with Ronnie and Dennis Cox at the Texas Karate Institute in Dallas. But when threats and bullying at E.D. Walker escalate into a knife confrontation near a second-floor balcony, his training is tested in a terrifying act of self-defense. The aftermath leaves Ricky frightened and questioning why protecting himself has made others see him differently.
Following the frightening balcony confrontation at E.D. Walker in 1976, twelve-year-old Ricky struggles with the consequences of being judged by an incident rather than the person he has always been. His parents and Coach Dietz offer support as the investigation continues, but the experience changes how classmates and school authorities perceive him. Ricky begins to understand the painful difference between who he is and who others believe him to be.
Shortly after turning thirteen in 1976, Ricky faces the heartbreaking decline of Spirit, the beloved horse who has been his closest childhood companion. As her health deteriorates, their once-adventurous rides become quiet walks through the family pasture. With his parents' support, Ricky must confront a devastating farewell, learning that the love of an animal can leave memories that last an entire lifetime.
