Wrong Number

Paralyzer

Song: Paralyzer

Artist: Finger Eleven

^^^

"So, you do or you don't know how to sing?" Tylor questioned as he opened the door to the practice room. He stepped aside, and I followed him in.

"It's like... I know how to sing, but I'm not any good at it, you know?"

"A technical singer?" he pondered, scratching his cheek. "I mean, I can give you a couple pointers, but I won't be able to actually teach you how to sing or anything. My job mainly has me teach people to play piano or guitar. So if you know how to sing, it's going to be up to you to follow my tips, and that's the best I can do for you."

"You teach people piano and guitar?"

"Yeah. Not like an actual teacher; that's Levon's job. But I teach certain people the basics, and then when they get the hang of it, they move up to Levon."

"So, you're like a beginner's teacher?"

"I guess. I mostly handle the reception work, but I exchange the time for practice space for the band."

Any time Tylor brought up working in Levon's studio, he'd make some quick comment about it and move on as if it wasn't that important, so I never knew just how much he did for him. Based on his skills, he had to have been more than just a beginner's teacher. Then again, with him being in school and a band, that was likely all he had time for.

"Why did you even ask me in the first place?" he asked as he warmed up on the piano.

"You told me you're the lead singer of a band," I answered. "If you can sing live in front of audiences all the time, then you have to be talented."

He smiled. "Well, thanks for thinking about me, but you've never even heard me sing. While others could think I'm good, you could think I'm bad."

I wanted to bring up the times I've heard his voice muffled through the practice room wall, but I knew he'd see that as creepy. So, I instead I said, "If it's anything like your speaking voice, I'm sure it's great."

Tylor's eyes bugged out of his head as he jerked his head back to face the piano. It probably wasn't the best thing to say, but I meant every word.

"O... kay," he dragged out, playing a scale. "Can you sing me a scale?"

I sang a scale for Tylor, and he hummed and nodded. He had me sing a couple of vocal warm-ups that involved him testing how high and low my voice could go. Tylor's face remained bland, and he nodded slowly every so often. I hoped that meant something good, but it could have been just as bad.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," he finally said. "I truly believe anyone can sing. It's a skill, not a talent. You can start off with talent, but in order to actually be good, you need to keep improving your skills," he explained. "Regarding your voice, it's nice. You are certainly more of a technical singer, but you have a good voice. I'm sure we can shape it up a bit. What song are you going to sing?"

Pulling out my phone, I played the song on YouTube and showed it to Tylor. He listened to the song a couple of times, watching as the singer sang it and listening to the way he sang it. He truly analyzed the song from every angle to help support me. I'd have to thank him properly for all his help, regardless of whether I got the role.

"Okay," he slowly said. Tylor place my phone on the piano bench and pulled out his own phone. He typed something out and told me to sing the song. I'd practiced it so many times on my own at home that I had it fully memorized.

After I sang it, he nodded and played with his phone again. He stood up and grabbed my hands to place them slightly above my hips. "Apply some pressure here."

I did.

"When you sing, you want to feel your sides pushing down like you're doing with your hands here. This will help you reach those lower notes. Also, make sure you are singing from here," – he placed his left hand on my gut – "and not from here." He placed his right hand on my chest. "Singing from the diaphragm instead of the chest will help you reach those notes and prevent you from needing to take a million breaths so you can sing notes longer."

Stepping back, he sat on the piano bench and told me to sing the song. I did it again, following along with Tylor's techniques. When I finished, he smirked and showed me his phone. He was recording me the whole time, which wasn't that surprising.

"This is what you sounded like in the beginning," he replied, pressing play. I didn't sound bad. It was a decent audition, but it didn't guarantee that I would get the role. "This is what you sound like after those techniques."

Instantly, I could hear the difference. It really was a completely different voice. I sounded confident, sure of myself, and my voice was much deeper, which was needed for the role of Judd. The techniques were amazing and incredibly helpful.

"Wow," I murmured, unable to say much else. "Thank you."

Tylor smirked and crossed his arms. "Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am a professional singer. If I'm going to sing on stage, I should know how to teach people to sing as well."

"But you don't. You said you mainly teach piano and guitar."

Tylor blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah," he chuckled. "I'm kind of banned from teaching people to sing, cause I get a little impatient when they don't follow my techniques. With guitar and piano, you can guide their fingers and show them what to do. With singing, it's all about what's happening inside the body, so I can't do anything if they're not willing to follow what I teach them."

Pointing to myself, I asked, "Did I do a good job?"

"A very good job," he cheekily replied.

"Thank you," I chuckled. "Would it be alright if I took you out sometime to thank you?"

He smirked. "Like a date?"

"Huh?"

Tylor tapped his chin dramatically and winked. "I mean, you are cute, so I wouldn't mind a date."

I blushed and chuckled softly. Did he actually find me attractive? Hearing someone as handsome as Tylor call me cute made me feel good about myself.

"I'm just teasing you," he whispered, leaning in slightly, "but I'll never turn down free food."

The bell rang, and Tylor stood up. He walked past me to the practice room door and opened it. "Good luck with the audition."

I couldn't say anything, as I stood still, remaining flustered from Tylor.