More:
Gilly discovered his love of music at a young age, when a wandering minstrel stopped at the agricultural dome where his family worked. He'd heard recordings, but he live performance made such an impression on him, he made it his goal to become a bard himself. One of the other perks being that bards were one of the few professionals with a license to leave their assigned domes and wander the admittedly forbidding world outside.

Sample:
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

The tone of his older brother's voice made Gilly hesitate, and he peered at him sideways. "Well, um -- yes. I mean, I've wanted it since I was little."

"And you can't just wait until another bard shows up at the dome?"

"We don't know when another bard's going to show up, remember?" He frowned a little, adjusting the strap that held the hand-crafted lute on his back. "What's the harm in sending a request for one?"

"It's going to be expensive, mostly." His brother cast a moody glance at the fields, tended largely by their family's crew of mechanical farmhands.

"But --"

"Relax, Gil. It's your birthday, right?" He fashioned a smile, and rolled his shoulders in an easy shrug. "I'm sure it can be arranged."

He peered at his brother with a small frown. "Is -- is something the matter, Shep? You're sorta ... tense."

"Oh ... nah." Shep grinned, reaching out to ruffle his hair in the most annoying way possible. "Patrols are getting a little tight out there."

Gilly's frown grew, but he refrained from giving his usual advice, which was to stay and help with the farm instead of taking risks. Given his current request, it would have sounded especially hypocritcal. Though at least his risk was legal.

Shep released him, sighing. "Mom and Dad'll be back soon. I'll tell 'em." He paused, his grin making a brief return. "You might want to be out of the house when I do."

A weak laugh escaped him. "They ... kind of ... already know."

"Yeah, but they don't know you're serious." He touched the lute, rubbing his thumb over its wooden surface. "He's gonna be sorry he got you that."

Gilly sighed. "Yeah ..."

Shep gave his shoulder a nudge. "Get moving. Hide the lute so he can't break it."

He nodded, adjusting the strap one more time, and slipped quickly out the door, heading for a path of trees south of the field to lie low until he heard the shouting die down.