Rise To Stardom - Chapter 105

Chapter 105: [Paradox]
“The bar agreed to let us take up a spot onstage next month for the shoot of the music video.” Maria first said, before she then introduced the trio.

“Guys. Meet Caleb, Maeve and Paul. They’re the session musicians you hired for both the song and the music video. I met them outside the studio’s premises.”

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all.” Kyle was the first to give his greetings, moving towards each of them who were still quite star-struck as they shook hands with Kyle.

“No, no, no! It’s our pleasure to meet you!” Caleb, his build moderately average, with his bleached-blonde hair and light-blue eyes, quickly countered in excitement.

Maeve, a pretty Asian lady with flowing, black hair, streaks of red in them, along with her black irises which similarly gleamed in excitement, received her handshake while offering her own greetings.

Paul on the other hand, the last of the trio, had a more reserved expression as he exchanged greetings with Kyle with a warm smile, his build on the bigger side of an average build.

His brown hair was barbed into a buzz-cut and his similarly brown-eyes were quite excited, although there was a subtlety to it. He seemed to be the oldest amongst the trio.

No sooner were the greetings exchanged between Kyle and the session musicians, the others did the same, all whilst also explaining their specialties to Kyle and the others.

“Now that we’re done with all the pleasantries and introductions, let’s get right down to business.” Kyle gently clapped to draw everyone’s attention to him.

“The song, has mostly being completed but it still needs to be improved upon. It’s a song that can only shine when sung with the inclusion of actual musical equipment. That’s where you guys come in.” Kyle gestured to Caleb, Maeve and Paul, all of whom nodded in understanding, their attention rapt.

“But, before I go into more details, I’d like you to listen to the current tune of the song itself. Jennie, would you mind doing the honors?” Kyle gestured to his audio engineer and the lady swiftly played a recording of the tune.

No sooner had the haunting piano riff started playing though, the session musicians, soon had a genuinely impressed yet curious expression on their features.

They too, just like Jennie, were really impressed but at the same time, wanted to know more about how the tune came to be.

There was this sort of hypnotism to it that they couldn’t quite place their finger on, and as musicians in their own right, they wanted to know more about it.

However, Kyle who was more invested in elevating the song, soon spoke again, his focus on Paul;

“Drumbeats and percussions will be used extensively. I need it to give a sort of steady urgency and momentum to the tune. We’ll work on that.”

“No problem.” Paul responded with a curt nod.

“As for the bassline, although it won’t be really noticeable, it’s the subtlety of it I need. Give the song a sort of depth that can underpin the tune.” Kyle shifted his focus to Maeve.

“I can work with that.” Maeve replied in excitement.

“Now the guitar, although it will be more noticeable than the bass, I need it, to not, overpower the piano riff. Just, subtle chord accentuations. That’s all I need.” Kyle concluded, settling his gaze on Caleb this time.

“Roger that.” the guitarist replied with a firm nod.

Due to how effectively communicated his ideas were, even though all three were yet to actually perform, they were getting a really good feeling about the song.

The piano riff itself, already had them quite hooked but now, with all the additions to the song Kyle was planning to implement, they just knew it would be a brilliant song by the time they were done.

So they did, all four, along with Jennie, working on the song non-stop for the next two weeks.

By the time they were done, along with a few slight additions in the form of synths and effects that Kyle and Jennie had ended up incorporating into the song, [Paradox], became brilliant.

Absolutely, brilliant.

* * *

(One week later…)

David, worked a dead end, 9 to 5 job as an electrician for a tech company.

And in his book, working under those constraints, wasn’t exactly an issue.

The main issue however, was, the realization that came with working 9 to 5.

The realization, that there really was no prize at the end of the day for all of his struggles through the educational system.

The realization, that no matter how hard he worked, he wouldn’t really be able to afford anything he wanted, let alone pay his bills after all he had been through in his life.

The realization, that he was scammed into the same agenda as all the other zombies preceding him and that adulthood, really was just him, slaving to the fucking tax-paying system.

Safe to say, life after college, wasn’t as rosy as people made it out to be.

Often times, it made him question the purpose of everything.

Made him quite nihilistic.

Yet, it wasn’t something he could really speak out on since he didn’t even have the time to bother about it.

He was way too busy, sorting out how he was going to survive next month.

That said, today, was a Sunday.

And for David, Sunday nights left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

For one, he had a certain, fairly-popular bar where he usually went to drink away some of his worries, a place where other kindred souls, just like him, gathered at.

But at the same time, the reason why he, along with most people in the bar, drank away their worries, was because of the dreaded Monday that loomed over their heads like a guillotine.

Simply put, the kindred souls drank on Sunday nights to psych themselves up for the rest of the week.

Along with that, was the fact that the bands that usually played at said bar, usually sang or performed top-notch songs, even if they were mostly indie bands without any major recognition to their names.

This, among a few other reasons, was why the bar was a haven to many people.

Today however, just as David was about to enter the bar, he was a bit surprised to see cameras, set up all over said bar, he and many others, just as curious.

There was even a dark-haired woman conversing with some individuals operating the cameras while a young lady with blonde hair and another man with slicked back dirty-blonde hair, stood still in a corner of the bar while discussing something.

However, once the manager came around to explain that a band was only trying to make a music video for their song, the regulars at the bar were much less curious.

It wasn’t the first time a band would be making a video of their performance after all.

The only difference however, was that this particular one, seemed to be more professional than the others.

It really made the people in the bar, wonder whom exactly amongst the bands they knew, were making such a professional music video.

However, considering no one was yet to take the darkened stage, everyone soon resumed their usual routine of drinking and chatting their worries away.

“David! Shouldn’t you be married by now?” Jack, one of David’s friends, a guy who worked in the same company as him as a clerk, came around to jab at him.

“Lay off my ass punk. I could say the same to you.” the young man retorted, all whilst adding a few quiet words of his own with a slight scoff;

“As if we both even have time to settle down…”

“Sadly, that’s the case, isn’t it?” Jack sighed, pouring some alcohol into a small cup and downing it in a single shot.

“This life man… I wonder why we toil and toil…” he quietly added a few seconds after, an introspective mood settling between the two.

🎹 🎶 ♪ 🎶 🎹

Bringing them out of that state, was a sudden, attention-grabbing, looping piano riff that was haunting yet hypnotic, although it was obvious the tune was being played in the background.

Immediately, David and Jack, along with everyone else in the bar, turned their heads in the direction of the stage.

And yet, as the tune persisted for a few more seconds, the individual responsible for said tune seemingly sitting by the piano and playing the tune, his figure still barely visible to the people in the bar, the tune shifted dynamically with the addition of other musical instruments.

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁

At the exact same time, the strobe lights, dimly shone on all four figures whom had now taken the stage, the tune they were seemingly playing, mesmerizing everyone in the bar.

Just a second after, Kyle stood up from the piano, moving towards the mic to sing as his vocals, entered the song;

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

Step by step, we pave our way,

An endless race to be someone,

Chasing things beyond our reach,

Running towards a foggy path singin’

♪

Who… am I?

Who… am I?

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

That was both the first verse and the chorus of the song, of which the chorus was sang with the session musicians, harmonizing in the background.

Yet, despite the unconventionality of it, it was a verse that instantly struck a chord with almost everyone in the bar.

David and Jack especially whom had just been introspecting a few seconds ago, were the ones most affected by the song.

The picture it painted, was one that was all too familiar to them.

A picture, of constantly tiring and struggling to be someone, despite all the uncertainty that came with it.

Still, the song had just started as the hauntingly hypnotic tune, played on for a few more seconds, Paul, Maeve and Caleb, completely in a world of their own along with Kyle who sang the second verse;

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

Spinnin’ and turnin’, no end in sight,

Our paradox goes on and on,

Uncharted lands and new horizons,

Survivin’ in this dive of ours askin’

♪

Who… am I?

Who… am I?

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

The second verse, diving more and more into that certain sense of existential longing and hopeful wishing to be someone, was even stronger.

There was also a sort of urgency to the song, one that many people couldn’t really grasp the technicality of.

Yet, they felt it.

And so, moving on to the bridge, the tempo of the tune a bit lowered, Kyle sang;

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

It’s a haze of delusions…

Questioning your reality…

Freedom and lofty ideals,

Piece de resistance is it?

It’s such a paradox, isn’t it…

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

After this part of the song, one whose tempo was purposely lowered to give a sense of introspection to the listeners, the tune suddenly picked up again.

This time though, Caleb, Maeve and Paul, joined in with Kyle for the chorus as background singers;

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

Who… am I? (You… are…)

Who… am I? (You… are…)

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

No sooner had they sung that part together, the existential question of being everyone asked themselves at least once in their life, still left unanswered, Kyle sang the outro, almost as if to answer the question;

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

Time, ebbs…

So we move on along,

Time, flows…

So we brave forth the tides,

Time, goes…

So we pave on our path…

🎹 ♪ 🎶 🎸 🥁 🎤

The answer was that, there really was no answer to it.

It was a constant journey.

A race against time.

An odyssey, some might say.

A paradox, one that could only be unraveled by each respective individual as they progressed through their various lives.

One, where acceptance of that fact, was necessary for one to move forward.

That was the message of the song, Kyle had composed.

A song about time, the inner turmoil that came with wanting to be someone and the acceptance that came with it.

David and Jack, perfectly understanding that as the song slowly reached its end, felt a sense of relief.

The song to them, although didn’t say anything that hadn’t already being known, was one that was still great to hear because it was a song that understood and perfectly communicated how they felt.

As a result, it seemed to have given them, just enough motivation to keep pushing forward.

Now, as the outro of the song’s tune lingered till it faded, the strobe lights, finally switched and brightened up into fluorescent lights to reveal Kyle’s face along with the rest of the session musicians.

That was when the song finally ended.

That was when, the entire bar, let out shouts of shock, amazement and disbelief, all of which was then followed by a standing ovation and amazed cheers.