Businesswoman Chapter 44

Acrimony existed in the air. Loreen had been summoned to the studio of a classical music composer named Philant Barney. He crossed his hands in front of his piano. Then he saw Loreen out of the corner of his eye. Then he began to play. The lilting notes and precision of every chord change lifted Loreen’s spirit. Philant slammed on the keys in a sign of defiant dissonance. He turned to her and offered a crooked smile.

“Businesswoman!” He exclaimed. “I always wanted to see you in person.”

“The messages just didn’t do it, huh. You’ve paid for my services. Now, I’m here to serve. What can I do?”

“I want my publishing. I want my master recordings.”

“Why?”

Barney looked incredulous. “I made the work, I should be able to do what I want.”

“That sounds like a good answer. Here it is…you restructure your contract with the label and....”

“That sounds great but I’ve already made a deal with the company. I got a fifty-fifty split.”

“That could be a problem. Have you saved up enough?”

“Sure.”

“Take that money, walk in the door and drop the label before they drop you.”

Barney looked at Businesswoman with a sense that an aura surrounded her.

“I’d love to do that, then where do I go? They paid for my piano and writing lessons when I was eighteen-years-old.”

“You can’t become sentimental, now,” she admonished. “If you want your work to be in film and TV shows and video games; if you want to reap off of the writing you’ve completed, you’re going to want to go independent. I can draw up a document releasing from your label and provide levels in your new contract that will prove to be profitable.”

Again, he seemed astonished at her natural ability.

“Okay.”