More than Music

29

The other bands took off, and we stared at our schedules while Dan talked to Steve for a minute. I could already tell that being on Dan’s team would be a very different experience from Angel’s. Dan was friendly but direct and acted like a real person instead of a diva rock star. He also smelled like pot and had long hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a month, but hey, no one was perfect.

“He seems a lot more involved than Angel,” Kyle said.

“Let’s hope so,” Jared said. “Either way, the mentors don’t have a say anymore in who stays. From now on, viewers vote for whoever they like the most.”

“So we just need to appeal to all of America somehow,” I said with a sigh. “Piece of cake.”

“All right, let’s head into the studio,” Dan said, waving us over. We followed him into a soundproofed room where our equipment was already waiting for us, like magic. “This will be your room for the rest of the time you’re on the show, so go ahead and get settled in.”

“Thanks for rescuing us,” Jared said. “We really appreciate being given a second chance.”

“Hey, I wanted you on my team from the start.” Dan grabbed a stool to sit on. “Besides, I heard you got in a fight with Angel, and I’m a fan of anyone with the balls to stand up to her.”

“Maddie threw coffee on her, too,” Kyle said.

I scowled at him. “I didn’t throw it. She bumped into me.”

“Yeah?” Dan asked. “I need to hear this story.”

Kyle told him all about it while we got set up, and Dan laughed along with us. “Damn, I knew she was neglecting her team, but I had no idea how bad it had gotten.” He shook his head. “Well, you’re on Team Dan now, so forget all that. Today we’ll pick your song for the next episode, but mostly I want to talk about who you want to be as a band and how you can be better at that, both on stage and off.”

For the next few minutes, we all brainstormed a song for that week’s theme of “Sick of It All.” Ultimately, we decided on “Uprising” by Muse, since it would give viewers a good idea of our sound and the kind of band we wanted to be. Even better, I already knew how to play it.

“That song has already been approved by the producers, so you’re all set,” Dan said, as he put on reading glasses and checked some papers in front of him. “I’ll have the sheet music sent over tonight, but for now I’ll give you some tips I wrote down after watching your other performances again. First, Jared, your voice is incredible, but your bass playing could be better. Did you start out on guitar, by any chance?”

“Yeah. I know I need to work on it.”

“It’s obvious to anyone who primarily plays bass, but you’re not terrible either. Just remember that your job is to bridge the drums and the guitar. You need to provide the groove and the pulse for the entire song. Bass isn’t as showy as the guitar, but it’s just as important.”

Jared exchanged a look with his brother like, “What is happening?” Dan was the bassist in Loaded River, so it didn’t surprise me he had tips for Jared. Still, I was impressed Dan knew our names already and that he’d done his homework on us. Five minutes in and he was already a better mentor than Angel. We might actually learn something from him.

“Maddie, you’re a strong guitarist,” Dan continued. “In fact, from a technical standpoint, you might be the best guitarist on the show. But let me guess—you’re a classically trained musician?”

I nodded, still reeling over him saying I might be the best guitarist here. That was so far from the truth I couldn’t even consider it.

“I figured. You’re too stiff when you play, like you’re focusing too much on hitting the right notes and not on the emotion the music is conveying. You have the skills and you know the songs, but you don’t feel them. You need to work on your stage presence and bring a little passion to your performance. I’ll help you with that.”

“Thanks.” Everything he said about my stage presence was true, and I was eager to improve. I’d take any advice he had.

He gave the other guys some tips, too, and then said, “All of you need to remember, sometimes less is more. You need to learn to listen to the rest of the band and react to them, instead of just focusing on your own playing. This is what makes the strongest bands: cohesion. We’ll work on that this week. But cohesion and raw talent aren’t enough to win this show, especially since you’re not exactly what the producers or record label are looking for.”

“What do you mean?” Jared asked.

“Do you remember Addicted to Chaos? The last rock band that won The Sound, two seasons ago.”

“They broke up after they won, right?” I asked. “When the singer and drummer got a divorce or something?”

“I remember that,” Kyle said. “Didn’t one of them get arrested, too?”

Dan nodded. “It was a total nightmare for the show. The divorce ripped the band apart, and they stopped showing up for the tour and bailed on recording their album. When the show sued them for breach of contract, they really went off the deep end, trashing concert halls and hotel rooms, getting in fights in bars…