Sound Off! by James Ponti Read Free Book Online Page B

to organize a rock-and-roll band during a recording session.”
    â€œI guess that’s true,” she said, her tension easing slightly.
    â€œAnd it’s good that it’s true,” he told her. “Because it’s during the unplanned moments that the real musical greatness occurs. Have you ever heard of Sam Phillips?”
    â€œSounds familiar,” she said. “He was a producer, right?”
    â€œHe wasn’t a producer,” Brown said. “He was the producer. He ran Sun Records, and he practically invented rock and roll. Like any good producer, he was always on the lookout for something new. Well, one day, he was auditioning a singer in his studio, and it was not going well. And it was certainly not going according to his plan. They were falling behind schedule. The studio musicians didn’t think the singer was any good. The audio engineer didn’t think he was any good. And Sam wasn’t sure, either.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Caitlyn asked.
    â€œDuring a break, the singer started goofing around with the microphone,” said Brown. “The song he sang wasn’t on the playlist they had arranged. And he sang it in a way that was very different than the way everyone else had wanted him to sing. He just sang it in his own style.
    â€œAnd Sam, being a great producer, knew that he had lucked into something great,” Brown continued. “He cancelled lunch, quickly got everyone back into position, and told them to start recording. Then he told the singer to do it the way he had when he was joking around. And that’s how they recorded the song.”
    â€œWhat was the song?”
    â€œâ€˜That’s All Right, Mama,’” Brown answered.
    Caitlyn didn’t recognize the name. “Was it a hit?”
    â€œYou might say that,” Brown said. “And so was the singer.”
    â€œWho was he?”
    â€œElvis Presley.”
    â€œThat’s cool,” Caitlyn said, smiling. Then she frowned. “But what does it have to do with Sound Off?”
    â€œIt’s important to plan things out, Caitlyn,” Brown said with a smile. “But sometimes things don’t follow the plan. There’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone is having a great time—even Tess, and we know how much she hates Sound Off. You’re doing a great job. So you should stop worrying about everything and enjoy it.”
    Caitlyn looked up at him and smiled.
    â€œThanks, Brown. Thanks a lot.”
    He just smiled, did his best Elvis pose, and began to sing as he walked away.

C HAPTER N INE

    A fter lunch, Sound Off quickly got under way again. This time, there were some notable attitude adjustments. Brown’s talk had done a world of good for Caitlyn. She was trying to remember to have a little more fun and a little less stress. She still carried her giant binder around with her, but she was determined to make an effort to enjoy herself.
    Meanwhile, the girls from the Vibe team had set their sights on a top-three finish. They figured if they did well in the two remaining events, they would have an excellent chance at earning a spot on the plaque and immortality in the mess hall. After checking their math, they even realized that they had an outside shot at finishing in first place. They would have to do well in both events, but they had a chance to catch the Rhythm team, which was currently in first place.
    For two girls who had been dreading Sound Off that morning, Mitchie and Tess were downright cheerful as they walked back to the stage.
    â€œHow you doing, roomie?” Mitchie asked when they reached Caitlyn.
    â€œGoing a little crazy, but I’m doing all right,” she answered.
    â€œYou were right, by the way,” Mitchie said.
    Caitlyn gave her a confused look. “I was? About what?”
    â€œSound Off,” Mitchie replied. “It is beyond fun.”
    â€œYou’ve done a really great job,” added