*****
In Austin, Janice sat in the recording room on a tall four legged stool. A black foam covered microphone hung slightly above her mouth, so she had to lift her head slightly, thus opening her throat, in order to sing into it. On her head she wore large headphones and music played loudly through them. She listened intently, then perfectly in time and on key she began to sing the lyrics to her song.
In the sound booth Allen and Toby sat with their mouths open, spellbound at the crystal clarity of Janice’s voice.
“Toby did we die and go to heaven?” Allen asked softly.
“I don’t know,” Toby replied as if aggravated at being distracted from Janice’s singing. “But if this is what it sounds like, I won’t mind going so much!”
“Hear hear,” Allen agreed with a wistful look in his eyes. “The tape is rollin’, ain’t it?”
“For my uncle, you ain’t very smart!” Toby chided him. “Of course the tape’s rollin’!”
“We may have another hit maker on our hands with this little girl!” Allen said.
“Yeah, but without John we’re back to one, again. But one’s better’n none!”
“What tha hell’s John’s problem?” Allen asked irritatingly. “Hell he’s well ain’t he?”
“Not according to him,” Toby said sarcastically.
“I’ll have a talk with him. See can I straighten ‘im out!”
Allen turned and left the room, shaking his head as he went out the door and closing it behind him.
From the studio Janice saw him and immediately got the wrong impression. She got misty eyed as if knowing she had failed, but put her entire soul into the last verse of the song.
As the final note faded into silence. She took a deep breath, reached up and removed the headphones and laid them on the stool she had been sitting on, then wiped her eyes and started for the door.
“Janice, is everything alright?” Toby asked with a trace of concern in his voice.
“You tell me,” Janice said, stopping and looking at him through the large plate glass window.
“You were beautiful, Sweetie,” Toby assured her. “We need about a dozen more songs. Originals, if you have some?”
Janice turned and started for the door once again. She opened it and stepped out directly into Toby coming from the mixing room. He saw Janice was in silent tears. “What’s wrong, Sweetheart?” he asked, his face a mask of concern.
“I don’t have any originals,” she said sadly.
“Oh,” Toby said, then grinned. “Is that all? Come with me,” he laid his hand at the base of her neck and guided her down a long hallway to the right of the studio mixing room.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked suspiciously.
“To the top,” he replied, his hand dropping to the small of her back. “If you’re willing to go, that is.”
“I am,” she replied, allowing him to lead her into a small file room.
“In here are hundreds of unrecorded demos,” he said pointing around the room. “Pick anything you want and we’ll record it. Headphones are there so you can listen in private and concentrate. When you find what you want, come get me and we’ll get busy,” Toby said.
“Do you really think I can make it, Toby?”
“I’m betting on you, girl. So is John Travis and Jake Strum. So, give us your best!”
“I promise I will!” she grinned, then bounced to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek quick as a snake.
Toby smiled, turned and left the room as Janice was placing the headphones over her ears and selecting her first demo.
An hour later Janice came to the mixing room with a handful of CDs. She was grinning like a Halloween pumpkin, the difference was she had all her teeth; they were snow white and perfectly aligned.
“So, you ready, girl?” Toby asked, skeptically.
“I am,” she replied. “Do we have the sheets on these?”
“We have the sheets on everything in that room,” he said with a big smile. “We’re not a fly by night operation around here!” He laughed as he went out the door for the music sheets.
Janice followed him out and when he located the sheet music and handed it to her she went to the sound booth and he went into the mixing room. It was time to go to work.
“Janice Reeves, Superstar! Take one. Legends Never Really Die.” He started the CD for the song and Janice came in perfectly, as she had done with her own song. He wondered if she was an idiot savant. He actually believed John Travis was.
Ten minutes later Janice sat on her stool and stared at Toby in the mixing room. He sat staring at her in disbelief; spellbound with awe at her natural perfection.
“Toby, you alright?” she finally asked, wondering if he was asleep with his eyes open. “Toby?” she repeated, starting to climb off the stool and go see about him.
“Un-be-lieve-able!” he exclaimed, then yelled, “Aaaaahhhhhh! That’s what I’m talking about, girl! This one’s going as a single!” he yelled.
“Let’s do another one of these before we commit to any one of them. I just have a feel for them. That’s why I chose them.”
“It’s sure gonna be a nice evening!” Toby said sliding another CD in and leaning back to listen.