A Plan for the Future
Caley and I walk down Diagon Alley toward Susan's studio. It is my lunch hour and while I would have liked to have had lunch with Caley, I would much rather let her have a chance to talk to Susan about her dreams. She still hasn't told Mum or Dad, but I can understand why. It is not really a certain job, yet she wants this, I can tell.
She looks certain of herself, but I can tell she is nervous. "Relax," I tell her. "This is Susan."
"I know, but if I don't have the talent-" she starts.
"You do," I cut her off. "And I am not just saying that. You have talent. A lot of it."
"Thanks," she gives me a small smile, tucking back a strand of her hair as we pause outside the studio. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, then nods to show she is ready before we step inside the studio.
The receptionist looks up from her work as the door closes behind us. "May I help you?" she asks.
"We're here to see Susan Bones. I'm Caley Jones," Caley introduces.
"And I'm Megan Weasley. I'm with her," I nod toward my sister.
The receptionist looks at a book. "Ah, yes, here you are. Susan's expecting you and said you could join her in her office. It's the second door on your right as you go down the hall," she says.
"Thank you," Caley and I both say. We walk back toward Susan's office and I let Caley knock. I am just there for moral support.
Susan opens the door immediately. Stepping back to let us in, she says, "It's so good to see you two! Congratulations, Caley, on leaving Hogwarts."
"Thanks," Caley smiles as we both step into the studio.
Tea for three has been set up at a table in front of the fireplace and I see no sign of Susan's massive desk that usually dominates the room.
"You changed some things," I remark as I look around.
Susan smiles. "Just a bit of tranfiguration," she says. "After you go this room will look like my normal, cluttered office." She gestures to two chairs. "Please, sit down. Since it's lunch time I thought you two would like something more than just a biscuit or two. Help yourselves and don't be shy. I won't hear the end of it if Paul has to take back an entire tray of sandwiches."
"Who is Paul?" Caley asks as we take our seats and I reach for some of the food. I have a sandwich, knowing that Caley might eat something once she feels less nervous.
"Paul is Ernie's grandfather's house-elf," Susan replies. "I've been renting a set of rooms at Mr MacMillan's estate since last December and Paul helps me out sometimes when I want something special for my friends."
Caley seems okay with that and has a piece of fruit. "I have to say sometimes, I would like a house-elf," she laughs.
"Maybe some day you'll have one," Susan says, grinning. "They seem to come with big houses and lots of money."
She shakes her head. "Maybe, but if not, that's okay too."
"I'm glad," Susan says. "But if you make it as a singer you could have the mansion and the house-elf that goes with it."
"If," she nods and I can see her nerves are coming back.
Susan takes a sip of her tea. "I know this isn't a social call, Caley, so you might as well tell me what's on your mind. Maybe if I knew more I could point you in the right direction."
"Well, I told you most of it. I want to be a singer, but I don't know how someone does that and makes a living doing it. Also, I thought you could tell me if I was any good..." she bites her bottom lip, something I do too when I am nervous or thinking about something.
"What kind of singer do you want to be?" Susan asks. "It makes a difference in how you train your voice."
"Well, I like singing songs from the wireless and some of the songs the choir sang at school," she answers. "I'd like to do things like that. Fast and slow ones."
"Those are two completely different types of singing," Susan says. "Can you play an instrument like the guitar or the keyboards? Do you get nervous stepping in front of a microphone? If not, you could be a successful pop singer, but if you are more comfortable with more dramatic types of singing, then you could train to be an opera singer."
She shakes her head at this. "I don't think I am an opera singer. I haven't really had a chance to sing in front of a microphone and I haven't learned any instruments, though I've been thinking about it."
"Well, you've come to the right place," Susan says. "We have a guitar teacher who plays bass guitar in a band, our voice teacher has openings and can show you techniques on how to get through a three hour long concert without hurting your voice and if you want to learn keyboards lessons can be arranged with me or with my other piano teacher. And if you don't like any of us we have a list of Muggle teachers who are taking on new students."
"Do I have to...audition or try out or anything?" she asks.
"We do need to have you sight read several different types of music as well as perform something you're familiar with. Do you read music?" Susan asks.
She nods. "I learned, though only treble clef. Bass takes me a little time to work out."
"Can you sight sing a song fairly easily?" Susan asks.
"Yes," Caley answers.
"Good, that will make things easier no matter what style you choose to pursue. No matter what, from now on people are going to be thrusting music into your hand and expecting you to be able to sing the song fairly well within, say, five minutes. Would you like to make an appointment to audition with Tyson?"
She nods, looking pleased. "And I just have to have one piece prepared?"
"Tyson usually wants two or three in different styles, especially when we're trying to determine the style that's best for someone," Susan says.
"So what kind of songs should I sing?"
"Well, you mentioned songs from the radio and also those from the choir. Pick one or two of those plus something else you're familiar with," Susan suggests.
Caley nods and I can tell she is already thinking about songs she knows and ones that might be the best for this.
"The thing about auditions, Caley, is that you're always trying to put your best foot forward, trying to sell yourself and tell the people running the auditions that they would be nuts to hire someone else for the job. Also, when you sing something from the radio, be yourself and not the original artist. People want to see you, not a copy of someone else," suggests Susan.
She nods. "I can do that."
Susan picks up the plate of sandwiches and holds them out to us. "Have you thought about the image you'd like to project with your clothing?"
I take one and Caley does too, but doesn't have a bite of it yet. "I thought...just me," she shrugs. "I'm not really like any type of girl."
"So... you're going to come to the audition starkers?" Susan giggles. "That would open a few eyes."
I laugh and Caley, though looking a bit embarassed, laughs too. "Well, what about what I am wearing now?" She has on a pair of jeans and black sleeveless shirt. She has on earrings and a necklace and her hair is lose. She pauses then sighs. "I guess I do need a style."
"You do. You want to look professional, but also in accordance with the name you take for yourself. If, for instance, you're in a band called The Bloody Cauldrons you might want to dress all in black, paint your nails either green or black, dye your hair a weird color, and wear a lot of goth make-up. On the other hand, if you're trying to project the image of Glinda the Good Witch, you might wear comfortable clothes that say you're a 'good girl' instead of something the cat dragged in. Do you see what I mean?" Susan asks.
Caley nods, thinking about this. "That makes sense. Though Mum and Dad would probably have heart attacks if I went for that first option," she laughs. "They were surprised when I put streaks in my hair."
"Our guitar teacher has this very pretty patch of pink hair that she hides underneath the rest of her natural blond hair. When she flips her head you catch glimpses of it," Susan says, sounding a little bit whistful.
"I had red and gold at one point. Oh and blue," Caley says, looking at me with a smile before turning back to Susan. "I don't want anything too wild, but I don't want to wear frilly dresses all the time."
"You can take your time thinking about which image you want to project, Caley, but the important thing is to be yourself. That's who you're promoting and if that image doesn't fit you, people are going to know it." Susan suddenly giggles. "You'll never see our guitar teacher in prim and proper witches robes! It's only black t-shirts and tight jeans and boots for her and that's what she performs in, too, I've heard."
"She performs too?" Caley asks.
"Yes, didn't I say she was in a band?" Susan asks, frowning. "I thought I did. They play a mixture of their own music as well as Muggle tunes from the eighties and nineties along with some of the real classics."
"That would be fun," Caley grins.
"You certainly aren't shy," I laugh.
"It's definitely something to think about and figure out which artist's songs you know the most of. You know, you might want to specialize in the works of one of the Muggle singers or a couple of them to give you some variety. Oh! Do you write your own songs?" Susan asks suddenly.
Caley bites her lip again. "I've written some...but I don't play any instruments," she reminds her.
"You know enough to find the notes to the melody on the piano?" Susan asks.
"Maybe...I haven't tried," she admits.
"That could be something you might want to consider learning, with an emphasis on melody and chording rather than the technical aspects of piano playing. A lot of singers know just enough to be dangerous at the keyboard," she smirks.
"Piano instead of guitar then?" Caley asks.
"It's up to you, really. It's smart to be well-versed in several instruments so you know what they sound like when you're coming up with the melody and accompaniment for your song, but a guitar is a very versatile instrument that's definitely easier to tote around than a piano... unless you're willing to learn the tuning spells necessary to tune a piano after it's been shrunk," Susan says. "That's what I've chosen to do."
She frowns, thinking this over. "I should probably start with one instrument."
"Whatever you pick will be fine. No need to panic about whether it's right or wrong. If you feel comfortable playing it, then that's the instrument for you."
"I'll try both of those, see which one feels better."
Susan looks at me. "You've got a smart sister here, Megan," she says.
"I do," I smile. I am proud of Caley too.
She looks back at Caley. "I've been grilling you on a lot of things. Now it's your turn to ask any questions you want."
"I think you answered most of them, and even more," she admits. "I hadn't thought about things like image I wanted to show."
"Caley, I hope you know you can always send me an owl and that I'll do my best to answer your questions. There's a lot about performing as a singer that I don't know about, so I might have to ask someone, but eventually you'll get your answer," Susan says.
"Thanks," she smiles. "I think the next thing I have to do is choose songs."
"Let me know when you're ready to audition with Tyson," Susan says. She smiles warmly at Caley. "You're going about this the right way. If this is what you really want to do, make a plan, stick to it and don't let anyone try to discourage you."
"I have a feeling there were be a few of those people," Caley admits. "Maybe a week? I think that could be enough time."
"We can make an appointment today or, if you prefer, you can send me an owl once you know what you're doing," Susan says. She looks at her watch and makes a face. "I really hate to terminate this meeting, ladies, but I have a composition class in a few minutes that I can't be late for."
"I can owl you then," Caley offers. "So you aren't late."
We all stand up and Susan extends her hand to Caley. "It's been nice talking with you, Caley," she says. "I hope my studio will be able to provide you with the training you need to reach your goals."
Caley shakes her hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After saying farewell, we show ourselves out of her office and as we exit the studio, I can tell Caley has a lot on her mind. However, as we walk down Diagon Alley, she smiles. "This is really going to happen, isn't it?" I know that there is a chance she could fail. She knows it too. However, I don't feel like I should mention it.
"Yes, it is."
She looks certain of herself, but I can tell she is nervous. "Relax," I tell her. "This is Susan."
"I know, but if I don't have the talent-" she starts.
"You do," I cut her off. "And I am not just saying that. You have talent. A lot of it."
"Thanks," she gives me a small smile, tucking back a strand of her hair as we pause outside the studio. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, then nods to show she is ready before we step inside the studio.
The receptionist looks up from her work as the door closes behind us. "May I help you?" she asks.
"We're here to see Susan Bones. I'm Caley Jones," Caley introduces.
"And I'm Megan Weasley. I'm with her," I nod toward my sister.
The receptionist looks at a book. "Ah, yes, here you are. Susan's expecting you and said you could join her in her office. It's the second door on your right as you go down the hall," she says.
"Thank you," Caley and I both say. We walk back toward Susan's office and I let Caley knock. I am just there for moral support.
Susan opens the door immediately. Stepping back to let us in, she says, "It's so good to see you two! Congratulations, Caley, on leaving Hogwarts."
"Thanks," Caley smiles as we both step into the studio.
Tea for three has been set up at a table in front of the fireplace and I see no sign of Susan's massive desk that usually dominates the room.
"You changed some things," I remark as I look around.
Susan smiles. "Just a bit of tranfiguration," she says. "After you go this room will look like my normal, cluttered office." She gestures to two chairs. "Please, sit down. Since it's lunch time I thought you two would like something more than just a biscuit or two. Help yourselves and don't be shy. I won't hear the end of it if Paul has to take back an entire tray of sandwiches."
"Who is Paul?" Caley asks as we take our seats and I reach for some of the food. I have a sandwich, knowing that Caley might eat something once she feels less nervous.
"Paul is Ernie's grandfather's house-elf," Susan replies. "I've been renting a set of rooms at Mr MacMillan's estate since last December and Paul helps me out sometimes when I want something special for my friends."
Caley seems okay with that and has a piece of fruit. "I have to say sometimes, I would like a house-elf," she laughs.
"Maybe some day you'll have one," Susan says, grinning. "They seem to come with big houses and lots of money."
She shakes her head. "Maybe, but if not, that's okay too."
"I'm glad," Susan says. "But if you make it as a singer you could have the mansion and the house-elf that goes with it."
"If," she nods and I can see her nerves are coming back.
Susan takes a sip of her tea. "I know this isn't a social call, Caley, so you might as well tell me what's on your mind. Maybe if I knew more I could point you in the right direction."
"Well, I told you most of it. I want to be a singer, but I don't know how someone does that and makes a living doing it. Also, I thought you could tell me if I was any good..." she bites her bottom lip, something I do too when I am nervous or thinking about something.
"What kind of singer do you want to be?" Susan asks. "It makes a difference in how you train your voice."
"Well, I like singing songs from the wireless and some of the songs the choir sang at school," she answers. "I'd like to do things like that. Fast and slow ones."
"Those are two completely different types of singing," Susan says. "Can you play an instrument like the guitar or the keyboards? Do you get nervous stepping in front of a microphone? If not, you could be a successful pop singer, but if you are more comfortable with more dramatic types of singing, then you could train to be an opera singer."
She shakes her head at this. "I don't think I am an opera singer. I haven't really had a chance to sing in front of a microphone and I haven't learned any instruments, though I've been thinking about it."
"Well, you've come to the right place," Susan says. "We have a guitar teacher who plays bass guitar in a band, our voice teacher has openings and can show you techniques on how to get through a three hour long concert without hurting your voice and if you want to learn keyboards lessons can be arranged with me or with my other piano teacher. And if you don't like any of us we have a list of Muggle teachers who are taking on new students."
"Do I have to...audition or try out or anything?" she asks.
"We do need to have you sight read several different types of music as well as perform something you're familiar with. Do you read music?" Susan asks.
She nods. "I learned, though only treble clef. Bass takes me a little time to work out."
"Can you sight sing a song fairly easily?" Susan asks.
"Yes," Caley answers.
"Good, that will make things easier no matter what style you choose to pursue. No matter what, from now on people are going to be thrusting music into your hand and expecting you to be able to sing the song fairly well within, say, five minutes. Would you like to make an appointment to audition with Tyson?"
She nods, looking pleased. "And I just have to have one piece prepared?"
"Tyson usually wants two or three in different styles, especially when we're trying to determine the style that's best for someone," Susan says.
"So what kind of songs should I sing?"
"Well, you mentioned songs from the radio and also those from the choir. Pick one or two of those plus something else you're familiar with," Susan suggests.
Caley nods and I can tell she is already thinking about songs she knows and ones that might be the best for this.
"The thing about auditions, Caley, is that you're always trying to put your best foot forward, trying to sell yourself and tell the people running the auditions that they would be nuts to hire someone else for the job. Also, when you sing something from the radio, be yourself and not the original artist. People want to see you, not a copy of someone else," suggests Susan.
She nods. "I can do that."
Susan picks up the plate of sandwiches and holds them out to us. "Have you thought about the image you'd like to project with your clothing?"
I take one and Caley does too, but doesn't have a bite of it yet. "I thought...just me," she shrugs. "I'm not really like any type of girl."
"So... you're going to come to the audition starkers?" Susan giggles. "That would open a few eyes."
I laugh and Caley, though looking a bit embarassed, laughs too. "Well, what about what I am wearing now?" She has on a pair of jeans and black sleeveless shirt. She has on earrings and a necklace and her hair is lose. She pauses then sighs. "I guess I do need a style."
"You do. You want to look professional, but also in accordance with the name you take for yourself. If, for instance, you're in a band called The Bloody Cauldrons you might want to dress all in black, paint your nails either green or black, dye your hair a weird color, and wear a lot of goth make-up. On the other hand, if you're trying to project the image of Glinda the Good Witch, you might wear comfortable clothes that say you're a 'good girl' instead of something the cat dragged in. Do you see what I mean?" Susan asks.
Caley nods, thinking about this. "That makes sense. Though Mum and Dad would probably have heart attacks if I went for that first option," she laughs. "They were surprised when I put streaks in my hair."
"Our guitar teacher has this very pretty patch of pink hair that she hides underneath the rest of her natural blond hair. When she flips her head you catch glimpses of it," Susan says, sounding a little bit whistful.
"I had red and gold at one point. Oh and blue," Caley says, looking at me with a smile before turning back to Susan. "I don't want anything too wild, but I don't want to wear frilly dresses all the time."
"You can take your time thinking about which image you want to project, Caley, but the important thing is to be yourself. That's who you're promoting and if that image doesn't fit you, people are going to know it." Susan suddenly giggles. "You'll never see our guitar teacher in prim and proper witches robes! It's only black t-shirts and tight jeans and boots for her and that's what she performs in, too, I've heard."
"She performs too?" Caley asks.
"Yes, didn't I say she was in a band?" Susan asks, frowning. "I thought I did. They play a mixture of their own music as well as Muggle tunes from the eighties and nineties along with some of the real classics."
"That would be fun," Caley grins.
"You certainly aren't shy," I laugh.
"It's definitely something to think about and figure out which artist's songs you know the most of. You know, you might want to specialize in the works of one of the Muggle singers or a couple of them to give you some variety. Oh! Do you write your own songs?" Susan asks suddenly.
Caley bites her lip again. "I've written some...but I don't play any instruments," she reminds her.
"You know enough to find the notes to the melody on the piano?" Susan asks.
"Maybe...I haven't tried," she admits.
"That could be something you might want to consider learning, with an emphasis on melody and chording rather than the technical aspects of piano playing. A lot of singers know just enough to be dangerous at the keyboard," she smirks.
"Piano instead of guitar then?" Caley asks.
"It's up to you, really. It's smart to be well-versed in several instruments so you know what they sound like when you're coming up with the melody and accompaniment for your song, but a guitar is a very versatile instrument that's definitely easier to tote around than a piano... unless you're willing to learn the tuning spells necessary to tune a piano after it's been shrunk," Susan says. "That's what I've chosen to do."
She frowns, thinking this over. "I should probably start with one instrument."
"Whatever you pick will be fine. No need to panic about whether it's right or wrong. If you feel comfortable playing it, then that's the instrument for you."
"I'll try both of those, see which one feels better."
Susan looks at me. "You've got a smart sister here, Megan," she says.
"I do," I smile. I am proud of Caley too.
She looks back at Caley. "I've been grilling you on a lot of things. Now it's your turn to ask any questions you want."
"I think you answered most of them, and even more," she admits. "I hadn't thought about things like image I wanted to show."
"Caley, I hope you know you can always send me an owl and that I'll do my best to answer your questions. There's a lot about performing as a singer that I don't know about, so I might have to ask someone, but eventually you'll get your answer," Susan says.
"Thanks," she smiles. "I think the next thing I have to do is choose songs."
"Let me know when you're ready to audition with Tyson," Susan says. She smiles warmly at Caley. "You're going about this the right way. If this is what you really want to do, make a plan, stick to it and don't let anyone try to discourage you."
"I have a feeling there were be a few of those people," Caley admits. "Maybe a week? I think that could be enough time."
"We can make an appointment today or, if you prefer, you can send me an owl once you know what you're doing," Susan says. She looks at her watch and makes a face. "I really hate to terminate this meeting, ladies, but I have a composition class in a few minutes that I can't be late for."
"I can owl you then," Caley offers. "So you aren't late."
We all stand up and Susan extends her hand to Caley. "It's been nice talking with you, Caley," she says. "I hope my studio will be able to provide you with the training you need to reach your goals."
Caley shakes her hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After saying farewell, we show ourselves out of her office and as we exit the studio, I can tell Caley has a lot on her mind. However, as we walk down Diagon Alley, she smiles. "This is really going to happen, isn't it?" I know that there is a chance she could fail. She knows it too. However, I don't feel like I should mention it.
"Yes, it is."