Solo Star

by Cindy Jefferies

  “Give it all you’ve got,” she said to Chloe as they met. But there was no time for a reply. Chloe had to hurry to keep up with the boys. Then they were at the studio door and Julie opened it for them. All the lights were on and the space was ready.

  It was strange walking back onto the white circle with rows of people watching. Chloe had never before had a real audience so close to where she was performing, before. As she and the band appeared, the audience applauded but the clapping sounded very thin because there were so few people there. It felt very hot under the powerful lights, and Chloe had to work hard not to lose her concentration.

  She had been told to watch for the small light on each camera that showed when it was filming. Think of the camera as your friend, she told herself firmly, and smiled into camera two as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Danny slid behind the drum set and the rest of the boys picked up their guitars. Chloe took her microphone from its stand, Zil played the opening chord, and they were off!

  For the first couple of bars they were feeling their way and Chloe was afraid that the song wouldn’t sound confident enough. Then she reminded herself to listen to Danny. He was playing away as reliably as ever. All they had to do was listen to his beat and keep to the same rhythm. If they did that, they couldn’t go wrong. She turned toward the band to give them some encouragement and just then Zil caught her eye and grinned. Chloe felt herself grinning back and hoped that the cameras had caught the moment.

  But now they were reaching the critical part of the song. Lenny’s riff was coming up and Chloe’s heart started thumping.

  Keep calm, she told herself. She couldn’t allow herself to panic or her breathing would be affected and then she wouldn’t be able to sing properly. Come on, Lenny. You can do it, she thought. Don’t make me have to help you out!

  She turned to glance at him and to her horror she could see that he was beginning to panic, too. She had to sing one more line and then his riff would take over, but poor Lenny looked as if he’d already decided that he would probably flub it. She gave him an encouraging look and delivered her line perfectly for him, willing him to succeed.

  His first few notes were fine, but then he got to the part he often stumbled over and began to mess it up. Chloe couldn’t leave him hanging. She had to do something to help. If he had a few seconds to compose himself, maybe he would be able to manage it if they could give him a chance to try again?

  There were no words to go with the riff, so Chloe opened her mouth and sang the notes once for him in her clear voice. She looked at Zil, who nodded slightly and played up to the riff again. Chloe repeated the line for Lenny. He was still struggling, so she sang the riff once more. This time, when it came around again, Lenny was ready. He nodded at her gratefully and took over.

  He was so nearly note-perfect that Chloe felt like cheering. Instead she allowed herself another glance in Lenny’s direction. Their eyes met and Lenny smiled. But it was important that Chloe didn’t miss her cue to sing the next verse and Zil was watching her anxiously. She beamed him a smile and he looked reassured.

  Chloe’s confidence was soaring now. The band was rocking, and her voice was doing the song justice, but she wanted to give it something extra. She had belted out the first verse and sang the chorus with Zil backing her, but when she went into the second verse her mind was racing ahead to a line she had always liked. As she approached it, she brought her voice down and glanced at Danny. His drumming followed her mood and grew gentler. She could sense Zil’s surprise, but he followed and so did the other two. Instead of singing the line, Chloe almost said it, quietly but with great feeling.

  She glanced back at Danny again and nodded. He picked up the beat once more and the guitarists followed.

  She sang the rest of the verse in the best rock tradition. The band was really going for it now. Danny was thrashing his drums and Zil’s lead was a triumph. They finished with perfect timing, as if they were one person instead of five.

  They bowed and waved into the cameras as the audience applauded. Chloe felt terrific. It had gone better than she could have possibly dreamed! They had all had the chance to demonstrate their own particular skills individually, and together the band members had sounded fantastic.

  As soon as they got back to the rehearsal room, they were greeted with whoops of approval from the other students. Chloe had just enough time to give her encouragement to the next act, and then she was engulfed in waves of enthusiasm from the remaining students and the teachers.

  “That was so good!” Judge Jim told the band. “You were all fantastic.”

  “What gave you the idea to speak that line instead of singing it?” asked Zil.

  “I don’t know,” said Chloe, a little embarrassed now that it was over. “I’m sorry. It just suddenly came to me. Was it all right?”

  “You shouldn’t introduce new ideas when it’s such an important performance,” said Jeff. “We might have messed up!”

  “But we didn’t,” said Danny. “I could tell what you wanted, Chloe. You communicated really well. And that line was inspired.”

  “And thanks for helping me out,” said Lenny. “I really panicked there for a minute.”

  “You covered for him so well,” said Zil. “I’m sure everyone will think we were supposed to do it like that.”

  “You played your riff perfectly in the end,” Chloe said to Lenny. “I wanted to cheer!”

  “I’m glad you didn’t.” Danny laughed.

  “Thank you for letting me sing with you,” Chloe said seriously. “I never thought I would say this, but I loved it.”

  “Did you love it enough to do it again sometime?” asked Mr. Player.

  Chloe looked at him. “Yes,” she told him. “It’s very different from what I’m used to, but it was super exciting performing with a real band. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything!”

  “Well, let’s hope something comes of it,” said Zil.

  “Don’ worry,” said Judge Jim. “There are plenty of important people out there, and you’ll get a chance to talk to them in the hospitality room afterward.”

  “We will?” said Chloe, feeling panicky again. “I won’t know what to say.”

  “It’s just a party,” said Judge Jim. “All you have to do is enjoy yourself.”

  “Okay,” said Chloe. “I think I can manage that.”

  10. Party Time

  Julie escorted the last performer back from the studio, and this time, instead of leaving right away, she came in and sat down. She waited while the students congratulated Isla.

  “Good job, Isla! You were fantastic,” one of the other senior students told her.

  Chloe had to admit that Isla had made the most of her opportunity and had ended the concert on a real high. Her cool, bluesy voice had really wowed the audience. She would be leaving school soon and fully deserved to make it big. A Rockley Park education had turned Isla into an accomplished and mature singer, and Chloe fervently hoped the school would do the same for her.

  Once everyone had calmed down, Julie stood up to get their attention. “Well,” she began. “Congratulations from me, too. You’ve all been wonderful performers and so easy to take care of. Thank you for being so professional.”

  A warm glow crept through Chloe’s body. It was so nice to be praised like that by someone who had probably seen countless stars.

  “If you’re ready, I’ll take you through to the hospitality suite, where you can mingle with the audience and have a snack before you go back to school. Okay? Follow me.”

  Danny walked with Chloe. “I’m starving,” he said. “I hope they’re big snacks.”

  Chloe laughed. “Didn’t you eat any of the pizza they gave us for lunch?”

  “Not much,” Danny replied. “But I’m definitely hungry now.”

  “Me, too,” agreed Chloe, realizing suddenly how ravenous she was.

  The hospitality suite wasn’t as impressive as it had sounded. It was just another room, filled with members
of the audience who were all talking loudly together. However, when they saw the students coming in, they began to applaud. Chloe felt very overwhelmed.

  For a few minutes, the students stayed bunched together, not sure what to do. Then a waiter came up to them with a tray of food.

  “I wonder who the most important person in the room is?” said Chloe, nibbling chips and looking around at everyone. Most of them looked very ordinary. But it was impossible to tell.

  “How about him?” said Danny, pointing out a man with a very bright tie and a leather jacket. “Maybe he’s the head of a big record company.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you,” said Mr. Player, who was standing nearby. “I happen to know he’s a reporter with the local paper. In fact, I’d better go and have a word with him. Excuse me.”

  With that, he was gone. Danny looked at Chloe and shrugged.

  “Well, I figure the A&R people will come up to us if they’re interested,” said Chloe.

  “I hope so,” said Danny.

  Someone was coming over to the two friends, but it was a person they already knew.

  “How’s it goin’?” said Judge Jim. “Got enough to eat?”

  “Yes, thanks,” said Chloe.

  “There’s someone over here who’d like to speak to you,” Judge Jim continued to Danny. “Let me introduce you.” Without further ado, he took Danny away with him, and Chloe was left on her own.

  For a few minutes, she didn’t mind too much. It was fun watching everyone talking. Judge Jim had taken Danny over to a large man wearing a flamboyant hat. The man was grinning at Danny and now he had handed him what looked like a business card. A pang of jealousy ran through Chloe. It looked like Danny had someone interested in him, but it seemed no one wanted to speak to her. Hadn’t her performance impressed anyone?

  She wondered about going over to Zil, but he was talking seriously to the rest of the boys in the band, and Chloe didn’t want another postmortem of their performance. There wasn’t anyone she wanted to speak to because she didn’t know who any of these adults were. Anyway, even if she had recognized any record-company scouts, what would she say to them? Everyone here had seen her perform. If they thought she was worth a recording contract, they would seek her out.

  “Hello, Chloe. You did very well today. Well done.” It was the school principal, Mrs. Sharkey.

  “Thank you,” she replied politely. But before Mrs. Sharkey could say any more, an elderly woman was introducing herself and Mrs. Sharkey was drawn away. Chloe wandered over to a table of food and drinks and found some tasty dips. But after all the excitement of the performance, she was feeling a little deflated now.

  Soon the crowd thinned out as people began to leave. Judge Jim started rounding up the students, and once they were all together, they made their way out of the studio building and back to the minibus.

  Everyone got on the bus and Judge Jim counted them.

  “Where’s Mr. Player?” he asked.

  “Someone grabbed him just as he was about to come out,” Danny said. “But he told me to tell you that he wouldn’t be long.”

  “Okay. No worries,” said Judge Jim. “We can wait.” He slipped a CD into the minibus’s player.

  “That guy with the big hat, he’s an agent,” said Danny excitedly. “He really liked what I did. He said he might be in touch. Look. He gave me his card.”

  “Wow,” said Chloe, trying not to sound envious. She took the card and looked at it. It was very glossy and impressive-looking. No wonder Danny was excited.

  She looked out of the window and told herself not to be silly. There was plenty of time for agents and record companies to become interested in her. This was only her first year at Rockley Park. She had years to go before she needed to think seriously about a career. And didn’t all the teachers say that slow and steady was the best way of approaching a career in the music business? So many people who had become stars overnight or at a young age very soon faded into obscurity. Others found it impossible to handle fame that came so quickly.

  Chloe wanted to be in the business for a long time. She didn’t want instant stardom followed by nothing. Even so, it was hard to stay positive when other students were getting all the attention. After all, Danny was her age and he was drawing interest.

  “Hurray!” A cheer went up as Mr. Player appeared and climbed into the minibus. Judge Jim started the engine, but Mr. Player didn’t sit down.

  “Where’s Chloe?” he asked, scanning the seats.

  “Here,” said Chloe, wondering what was wrong.

  “You’re looking a little down in the mouth, Chloe,” Mr. Player said. “Didn’t you enjoy the party?”

  “It was all right,” said Chloe.

  “Well, cheer up. You did really well today. You should be proud of yourself. Oh, and I got you this.” Mr. Player handed her a small white card. It was printed with a name and address Chloe didn’t recognize.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Mr. Player grinned and ruffled Chloe’s hair. “It’s a business card,” he told her.

  “Yes, but ...” The cards Danny and Zil had been given had a company logo and contact details on them, but this was just a plain white card with someone’s name and address on it.

  Danny peered over her shoulder. “Is it from a recording company?” he asked doubtfully.

  “I don’t think so,” said Chloe, remembering the impressive card he’d been given.

  “No, it’s not from a recording company,” said Mr. Player with a very pleased expression on his face. “It’s better than that!”

  Chloe and Danny exchanged glances. What could be better than interest from a recording company?

  “The card came from Manny Williams’s assistant,” Mr. Player told her. “Have you heard of Manny Williams?”

  Chloe nodded. Every singer at Rockley Park had heard of him. He was a highly respected independent producer who was very choosy about the people he worked with.

  “Well, Manny’s assistant thought Manny might be interested in hearing you sing solo,” Mr. Player told Chloe. “That was who held me up just now,” he added, turning to Judge Jim. “She was asking if we could set up a meeting next semester so Manny could hear Chloe.” He turned back. “Is that all right?” he asked.

  Chloe’s head was whirling. Manny Williams? Might be interested in her? He chose so few artists to work with. Okay, this was only his assistant’s opinion, but she must have a good idea of the type of talent he was looking for. If Manny Williams decided to work with her, the whole music industry would take notice. He was famous for picking people who ended up being seriously big stars!

  “Is that all right?” Mr. Player repeated.

  Chloe looked up at him, her eyes shining. She couldn’t speak. After thinking no one was interested in her, this sudden news was such a shock. Chloe swallowed. Still speechless, she nodded several times. As she did so, she could hear Judge Jim’s big, warm laugh rolling around the bus as he put it into gear.

  Zil gave her an encouraging smile, and Danny’s grin made it obvious that he was sharing Chloe’s feelings.

  She sank back in her seat, still gripping the plain little card tightly in her hand. What a roller coaster of a year this had been! Behind her was an awful lot of hard work. Ahead, there would probably be lots of ups and downs as she tried to make her way as a singer. But for now, Chloe really was a Rising Star!

  So you want

  to be a pop star?

  Turn the page to read some top tips

  on how to make your dreams

  come true ....

  Making it in the music biz

  Think you’ve got tons of talent?

  Well, music maestro Judge Jim Henson,

  Head of Rock at talent academy Rockley Park,

  has put together his top tips to help

  you become a superstar.…

  Number One Rule: Be positive! You’ve got to believe in yourself.

  Be active! Join your school choir or form your own ba
nd.

  Be different! Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd.

  Be determined! Work hard and stay focused.

  Be creative! Try writing your own material—it will say something unique about you.

  Be patient! Don’t give up if things don’t happen overnight.

  Be ready to seize opportunities when they come along.

  Be versatile! Don’t have a one-track mind—try out new things and gain as many skills as you can.

  Be passionate! Don’t be afraid to show some emotion in your performance.

  Be sure to watch, listen, and learn all the time.

  Be willing to help others. You’ll learn more that way.

  Be smart! Don’t neglect your schoolwork.

  Be cool and don’t get bigheaded! Everyone needs friends, so don’t leave them behind.

  Always stay true to yourself.

  And finally, and most important, enjoy what you do!

  Go for it! It’s all up to you now.…

  CINDY JEFFERIES’s varied career has included being a Venetian-mask maker and a video DJ. Cindy decided to write Fame School after experiencing the ups and downs of her children, who have all been involved in the music business. Her insight into the lives of wannabe pop stars and her own musical background mean that Cindy knows how exciting and demanding the quest for fame and fortune can be.

  Cindy lives on a farm in Gloucestershire, England, where the animal noises, roaring tractors, and rehearsals of Stitch, her son’s indie-rock band, all help her write!

  To find out more about Cindy Jefferies, visit her Web site: www.cindyjefferies.co.uk