For Arandomperson2567

Motivation and Time

There were three things required to create something new, and Gazelle finally had two of them. After months of touring, she was finally back in her hometown and hoped to begin work on her new album. The only problem was that she had absolutely no idea what to do with it. Worse, the surge in popularity of a younger pop star, Melissa Minkton, has gotten her label concerned about her current direction's relevance. This added stressor certainly didn't help her with her inspiration. Frustrated, she tossed another crumpled paper into an overflowing basket, put her face in her hands, and groaned.

"Are you ok?" asked a concerned tiger, opening the door slightly.

Gazelle sighed deeply. "Oh, I'm fine, Antonio," she said, getting up and walking closer to him. "It's just this new album! I can't think of a single thing for it. I'm completely stumped."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," he said, "You always do."

"Maybe it's time for me to throw in the towel," she said disappointedly, "Maybe I'm getting too old to keep doing this and should step aside for the next generation…"

"Now, you mustn't say that! You still have over a million fans in Zootopia alone! And even those who didn't like your work before could be persuaded if you went in a new direction…" Antonio suggested.

"A new direction… a way to get new fans invested… Of course! I should ask other Zootopia residents what they would want from a new album! And I think I know where to start. She pulled out her cell phone and called.

Benjamin Clawhauser was startled at work when he saw the saved contact. "OM Goodness, Gazelle!" he shouted to himself as he struggled not to drop his phone on the floor. He picked up and then said, "Go for Clawhauser," and nervously laughed. "You what? Yes, right away, your majesty! I mean… ma'am." He quickly hung up his cell phone and switched to the intercom. "Chief Bogo, I need you and Officer Hopps and Wilde in the lobby right away! Gazelle is coming to the precinct again!"

"Are you joking?" Bogo asked in disbelief.

"I would not joke about this!" Clawhauser responded desperately.

Bogo immediately ran down the stairs carrying Judy and Nick under his arms like tote bags. He put them down.

"Uh… what just happened?" Nick asked, while Judy gave a "what gives?" gesture.

"Gazelle is coming to the precinct again today!" Clawhauser shouted.

Judy and Nick said "Ohhhhhh" in unison.

"Hello again to my favorite fans in uniform!" Gazelle shouted as she and several tigers walked into the precinct.

"Welcome back, Gazelle!" Judy greeted, "We're all very happy to see you." She looked behind her at Bogo and Clawhauser holding both of each other's hands and grinning at each other. "Yeah, they're still star-struck."

"To what do we owe the privilege this time?" Nick asked.

"Oh, well, I'm afraid it's not the best news…" Gazelle said, "You see, I've been working on my album and I'm completely stumped. My boyfriend suggested that I try a new direction to get new fans, so I was hoping I could receive some input from people less involved in show business."

"Oh, really?" Clawhauser asked, "I love all of your music and honestly can't think of a single thing to improve, but I did just so happen to bring down the three smartest Gazelle fans I know! Well, at least that work in this building…" He then pointed both of his arms toward Bogo and looked at him expectantly.

Bogo took notice of his gaze and was suddenly hit with a wave of embarrassment. He cleared his throat and tried to straighten his face. "If you ask me," Bogo said, "Which I don't know why you would-you're the successful one after all, and for good reasons—there are those who find your music as it is now a bit too… cheerful? Or want to hear more of a band sound. You could always try to incorporate guitars into your songs and experiment with different keys."

"But please, please, please, whatever you do, don't take away the happy inspirational core! There are way too many musicians out there who just make me feel worse to listen to," Clawhauser amended.

"One person's downer is another's upper," Bogo replied, "There can be a lot of catharsis in hearing someone feeling the way you do."

"Then you can listen to those bands without me, but I would be heartbroken if Gazelle went down that path," Clawhauser said.

"You know what? You're right," Bogo said, "While it is a good idea to go after new audience members, doing so at the expense of your core base would be a dire mistake."

"Ok, I promise not to get too serious and sad in the subject matter, but yes, a new instrumentation scheme could work," Gazelle said, taking notes. "If you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them."

Judy and Nick looked at Bogo and Clawhauser for a few seconds before Judy decided to speak up.

"Now, what my family loved to listen to was far more country than what you do, but I was always a fan of the old stuff… You could always try merging the two sounds?" Judy suggested.

"Not the most fitting for someone born and raised in the metro area," Nick quipped.

"I wasn't actually born in Zootopia, but he is right that I never lived in a rural town. My earliest memories were actually from a poor neighborhood in the middle of a city," Gazelle mentioned.

Nick's eyes widened and he started smiling. "I know exactly who you should talk to!"

"Nick, no," Judy warned.

"What? It's not like he can like her music any less than he already does," Nick said, and then shrugged.

"That's exactly the problem! It's bad enough that she'd have to deal with a rude, uncouth criminal; one who didn't even like her music!"

"Be careful," Nick said, "I know you two aren't the closest, but I am friends with both of you. Besides…"

"He doesn't like my music?" Gazelle asked, with a thoughtful expression. "Perfect!"

"I am so sorry, I have no idea why he even… Come again?" Judy continued.

"Listening to fans' advice is all well and good, but a non-fan could give me a better idea of what I could do differently to appeal to others," Gazelle said. "Just give me the name and address."

"Wait, Gazelle!" Clawhauser said, suddenly positioning himself between her and the door. "If the non-fan tells you that he doesn't like your music because it's too happy, don't listen to him. Please?"

Gazelle chuckled, then stroked Clawhauser's cheek. "I promise, I will not make my music too sad for you. I would hate to be responsible for removing that beautiful smile."

Clawhauser suddenly started giggling uncontrollably and went to tell Bogo, "She said I was cute!"

"I heard," Bogo said. "I'm both happy for you and trying not to be irrationally jealous."

"Oh, pshaw," Clawhauser said, "No reason to be jealous of me!"

"I wasn't," Bogo responded quietly.

"Get a room, you two," Nick called out, then handed Gazelle a piece of paper. "If he doesn't talk to you at first, be persistent."

"Thank you," she said, then she went to find the decorated van described in the note. She knocked on the door, which an angry fennec fox answered. "Excuse me? Mr. Finnick, is it?" Gazelle asked.

"Who's asking?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Uh… Gazelle?" she said. "I hear you aren't a fan of my music."

"Nope, and I ain't gonna be," he said. "Move along, diva star." He waved his hand dismissively, then tried to slam the door.

"Wait!" she said, putting her foot in the way of the door "Nick sent me because he thought you might be able to tap into a poor neighborhood background."

"You… you grew up in a poor neighborhood?" Finnick asked. "Bullshit."

"No, it's true!" Gazelle said, "It was mere luck that I was noticed by a talent scout at a young age and given the opportunity to get out."

Finnick reopened the door the rest of the way, then hopped out. He sighed deeply. "Look, if you want to get the poorest of the poor to like your music, you're going to have to stop sounding so privileged."

"Meaning… what exactly?" Gazelle asked.

"Look, the fact you're a tall female prey doesn't do you any favors, but people will still be willing to listen if you tell messed up personal stories… things like how dangerous your neighborhood was, financial troubles, discrimination—well, maybe you didn't have that problem as much—or family issues, you know, divorce, addiction, abuse…"

"Oh my," Gazelle said, "That sounds like exactly the opposite of what my core fans are looking for." She couldn't help but cup her hands over her mouth and shake her head.

"That is why I ain't gonna like your music," Finnick said, "Are we done?'

"I suppose so…" Gazelle said, disappointedly. "Unless you have another connection."

"I don't," Finnick said, "But Zootopia is a big place, just ask 10 mammals and you'll get 15 opinions. Goodbye." He slammed the door.

"Hmm…" Gazelle said. She looked around and found a row of businesses. "Well, I suppose, we can continue down this path…"

"Hey, you wanna buy Gazelle's brand-new album on CD or vinyl?" a voice called out.

"Oh, no thank you," Gazelle said without looking, "I'm too busy trying to…" Then she turned around and said, "I haven't released an album in a year."

"Ack!" said the disheveled weasel in front of her. "I didn't recognize you in street clothes. Ok, you caught me. It's just a bootleg greatest hits. Don't call the cops!"

"I won't…" she said. "But actually, I will take the CD… for free of course."

"Of, of course," he said. "Sorry for the inconvenience!"

"Not at all," Gazelle said, looking askance, then heading back to her home. She played the CD four times and then came to one conclusion. "All of these songs have one thing in common. They are all roughly the same tempo. Maybe I need to experiment more with fast and slow songs. But I better consult my expert." She called Clawhauser again, who was currently busy eating a salmon piroshki.

"Hello?" he answered with food in his mouth. When he realized who was on the other end, he swallowed quickly and said, "I am so sorry for my horrendous manners, did you need something else from me? Faster songs! I would love love love faster songs. Twice as many amazing Gazelle lyrics in the same amount of time. And I know I'm not the only cheetah who feels that way. But you know? Slower songs might be the way to get more fans in the sloth market."

Content, Gazelle thanked Clawhauser and hung up. "Ok, so what we know so far… happy lyrics are a must for our core base, but we could get more experimental with instruments and tempo. And while I obviously can't write about the terrible situations suggested to me, there is still something sticking in my mind about sounding 'less privileged.' I think we need to go back into town. I have an idea."

Gazelle's idea was asking the next ten people what business she should definitely not go into. While a few of them suggested obvious criminal enterprises or the Zootopia jail, a name she heard more than once that stood out was Mystic Springs Oasis. She became even more curious when she realized that the otter who told her not to was going in himself. Of course, she and her entourage went in to see what it was all about.

She was greeted by a nude yak who seemed a bit out of it. "Welcome to the Mystic Springs Oasis," he said. "Are you a member or just visiting?"

"Umm…" she said, somewhat embarrassed by the yak's lack of clothing. "Is this a naturist club?"

"Yep, we are indeed a naturalist club!" he responded cheerfully.

"I see…" she said, "You know, maybe this won't be so bad. Is there a locker room or…?"

"Gazelle, what are you doing?" Antonio asked.

"When in the oasis…" she said, shrugging.

"Yeah, for sure, come follow me," the yak said. "My name is Yax by the way."

"I'm Gazelle," she responded.

"The celebrity!" Yax said, "I know you just got back from tour 18 days ago. Now, why would a rich and famous someone want to stop by in our little club?"

"Just thought it might be the right place to find inspiration," Gazelle said. She finished folding her clothes and putting them away and walked into the main club area. She observed all of the animals around her enjoying themselves on trees, in the pool, and playing, and wondered if this was what life was like thousands of years ago. Suddenly, a light went on in her head.

Less privileged.

Different instrumentations.

Different tempos.

Thousands of years ago.

By chance, she happened to spot the same otter who told her not to go in, then asked him, "That instrument… in the music on the radio, what is it?"

"Oh, I think it's a sitar," he responded.

"A sitar… That's exactly the sound I'm looking for!" she asked.

"Wait, Gazelle!?" he asked, shocked to finally recognize her.

"In here, we are all just animals," Gazelle said. "Of course. That's perfect!"

She was happy to sit there contemplating until she saw the sun going down through the skylight. She retrieved her clothes and walked out content.

"How did it go?" Antonio asked. "You were in there a while."

"I sure was, but I finally got exactly what I need," Gazelle said, "Be on the hunt for a sitar player by the way."

"A sitar player?" Yax asked. "Why didn't you say so? That's me you hear on the record!"

"Really?" Gazelle asked. "Then can I ask you to record the song with me and perform it live for the debut at the Zootopia Gallery Mall at 8pm November 10th?"

"November 10th!" Antonio objected. "But that's less than two weeks away!"

"It is," Gazelle nodded. "And I finally have inspiration, motivation, and time."

Two weeks later, Gazelle was performing a concert at the mall. Mostly old favorites played, including "Even Cops Have Heartaches Some Days" from her most recent album, when she said, "Next I will play my lead single for my next album, dedicated to everyone who helped me create it; my core fans who told me what really mattered, a non-fan who opened my eyes to a broader perspective, a bootleg seller who made me realize an easy change, a controversial club that gave me the stroke of inspiration I finally needed, and most of all, my guest musician, Yaxon Himal on the sitar." Everyone present who had ever set foot in the Mystic Springs Oasis realized how surreal it was to see Yax wearing clothes, and everyone except Judy and Nick were astonished that he was capable enough to use an instrument.

"This song is called, 'In Here,'" Gazelle said. The crowd cheered.

Yax strummed a chord three times on the sitar and then played four alternating notes, then repeated the pattern. Gazelle began to sing, "It doesn't matter if you're short or tall. Predator or prey doesn't change it all. If you live the high life of fortune and fame or if even your father doesn't know your name, we are all animals in here.

"If you're used to the hustle and bustle of the city, take a look and see nature is so pretty. Trees, mountains, lakes, deserts, and plains, remind us that we all have similar pains.

"It doesn't matter if you're short or tall. We are all animals in here. Predator or prey doesn't change it all. We are all animals in here. If you live the high life of fortune and fame or if even your father doesn't know your name, we are still animals, we are all animals in here.

"People judging you for how to dress, what you eat or where you live adds to the stress. Nature doesn't judge, nature lets us be true, and as much as this applies to me, it also applies to you. And it's important to make each other smile, while keeping ourselves happy all the while.

"If you're used to the hustle and bustle of the city, take a look and see nature is so pretty. Because no matter who you are or where you are from, we are all animals in here."

As Gazelle bowed, the entire crowd cheered loudly. She came back for an encore a few minutes later. One of the crowd members said, "Excuse me, Gazelle! That was the most amazing song I have heard in years!"

"Oh, that's very sweet," she said, until she realized who she was talking to. "Melissa Minkton? What on earth are you doing in Zootopia?"

"I couldn't miss the premiere of your new single!" she responded. "You are my biggest idol of course."

"Of… of course," Gazelle said.

"In Here" became the top streamed and top downloaded single for two months before Gazelle finally released the full album which flew off the shelves in both CD and vinyl formats in addition to full album streams and downloads. Her record label was satisfied and so was she. This could be the start of a beautiful new era for Gazelle, and her biggest fans, Benjamin Clawhauser and Melissa Minkton alike, couldn't be happier for her.