Decoding Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's Bright Beginnings
This episode takes us from birth until Taylor Swift scores a deal with Scott Borchetta.
On the 13th of December, 1989 and the quiet town of reading Pennsylvania. After the oranges, reds and pinks had fallen from the trees to reveal bare branches. Child took her first breath. Taylor, Alison swift, boring to Andrea and Scott swift. Arrived a week before winter to anticipating parents. Their bundle of joy, filled their hearts full of love and wonder. The Swifts embrace their bundle of joy without knowing that she would grow to be a musical prodigy and icon around the world. From the outset. Taylor was a spark of energy and curiosity foretold, perhaps by her birth during the Sagittarius season of fire. Her laughter filled the swift home with joy as an echo throughout the halls. She brought us sweet symphony of giggles along with her, as she learned to crawl and played in the playground, that was the swift household. The happiness of their home was so great. That eventually Andrea, her mom traded corporate America in for Christmas tree farm. Scott swift Taylor's dad fostered a fascination with music, strumming his guitar and creating little melodies that captivated her young ears. In all the mesmerizing sound, a tender aged Taylor often reached out to touch the strings that made the music she loved. She seemed eager to explore the world of music, even as a baby. If Scott's started her love of music, it was Andrea swift who nurtured it by making sure to introduce Taylor to various instruments. Taylor had an innate talent and curiosity that came out when she played anything from the piano to a ukulele. Her eyes sparkled more than the stars and the Georgia sky whenever she plunked down on the keys or strum strings. Music enchanted young Taylor, who wasn't afraid to create melodies, even at this young age. By five years old, all that encouragement to explore sound with various instruments resulted in a creative force. While playing with her favorite toys, she'd make up songs about them. Her backyard adventures have theme songs limited only by a little girl's imagination. To say that she's been singing her life story since birth would be the absolute truth. Everything sounds more magical. With the melody behind it. Four years later, Taylor talked nonstop about her dream to pursue music seriously. She had a heart full of determination her parents recognized. They enrolled their musical prodigy in vocal lessons and supported her whole heartedly, shuttling her to and from various local fairs and talent shows. anything Taylor's parents could do to help her pursue her dreams. They did. her stage presence was magnetic even then. The vocal lessons were paying off and she had that it factor couldn't be taught. Her magnetism, talent and charm work together to draw in an audience, curious to see the nine year old with a big voice and personality. The applause and cheers she earned, ignited a fire within her to continue reaching for more. At age 12, she had the opportunity to sing the national Anthem before a Philadelphia 76 ERs professional basketball game. With tens of thousands of basketball fans holding hands to their hearts this tweenager won them over as she belted it out the words everyone knew when she finished the crowd erupted in cheers for the young lady who lived on a farm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Just an hour away. That was it. Taylor loved performing and wanted to do whatever it took to sing in front of crowds like that forever endeavor. The swift spent a lot of time in Nashville taking their daughter to auditions. And handing demos to record executives who deemed her and her songs too young for their demographic. They didn't believe anyone cared what a 12 year old thought. And certainly wouldn't listen to her instead of somebody else. The constant rejections were also coming with thunderous applause. So they didn't deter her. Faced with adversity. Taylor decided to up her game by learning to play the guitar. The swift spot Taylor, the guitar years before, but she hadn't shown any interest. However as luck would have it her parents needed their computer fixed and the repairman played guitar. When he asked Taylor, if she played, she had to answer no that she didn't know how and he offered to teach her the rest, as they say, is history Taylor swift, already armed with determination, talent and charm, now new how to play guitar. So two years later, after a few years of commuting to Nashville for vacations and gigs and auditions. Taylor convinced her parents. The time had come to uproot their lives and move to Nashville. Scott swift Taylor's dad had no trouble transferring his job from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. To Nashville, Tennessee the family sold the tree farm and dove into the Nashville's music scene. Armed with her guitar, a passion for music and incredibly supportive parents. Taylor took Nashville by store. Not only could her parents see her tremendous gifted only 14. But others could also, and she built a strong following quickly. Her love and music had become an undeniable force, like a flame that grew within her as a yearn to blaze brighter. Her parents saw Nashville is a gateway for Taylor to reach her dreams much like many before her. Taylor had an extraordinary gift and now she made it to the place where dreams took shape and her determination, focus and aspirations found fertile ground. Nashville's allure lay in its rich musical heritage, a nurturing embrace of aspiring artists. In fact, the Swifts frequent trips, their land to tailor a songwriter contract a year earlier with Sony. With her foot firmly planted inside the door of the music industry. Taylor could flourish surrounded by like-minded individuals and professionals in the industry. The city's vibrant music scene gave a platform to Taylor that could help mold her talent into something extraordinary. Like we see today. Nashville symbolized opportunity and the Swifts would seize it. Taylor had always loved telling her stories with a melody behind them, which drew her to the country music genre. In Nashville she found a blank canvas. She could pay with her melodies and a stage where her voice and what she had to say about her life experiences could resonate. This leap of faith. And courageous step resulted from Taylor's ambition and her parents believe her talent was destined for greatness. Andrea and Taylor swift knocked on doors of some of the city's most treasured and iconic venues, hoping to get Taylor gigs. One such iconic venue that played a part in Taylor's musical journey was the famed Bluebird cafe known for the mystique it held that backend, aspiring artists. The cafe. a dimly-lit venue tucked away in a shopping center could barely hold 100 people. Artists love that about this venue. As it forged a unique connection between them and the audience. The simplicity of the old wood stage also added to the intimate nature of what seemed from the outside an assuming place. Transformed in the 1980s from a sandwich shop to a proving ground, an incubator for raw talent the Bluebird cafe became a place where artists could test themselves and new music. Performances here, forge the path for up and coming artists like Taylor. Another place Taylor played the listening room cafe also had a cozy atmosphere, an intimate setting. Often playing this venue after the day's hustles of high school and homework Taylor found solace here. The lyric she's saying, in course you strummed reverberated within those walls and played a major part in Taylor's musical evolution. She painted herself as a young artist, honing her craft while balancing her teenage life and insatiable passion for the future she wanted. As Taylor juggled books and gigs, she found herself often playing the station in a Haven for acoustic music and bluegrass. Here, the guitar echoes throughout the place with a little bit more of a twang. Across the city, the Ryman auditorium also known as the mother church of country music. Became another place Taylor's fans could see her. She played various venues often enough that one could all, but guarantee to see her every weekend with her announcing her gigs on social media app known as MySpace. During the week Taylor, the regular girl went to high school spending, whatever time she had leftover from performing she spent in class and participating in extracurricular activities. But by night and on the weekends she be creme the impressive Taylor swift. Who frequented the honky-tonks on Broadway in the Mecca of country music. Broadway, the bustling strip in the city where one could stumble upon a burgeoning star pulsated with live music and it was lit up with neon signs. Here one could find the locals and tourists alike. Andrea swift remember had once held an impressive executive title at a marketing firm. And she impressed upon her daughter, the importance of keeping a connection with your audience. At all her performances on Broadway, she told the fans in between songs about her social media presence. On a new app called MySpace. There her fans learned of upcoming shows and more importantly, found it easy to share the music she made with their friends which helped to grow her base..While, Taylor and kids, her age, embrace social media almost immediately to stay in touch with people they met. It's also had yet to do this, so they didn't understand it. Social media and having an online presence had yet to catch on in the 21st century. So when Taylor told record executives are reaching her demographic, They just scoffed at the idea that anyone would follow a 14 year old. Still she did hold a lot of promise musically. Leading to being the youngest ever signed to a development deal with Sony. However, as many young artists will tell you a development deal, sometimes results only in other artists singing your songswhile the real writer. He sings backup for which she won't get credit. Nobody has said this happened to Taylor swift. But if it didn't happen to her, She would have seen it happening to others. Perhaps that's perhaps that's also why after two years of being strong along the Swifts chose to drop out of this deal. To get a different deal with big machine records Once a record executive with Dreamworks. And someone they knew from when Taylor had that development deal decided to form a new company, big machine records. This new company needed investors and the sweat and the Swifts really believed in their daughter's raw talent. It made sense to do whatever they needed to convince a record executive to watch her perform. Rather than only listen to a demo. Taylor swift day believed shine onstage with that it factor and fearlessness one just doesn't learn. Scott swift. Who retired from a distinguished career in finance knew how to hedge his bets. By investing in a startup led by someone. He believed had the ability to grow this company. The investment made into Taylor swift quickly became house money or money. They earned on the increase in value of their shares. For shadow had connections in the industry and more than one artist. Investing in big machine records meant betting on multiple artists. As a bonus, his shares could convince the owner to watch his daughter perform. And see their marketing plan. After years of working in the field of finance, Scott swift knew the importance of diversifying. And planning for the future with real expectations. Andrea swift came from the field of marketing and knew the importance of connecting with your customer base or fans in this case. Scalper shadow. Didn't see, share the same belief as the old guys who ran the big recording companies that his social media presence meant nothing, that there wouldn't be an audience for teenage angst within the country genre. The fact that you already had an online presence and a fan following and Nashville prove that. Taylor swift came with parents that could help mentor the young record executive and their respective fields. This Swift's made their investment and we're shut a showed up at the Bluebird cafe to watch the young ingenue perform. Like everyone else, he saw that while her singing didn't necessarily blow away your competition, her stage presence. Guitar strumming and songwriting work together to win him over. Immediately we're shadow sign tailor to a record deal. Leaving the development deal with Sony had worked. Taylor would see her first album released two years later. Instead of writing songs for others. Taylor wrote songs for herself to sing on her debut album titled Taylor swift. Those songs worked well due to their insightfulness and real honesty about the angst teenagers felt as they learned valuable lessons about relationships of all kinds. Like every other teenager, these years held turmoil and heartbreak for the quote" giant, weird want to be Brittany Spears". As Taylor navigated the music industry, many of her friends ditched her because of what they considered just silly and impossible dreams. Her song. The outsider that Taylor wrote about this tough time feeling abandoned by her friends at age 14, didn't make it to her debut album. Instead winding up chosen for an exclusive compilation album. When Taylor got the word of this honor, she squealed with excitement. While the people around her gave her weird glances, she didn't care. this huge news deserve that incredible reaction. Taylor continued writing songs based on what happened in her life, including those that talks about love interests in high school. In one such song, she mentions the boy drew who had her unrequited heart. But other than that one song, Taylor never said who the songs are about, which means other than speculation, we'll never know for sure. And with that, it's time to dive into some lyrical analysis and gossip magazines. To try and unravel the story of Taylor swift to sniff out the Easter eggs and find the story within her music that we believe exists. Because the song, Tim McGraw marked her entrance onto country radio before her first album did, we should begin with the lyrical analysis of that song first. Keep in mind that Taylor learned about the recording industry alongside learning critical reading of authors of classic literature. Math formulas, history and more. If one place close attention, one can see how much your education affected her work. In fact, we believe that a game exists within her lyrics and performance art. Public. Taylor said she didn't want to only be known for the things she hated. She wanted to be known for what she loved. If she has seen more than most people will in a lifetime, it makes sense then that she would lead us on a virtual tour of those places. What better way to do that but with a virtual tour of the worlds based on a scavenger hunt, her team laid out throughout social media., fortunately, all the clues to what she loves she gave us in this game. We simply must pay attention to find them. We've chosen to go back in time over Taylor's career with a fine tooth combed, including reviewing any gossip magazine said about the song she wrote at 14 and 15, that ended up on the album she made at age 16. Along the way there will be mistakes and retractions made. We do our best to bring only the real true story and hope you enjoy what we put together here. Make sure to leave questions in the comments about anything you see here that you'd like to see more about is that will help us obtain the clearest picture of Taylor swift and her nation. That we've seen yet.