Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 15: Never Miss an Opportunity to Sing the National Anthem]

The study was so quiet that Trey, who was standing in the room, could hear Taylor's voice. Although she couldn't hear exactly what was said, she could feel Taylor's anger. Ryan looked at Trey in front of him and put the phone to the other ear.

"Looks like we're not on good terms anymore, huh?" Ryan whispered.

Trey's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The impact of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks, comparable to Ryan's meager earnings from DJing.

"Of course we're still connected! I'm Abigail's close friend, and it's my duty to protect her. You can't talk to her anymore!" Taylor's voice was insistent, but then she suddenly lowered her volume, as if her mom had knocked on the door, curious about who she was talking to.

Clearly, she didn't want her mother to know she was on the phone with a guy late at night.

Ryan had to explain his current status with Abigail, clarifying that she was only helping him catch up on missed classes and had visited his house just once, the night he drove her home afterward.

Upon hearing this, Taylor sighed deeply, as if that was the best news she had received all month.

"What have you been up to for the past couple of weeks?" Ryan asked.

"Let's just say it has been busy. Besides recording songs, I also had to prepare for various events, handle interviews, and I wanted to give you a heads-up: I have two magazine covers coming out in April. In May, I'm invited to perform live at the ACM awards. I got nominated for Album of the Year, Best Female Artist, and Best New Female Artist!

By early June, I'll be dropping a new EP that's exclusively releasing through Walmart. By the end of June, I need to perform at the Verizon Amphitheater in San Antonio, and in July, I'll attend the Country Thunder Music Festival.

And that doesn't even include some possible performance opportunities, like being a guest at the Jonas Brothers concert, and maybe even making a cameo in the Hannah Montana movie. Those details still need confirmation. Oh, and I've already been booked to sing the national anthem at the third game of the World Baseball Classic in Philadelphia this October. By then, my new album might be completely finished." Taylor rambled on about her busy schedule.

Ryan could sense the thrill in her words -- it was all coming together for her.

...

In contrast, Ryan felt stuck. His social media growth had plateaued, and his MySpace profile barely topped three thousand followers, thanks to some help from Taylor. Digital downloads were few, ramping up mildly after Taylor promoted him, hitting a little over a thousand dollars, but the numbers had dropped significantly since then. Now, he could barely scrape together triple digits in daily paid downloads. The only silver lining was that his production skills had improved considerably over the past month, thanks to his gigs at local clubs, allowing him to easily mix tracks.

A month earlier, he thought his song Termor would put him on the map. He just needed to get it in front of people, and attention would come naturally. But the reality turned out to be quite disappointing.

Ryan had tried various ways to create a buzz around his work, but nothing seemed to click.

He shared all of this with Taylor, while Trey had left the study.

"Oh, that's completely normal! In fact, you're doing a great job," Taylor's cheerful voice came through on the phone, followed by encouragement.

"Do you want to know how I first gained attention? It's quite simple. I was around eleven when I realized that singing the national anthem was the best way to perform in front of a large crowd without a record deal. I've sung at 76ers games, the U.S. Open, even local garden club meetings. If it meant performing in public, I was in!

And after my performance at the U.S. Open, a guy approached my mom and me -- he was a talent agent. Thanks to him, I connected with RCA.

A year later, my family moved to Nashville. I was involved with Maybelline's Chicks with Attitude compilation and showcased at BMI songwriter events, all for a shot at exposure.

But none of that seemed to help at first. RCA wouldn't even let me record my own songs. Eventually, my dad made a deal with Scott, and that led to me signing a long-term contract with Big Machine for 13 years and six albums. You could think of Big Machine as an indie record label. Finally, I had a chance to showcase my talent. It had been four years since I'd first sung the anthem in front of people. Four years! How long have you been working at this?" Taylor said, trying to motivate Ryan.

"How old were you then?"

"Fifteen," she replied, referring to when she signed with Big Machine.

In other words, Taylor had extended her journey for four years and was still only fifteen.

'As expected, you have to become famous early,' Ryan thought.

"So, is there any revelation? My mouth is dry." It sounded like Taylor was snuggling under the covers.

He thought for a moment, "Never miss an opportunity to sing the national anthem."

"Exactly!" Taylor laughed.

"For instance, the Ultra Music Festival in Miami during spring break," Ryan suggested.

He had done some research; the Ultra Music Festival was part of the Winter Music Conference, which had been running since '85 and was now a well-known annual industry summit featuring thousands of attendees, including artists, DJs, label A&R reps scouting for new talent, producers, promoters, and media representatives.

Here, even if it was just with his song Termor, he might find the right person to give him a break.

"Okay, hope you gain something from your Florida trip," Taylor wished him well, followed by a yawn.

...

After hanging up from Taylor, Ryan opened his music software for a short while, then shut down the computer. Before heading to his room, he held Trey's new Blackberry Curve 8310 and approached Trey's door, noticing it was slightly ajar and the room was silent, indicating she had already gone to bed.

To avoid disturbing her, he gently pushed the door open. He saw the lamp still on beside her bed, and Trey was lying on her back in a relaxed pose, dressed in a black lace nightgown.

As he placed his phone on the nightstand to charge, he turned around and realized the straps of her nightgown had slipped off, revealing her curvy figure and porcelain skin, which was quite distracting...

BEEP!

Suddenly, his phone let out a loud notification sound.

Trey jolted awake, locking eyes with Ryan before quickly covering herself.

"I didn't see anything!"

"Get out!!!!"

...

At the same time, a phone ring interrupted a nearly sleeping Taylor once again. After glancing at the caller ID, she chose to answer.

"Hello?" Taylor groggily replied.

"Taylor, are you asleep?" Abigail asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"Help me figure out what to wear for spring break; it should be pretty warm in Florida now."

"Whatever..." Taylor just wanted to sleep.

But then Abigail added thoughtfully, "I bought two super sexy swimsuits, but I think they might be too revealing. But never mind, I'll bring them. Just consider it a surprise for Ryan!"

Taylor's eyes flew open, her sleepiness fading away...

*****

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