A pianist with stage fright endures a performance under the eyes of a mysterious sniper, who will shoot and kill him if a wrong note is played.

Following the death of her parents, teen-aged Andie West is living with her mother's best friend, Sarah. Andie, who doesn't care about school, is trying to figure out where she fits in in life. The only thing she loves is dancing with her street crew, the 410, led by Tuck. The 410 are the most notorious of the street crews in Baltimore and are wanted by the police for their acts of vandalism and public mischief. Sarah threatens to send Andie to live with relatives in Texas unless she cleans up her act, which includes ending her association with the 410 and trying harder at school. Andie's neighborhood friend, Tyler Gage, convinces Andie to audition for entry into the Maryland School of the Arts (MSA), an institution which ended up turning his life around for the better. Andie passes the audition but isn't sure she fits in there. The school's director, Blake Collins, isn't sure she fits in there either. Blake is a brilliant dancer but looks for conformity to his way. After learning ...

This is the beginning of the eighties and everybody is moving to the beat of Pop music, as the brand-new concept of the music video appears on television for the first time. However, in Dublin, Conor, a teenager with a sensitive heart, is trying to deal with a tense family relationship, reconnect with his older brother while dealing with the hostile environment in his new public school. And then one day, he sees her. Tall, with long chestnut hair, a buttery complexion and big, dark eyes; an enigmatically beautiful girl standing in front of his school's gate, indolently observing people passing by. But who is she and how could a boy ever get noticed by such a distant girl? That's easy. He would form a band. Surprisingly, with every lyric Conor writes, the gap narrows and with every song he plays, her heart fills with affection. In the end, before a sea of opportunities lying ahead of them, what will the future hold for a brave love like this?

Jack Ridge is a former piano prodigy living on a farm he has let go to seed. He's living in the past, but the future is coming for him.