What do these have in common?

Well, let me set the stage...

On Friday I had to take a piano proficiency exam for my program. This was basically to demonstrate that I had the skills that my transcript from BYU said I'd already passed off in order to not have to re-take a group piano class. It included scales, chord progressions, sight-reading, transposition, lead-sheet reading, and performing a prepared piece. At one time I could pass all these skills off with no sweat, but that was over 7 years ago, so I was a little nervous about getting through this.

The piece I'd prepared was a piece by Chopin that starts with these dark, brooding, sustained, chords. I was only about 3 measures into it when the head evaluator very dramatically gasped at me, "Shannon, stop!" I braced myself for some criticism, when he told me to look out the window. Right there on the ledge was a huge vulture. He was just hanging out, about 8 feet away from the piano, coming to visit I guess. The other professor who was evaluating me (who happens to be my somewhat cooky advisor) totally freaked out. We all took a minute or two to be in awe until it up and flew away. I have to say it was especially fitting that it was a vulture who happened in on us during such a "dark" piece, and I think I should've gotten extra points for that accent.