Chapter 5: Electronic Music

[Chapter 5: Electronic Music]

Stepping into the studio with Taylor, Ryan was immediately struck by a wall adorned with album covers.

At first glance, he spotted numerous famous artists like John Mayer, Dolly Parton, Beck, Rush, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, The Lion King, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Blake Shelton. That was just a small selection from the vast collection.

"Blackbird has nine uniquely designed recording studios," Taylor said, seemingly in high spirits, like a tour guide introducing Ryan to the place.

Ryan felt like he was on a sightseeing tour. As they passed Studio C, he saw the walls covered in long wooden slats, densely packed. Taylor mentioned that the room contained a total of 130,000 wooden strips, each of varying lengths.

"They say it's designed based on acoustic diffusion algorithms, all in pursuit of better immersive mixing and playback," Taylor added, though she admitted she didn't understand it all herself.

In the massive Studio A, sat the Neve 8078 console custom-made for Motown Los Angeles. Studio B housed a collection of "collector's quality" microphones.

"Here we are, the person you're looking for is in here." Taylor pushed open the heavy door to Studio D.

...

Ryan stepped inside and immediately laid eyes on the extravagant 96-channel API Legacy console, while the names of many other pieces of equipment escaped him.

Apart from Taylor, there were only three staff members in the studio. Taylor walked over to speak with a bald, red-haired man for a few moments before returning to Ryan.

"You might have to wait a bit; I've got to re-record a section," Taylor said, pointing behind Ryan. "The private lounge is back there."

"Maybe I'll sit in the back," Ryan suggested, eager to see how recording worked.

Taylor shook her head dismissively. "I made an exception to bring you in; due to the confidentiality of the new song, you can't sit in."

...

Defeated, Ryan entered the private lounge. It was plush, with velvet-covered walls, dark walnut flooring, and expert lighting that provided a relaxing atmosphere. A girl with long, dark auburn curls was sitting on a vintage brown leather sofa, deeply engrossed in her phone. She looked up when she heard Ryan enter.

They introduced themselves, and Ryan learned that the girl, named Abigail, was slightly shorter than Taylor and was a friend of hers.

"You just met Taylor yesterday, and now you're here with her to record a song? Wow, you two are getting close pretty fast," Abigail remarked, her expression suggesting she found it quite impressive.

"I'm actually here to deliver a demo to her producer," Ryan explained his presence.

The two fell into easy conversation, and Ryan soon discovered that Abigail not only knew Taylor but had also starred in one of Taylor's recent music videos. It turned out Abigail's name was even credited on the new song Taylor was recording.

"Taylor said this was a day to remember; I had to come by," Abigail shrugged, then recounted how they became friends. Since Taylor transferred to high school in Nashville from Pennsylvania, they had been desk partners and quickly bonded.

Their friendship had continued to flourish, serving as a source of inspiration for Taylor's songwriting.

"That's just how she is; she writes all kinds of things into her songs, big or small. That's her creative process," Abigail said.

Ryan found himself resonating with her words.

She then asked him, "So, what inspires your songwriting?"

"What?"

"Your songs."

"Um ... it's about an ambulance."

Abigail obviously didn't understand. Just then, the lounge door swung open.

...

Taylor bounced over to Abigail, her face lighting up with excitement, exuding the youthful energy that completely contrasted with how she appeared the previous afternoon.

But upon noticing Ryan, her expression darkened instantly as she shot him a glaring look, clearly not having forgotten their earlier encounter.

"You should hear this brand-new version!" Taylor said to Abigail, and this time Ryan had the opportunity to listen in.

He joined them outside the lounge, where the same three staff members remained in the studio: producer Nathan Chapman, the sound engineer, and an assistant adjusting equipment.

With a nod from Taylor, the bespectacled assistant started playing a segment of the song.

...

🎵

You take a deep breathAnd you walk through the doorsIt's the morning of your very first dayYou say hi to your friends you ain't seen in awhileTry and stay out of everybody's wayIt's your freshman yearAnd you're gonna be here for the next four yearsIn this townHoping one of those senior boysWill wink at you and say"You know I haven't seen you around, before"'Cause when you're fifteenAnd somebody tells you they love youYou're gonna believe themAnd when you're fifteenFeeling like there's nothing to figure outWell, count to tenTake it inThis is life before you know who you're gonna beAt fifteenYou sit in class next to a red-head named AbigailAnd soon enough you're best friendsLaughing at the other girlsWho think they're so coolWe'll be out of here as soon as we canAnd then you're on your very first dateAnd he's got a carAnd you're feeling like flyingAnd your mama's waiting upAnd you're thinking he's the oneAnd you're dancing 'round your room when the night endsWhen the night ends'Cause when you're fifteenAnd somebody tells you they love youYou're gonna believe themAnd when you're fifteenAnd your first kiss makes your head spin aroundWell, in your life you'll do thingsGreater than dating the boy on the football teamI didn't know it at fifteenWhen all you wantedWas to be wantedWish you could go backAnd tell yourself what you know nowBack then I swore I was gonna marry him somedayBut I realized some bigger dreams of mineAnd Abigail gave everything she hadTo a boy who changed his mindAnd we both cried

🎵

...

As the segments played, Abigail, embodying the song's character, became emotional and hugged Taylor tightly. Nathan Chapman, the producer, provided encouragement.

"This song captures rich and genuine emotions, evoking the spirit of a teenage girl. It's just missing some melody; a few parts might still need tweaking."

"What's the title of the song?" Abigail couldn't help but ask.

"Fifteen," Taylor replied.

By the time she wrote this song, Taylor was a bit older than 15, but she was insightful and had received guidance from professionals. After moving to Nashville, Taylor would have two-hour songwriting sessions every Tuesday afternoon with the song writer Liz Ross, and seven of the songs in her debut album were co-written by the two.

Even Ryan had to admit, setting aside Taylor's sometimes flighty personality, that the lyrics were undoubtedly penned with the essence of a teenage heart.

But the real concern for Ryan was this time, instead of spilling secrets about ex-boyfriends, she was airing out her friend's details. Was that really okay?

As this thought crossed his mind, he instinctively shook his head, catching Taylor's attention.

"You think this song is bad? You think what you wrote is better?" Taylor asked, her tone sharp.

"Of course not; after hearing your song, I finally understood why I got cut. Compared to Fifteen, my Fire and Rain was just way too hollow and flat. And I genuinely felt your care for your friend; you wrote her first experience into the song for the world to remember. That friendship is just incredible," Ryan smiled.

Taylor, however, brushed off his compliment nonchalantly, "Thanks for your concern, but Abigail already agreed, right, sweetheart?"

Seeing Taylor's expectant gaze, Abigail hesitated but finally nodded, albeit awkwardly.

"She's just too shy to refuse. Can't you tell?" Ryan remarked.

"Do you know her? What gives you the right to decide for her?" Taylor shot back.

They began to bicker, and Abigail, touched by Ryan standing up for her, finally spoke up, "Um... the lyrics are fine. I'm okay with it."

With the person involved saying so, Ryan had nothing more to say. He pulled out a USB drive.

"Oh, by the way, there might be another song that rivals Fifteen," Taylor said, smiling victoriously, clearly enjoying the chance to poke fun at Ryan.

"So you're the football star from that song?" the assistant photographer teased, noticing Ryan's build as he took the USB drive.

...

As the demo began to play, instead of a catchy melody, an awkward low-frequency noise filled the room.

This made the sound engineer assistant think there was an equipment malfunction, but it was actually Ryan's unfamiliarity with the controls that left a segment of the instrumental track in the recording.

Only ten seconds in did the song finally introduce its intro.

At this point, whether it was the producer, the sound engineer, or even Taylor, everyone else was busy packing up; the day's recording session was almost over.

The music continued playing, leading into the interlude, a brief build-up, until the climax of the song.

Finally, Nathan, the producer, reacted. He just instructed the assistant to lower the volume, while the other sound engineer and Taylor kept their heads down.

The short demo rolled to an end.

"Where are the vocals? All I heard was overly heavy beats. This isn't a problem with my ears, right? You didn't forget to record them, did you? Nashville Star's top twelve contestant," Taylor said with a smirk, but it didn't sound like a compliment -- there were only twelve contestants in the Nashville Star competition.

"I thought it was pretty good, at least it had a good groove that made you want to nod along," Abigail smiled encouragingly at Ryan, adding, "To reach this level on your first try is impressive."

"What? It's way too loud," Taylor mumbled.

"Although it's still a work in progress, I can already hear the melody -- it's clearly electronic music, and it feels fantastic! I share the same perspective as Abigail; to reach this level on a first try is amazing. You could really try becoming a professional DJ!" producer Nathan Chapman smiled genuinely.

His praise wasn't just flattery; it was heartfelt.

Taylor's eyebrows furrowed, as hearing compliments for Ryan was more painful than hearing criticisms directed at herself.

And it was from her producer, who hadn't exactly praised her work a moment earlier!

"That won't do. It doesn't compare to Taylor's song. I just jotted it down last night on a whim," Ryan said with a sheepish grin, trying to hype himself up.

While others were oblivious to the situation, Taylor understood Ryan wasn't exaggerating this time, leaving her feeling a bit embarrassed. It was the first time in a long while that her pride felt challenged.

*****

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