Later that day, the soft hum of guitars being tuned and piano keys tinkling filled the air as the songwriting class settled into their seats. Tori, Cat, and Andre sat close to each other, each armed with a notebook and a pencil, ready for whatever the final semester of high school would throw at them.
Mr. Weaver, their songwriting instructor, was a tall man with a passion for lyrics and melody. He stood at the front of the room, arms folded, waiting for the students to quiet down.
"Alright, everyone," Mr. Weaver said, his voice cutting through the noise. "As you know, this is your final semester at HA, which means one thing: your senior songwriting project."
A ripple of excitement passed through the class. This was what they'd all been waiting for—the big finale, the project that could make or break their futures in the music world. Hollywood Arts had always been about creativity, but this assignment was different. It was the culmination of everything they'd learned about composition, collaboration, and performance.
"It will be due on the first week of May, with your write-up about it due a week later. You will each pair up with another student to write and produce not one, not two, but three songs. And here's the catch—they all need to feel like they belong on the same album. Think of it as if you're creating a cohesive body of work."
He paced slightly, letting the weight of the assignment sink in before continuing.
"Now, song number one needs to be an upbeat pop song—something catchy, energetic, and full of life. I want to see something that could be a hit single, the kind of song that would get people up and dancing."
He paused again, allowing students to note this down
"Song number two is going to be a ballad. Slow it down, focus on emotion and storytelling. This is your chance to dig deep, express something meaningful, and really connect with your listeners."
He paused, scanning the room.
"And finally, song number three—it's your choice. You can write whatever you want, as long as it still fits within the album's overall theme. Don't play it safe; choose a new genre, show off your creativity, push some boundaries. But make sure it feels like it belongs with the other two tracks."
He stopped and smiled at his students. "This project is about demonstrating range and your ability to create a cohesive sound. So, think carefully about your theme, your style, and how these songs fit together. You've got time, but don't waste it. Make these songs count. You have the freedom to choose your partner, but remember—you'll be graded on both the writing and production elements. This project isn't just about creating a song in a day; it's about understanding the entire process from start to finish, and to replicate it 2 more times, to find syngergy in the songs. Choose wisely."
The room buzzed again, students whispering to each other, sizing up their classmates and considering who they might want to work with. This project would challenge everything they had learned over the past few years.
Andre didn't even have to think about it.
He leaned over to Cat, who was absentmindedly doodling on her notebook, and whispered, "We're doing this together, right?"
Cat blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Me?" she asked, almost like she hadn't heard him right.
"Yeah, you," Andre said with a grin. "Who else?"
Cat's brow furrowed slightly. "But... why not Tori? I mean, she's really good at this kind of thing." She cast a sideways glance at Tori, who was busy scribbling their assignment notes off of the board. "I mean, you've worked with her before, and she always nails the performances."
Andre's smile softened, realising what was going on. Cat, despite her undeniable talent, always underrated herself. She had one of the most impressive vocal ranges he'd ever heard, yet she often didn't see it. It was something Andre never quite understood, but he was determined to show her just how much she was capable of.
"Look, this isn't about performances," Andre said, his voice more serious now, "Tori's great, but you... you've got something special, Cat. You have the best vocal range in the class. No one can hit those notes like you do. I want to write and produce a song that isn't limited by range."
Cat's cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her notebook, twirling her pencil between her fingers. "I don't know... I just—what if I mess it up?"
Andre chuckled softly. "You're not gonna mess it up. Trust me. We've worked together before, and you've never let me down." He paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, this isn't just about getting a good grade. I want this to be perfect. I'm aiming for these to be the songs I send off to labels, to get an internship, and I need your voice to make it happen."
Cat blinked again, her heart fluttering at his words. It was one thing to hear someone say she had a good voice, but the way Andre spoke about it—it was like he genuinely believed in her more than she believed in herself. It was a lot to take in.
"Really?" she asked quietly.
"Really," Andre said with a confident nod. "I'm not just picking you because you're my friend. I'm picking you because you've got the voice to make this song something unforgettable."
Cat smiled, a small, shy smile. "Okay," she said, her voice soft but warming up to the idea. "Let's do it."
Tori, who had been listening in on their conversation, leaned over with a teasing grin. "I don't blame you for picking Cat. I've heard her hit notes I didn't even know were possible."
Cat's smile grew a bit brighter, though she still seemed a little uncertain. "Thanks, Tori," she said quietly.
Andre stood up, closing his notebook with a snap. "Most people are probably gonna wait till the last minute to work on their songs," he said, looking at Cat. "But not us. I want to start right away. I want to make something that's not just good—I want to make something legendary."
Cat's eyes widened again, the weight of his words starting to sink in. "Legendary?" she echoed, her voice shaky with nerves and excitement.
"Legendary," Andre repeated with a grin. "I'm aiming for the song of the century here. We're going to blow everyone away."
Cat looked at him, her fingers nervously tapping her notebook, but she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement growing inside her. Maybe, just maybe, this was her chance to finally show what she was capable of.
"Alright," she said, taking a deep breath. "Let's make it legendary."
As they packed up their things to head straight to a practice room, Andre couldn't help but feel a surge of determination. Most people would take their time, drag their feet, and only start working on their big final project when the deadline loomed over them. That was part of the challenge really, to leave enough time to make the third song as good as the first. But not him. Andre wanted to use all 4 months to make them perfect, to create something that would set him apart—and with Cat's voice, he knew they could do it. If anything, he wanted it done way before the deadline, and maybe even try for a fourth song. He was hyped.
Once inside, Cat sat cross-legged on the floor, her ever-present notebook resting in her lap. She flipped through the well-worn pages, pausing at a few scribbled notes, her gaze wandering over lyrics she had jotted down at various moments of inspiration.
Andre sat on a chair, a guitar resting on his knee as he idly strummed a few gentle chords, eyes flicking to Cat. He'd been thinking about this project since the first day of senior year. It took a lot in him to not start even earlier, but he didn't want to get worn out too soon. He was so glad Cat had said yes, their last song had gotten them an A, and that was written in way less time. This next song was about to be amazing and hopefully the other two with time too, they just needed to start it.
"So," Andre began, glancing over at her with a raised eyebrow, "How should we start melody first or lyrics?" This was the first of many reasons why him and Cat gelled so well. He always liked to start with the melody, music speaking to him through instruments, while Cat was a lyricist. This meant they had the best of both worlds from the get go.
"Definitely lyrics," Cat said without hesitation, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She always thought of words first. Like, lines just popped into head sometimes, and she wrote them down. Even if it was just one sentence or a random thought, it went in her notebook.
Andre leaned forward, setting his guitar aside for a moment. "Can I see?" he asked, gently reaching for the notebook.
Cat hesitated but handed it over. Andre's eyes scanned the pages, his fingers flipping through the lines. Some were short, others long, but there was a rawness in Cat's writing that he found intriguing a mix of vulnerability and imagination. He'd never actually read the notebook before, usually they just started with whatever lyrics she'd come up with between class and their first practice, but today they were jumping straight in.
"'Lemme see you put your hearts up,'" Andre read aloud, then stopped, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smirk. "Wasn't that in your final song from Freshman year? 'Put Your Hearts Up,' right?"
Cat grimaced, her cheeks flushing as she shook her head quickly. "Can we not do one like that?" she pleaded, half-laughing but clearly shying away from the memory. "I mean... that song was... ugh." She waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "It was cute, and a like cute but not that cute. My taste has grown since then, y'know?"
Andre chuckled, handing her back the notebook. "Fair enough. That song was all over the place back then."
"Yeah, and I kinda wish it wasn't," Cat admitted with a small, awkward laugh. "I mean, it's fine for what it was, but now? I want to write something with more... depth. More real. I don't want people to think I'm just about bubblegum pop and sparkles."
Andre nodded, understanding her perfectly. Cat had always had that quirky, bubbly side, but he knew there was more to her than that. He could hear it in her voice sometimes—the way she'd hit notes with raw emotion, the way she'd let herself get lost in a song. She had layers, and it seemed like she was ready to explore them musically.
"You got anything else in there?" Andre asked, pointing at the notebook. "Something less... bubbly?"
Cat flipped a few more pages, scanning her own words. "There's this one..." she said, tapping a line written in messy handwriting. "'And he loves me, way too much to mess this up. Bet it sucks to be all in your head.'"
"So you want to start with the ballad?" He asked, typically people left it to the end, it was easier to get away with less work on a ballad as you could call it a 'raw and striped back feel'.
"No no like. You know those pop songs that actually have sad lyrics when you think about it. Maybe? I don't know." She started, already second guessing herself.
"We can test that for sure." Andre encouraged, "When did you come up with that line?"
Cat looked down at the lyric, her eyes lingering on it. "When I was having one of those days where you feel like nothing's going right. Like, no matter what you do, you're always messing something up."
Andre nodded, playing a soft chord progression that matched the mood of the lyric. "That's real, Cat. That's the kind of stuff people connect with. What if we start with that line and build around it?"
Cat's face brightened at the suggestion, her earlier nerves melting away. "Yeah, I like that. Maybe the verses could explore that feeling of never being enough, but by the chorus, they're realising that they don't have to be perfect. They just have to be themselves?"
Andre grinned, playing a few more chords to match her vision. "I'm feelin' that. We could start it soft, like you're unsure, and then as the chorus hits, it's like this big realisation. We can really build it up."
Cat nodded excitedly, imagining the possibilities. "Yeah! I like the idea of starting it quiet, like the person's holding back, and then when they realise they don't have to be perfect, it explodes with energy."
Andre kept strumming as they talked, already hearing the song take shape in his mind. He loved how Cat's ideas were flowing now, her passion for the project shining through.
"You've got some serious talent, Cat," Andre said after a moment, his voice sincere. "Don't ever doubt that."
Cat blushed slightly, looking down at her notebook. "Thanks," she said softly, her fingers running along the edges of the pages. "I just... I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if what I'm writing is any good."
Andre shook his head, smiling at her. "Trust me, it is. You've got heart, and that's what makes a song special. This one's gonna be amazing."
Cat smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Andre's belief in her was reassuring, and it made her feel more confident about the direction they were taking.
This first idea would likely not be the one they pursued for the song, but that's what brainstorming was for, to throw ideas out there and saw what stuck. It was all part of the process.