Shooting Stars

Chapter 4

Chapter 4Over the next month, Simon, Luke, Blake, and Jasper work hard on producing at least one of their singles each, getting ready to put more music out and get their comeback under the new label underway.

Ryan continues working with them, helping wherever he finds an opportunity. He’d chosen not to tell the rest of the band he’s planning to follow his dance career and take his chances with this Broadway opportunity. The audition day is fast approaching and the only thing keeping him from complete insanity is throwing himself into the band like he’s still all in with them.

With new music set to come out, the group is planning a tour already. Mark has been encouraging the band’s involvement in all the planning, giving them plenty of options about what promotional activities and shows they want to appear on to perform their music, and not questioning them about their choices. Mark’s way of managing the group has given the band a feeling of empowerment and motivation. Ryan has been finding it amazing to watch their enthusiasm and determination as they work with passion at last.

Having instruments in the room has brought about a lot of change in the entire atmosphere of the band. The members are incorporating each other’s strengths in their own songwriting and the improvement is incredible to witness firsthand. The sparkle of thrill in Blake and Jasper’s eyes every time they get to show off and compose the instrumental parts to their friends’ lyrics is impossible not to adore.

Even this seems like a massive step, as they’d been in a system of submitting their lyrics and having the background music done the way Chris wanted. Luke has been beaming as he explains to Ryan how he’s never actually thought about the music behind his lyrics other than knowing the tune in his head, so hearing Jasper and Blake play along while he sings is a new favorite experiment.

The highlight of all band sessions is the guitar solos Blake launches into at any and every opportunity. He’ll be playing one of his songs and mess up a single chord then go off on an improvised tangent of mashed yet rehearsed sounding chords.

Likewise, if Jasper makes a mistake while playing piano, he switches which hand is playing the chords and which is playing the melody. Where Jasper and Blake’s disinterest in band practice used to be an issue for the group, they’re now getting distracted by their instruments. Sometimes the band has the honor of Blake’s guitar jamming meltdown being accompanied by Jasper playing along with his own spontaneous mash-up of similar sounding chords. The combination is impressive to see.

Seeing Jasper in his element is awe-inspiring. Despite the amount of time Jasper and Blake continue to spend messing around at work, they are at least messing around while making music. Even Simon seems to enjoy it when the two start competitively jamming a song at each other from across the room. The dynamic really has changed and Ryan feels more than ever like he’s not made for what the band is becoming.

Everyone seems shocked when Jasper is the first with a whole mini album of five songs written and composed. Given that he’d scraped one song together and had no other ideas before Ryan’s return, the members can’t get over how fast he’d come up with the rest of an album.

As far as Ryan knows, Jasper’s creative energy is unstoppable. Occasionally, they’ve been in the middle of a rather intense kiss and Jasper has broken it, run to the piano, closed his eyes and let whatever tune had filled his brain flow out through his fingers with lyrics soon following. At first, Ryan thought it was part of Jasper’s teasing game, but he’d learned not to interrupt Jasper while he’s on a roll composing.

What has surprised Ryan most is the nature of the lyrics. He’d expected the thoughts in Jasper’s head would be pure lust, because often before Jasper pulled away and announced he had an idea and had to go, things were heading towards turning s****l. But the lyrics he’d hear while getting on with whatever the magical, inspiring, passionate kiss had interrupted, were often gentle lyrics about the way being with Ryan makes him feel. It’s like Jasper has a never-ending run of song-worthy descriptors of his love. So much for the emotionless pop songs he’d started his career being known for. Now the emotions are in complete control and his music is vibrant proof of it.

One of the songs on Jasper’s mini album is even a reprise of an old love song with the pronouns of the person the song is dedicated to changed to reflect his sexuality. He’d been unsure whether it’d even be noticeable, but when Ryan listened to the first recording as compared to the most recent, the passion in Jasper’s voice took his breath away.

He could also tell Jasper’s voice had changed. He’d not noticed the change as much in Jasper’s tone when he talked, but his voice is maturing like a fine wine when he sings. He’d always moved smoothly up and down the vocal range of his songs, but something about his tone is different. Maybe it’s the sincerity in lyrics he’d never related to before. Or the gentle acceptance of himself that makes the songs feel like a genuine exploration of his heart and thoughts, not just a performance to please everyone else. Either way, Ryan is proud beyond words to stand by Jasper as he continues to show the world who he is. Ryan has no doubt Jasper will be unstoppable after this comeback and he can’t wait to watch the band surge to the top like they deserve when their new music comes out.