enjoyebooks Chapter 30 Family Time
Chapter 30 Family Time
After Herbert's explanation, Zeke roughly understood this collaboration method. Simply put, during the contract period, he had priority in writing songs for Casablanca and was not allowed to write songs for competitors. However, it was not a complete monopoly; he could still create non-commercial works independently.
Zeke was quite satisfied with this offer. His main purpose wasn't the salary; he just wanted to take advantage of Casablanca's benefits to leave Brownsville.
After all, he had attended public schools in Brownsville since he was a child, and didn't even know which way the doors of good private schools faced.
Herbert and the other party's legal counsel quickly finalized the details of the cooperation and signed a letter of intent, but for formal onboarding and signing, Zeke, like the Sirens, had to go to their Los Angeles headquarters.
Nothing at this company, especially artist contract negotiations, counts without Neil Bogard's approval.
Erf then turned to the Sirens, his tone much calmer: "We need to adjust your signing bonus to $3. And let's be clear from the start, this is actually an advance royalty payment, which will be deducted gradually from your album and single earnings."
Qi Ke was secretly astonished. The record industry really exploited its artists. On the surface, they gave signing fees, but in reality, they deducted money from the band's income. It was as if the band didn't get a penny and even owed the company money.
Taking out loans to work? But these days, the bulk of a singer's income never comes from record royalties. Once they have fame, commercial performances and GG endorsements are the main sources of income.
The Sirens have no bargaining power now. They've completely transitioned to disco and there's no turning back. They're entirely dependent on Zeke's compositions and Casablanca's disco resources to take them to new heights, so they have no choice but to agree.
For Zicco, although the advance royalties have to be repaid, it is equivalent to an interest-free loan, and after deductions, he earns 100% pure royalties; however, his works need to be given priority to Casablanca for distribution, and the company has the right of first refusal.
Casablanca is undoubtedly the biggest winner in this game.
Not only did they secure the potential hit single "YMCA" and sign the creative prodigy Zeke, but they also signed the Sirens, a band with a strong upward trajectory, at a low price. This triple win solidified the company's dominance in the disco field.
A smug smile spread across Erf's face. He picked up the phone on the table, dialed his assistant's number, and said in a lighthearted tone, "Bring up a bottle of champagne. We need to celebrate. Today is a day to be happy!"
Before long, Erfe personally opened the bottle and poured the champagne into glasses, distributing it to everyone present.
The sparkling champagne bubbled gently, and the atmosphere in the attic completely relaxed. The previous unpleasantness and arguments seemed to dissipate with the aroma of the champagne, and everyone's face lit up with smiles. What seemed like a turmoil had finally reached a happy ending.
He said goodbye to the Sirens and promised to see them again in Los Angeles. When Zeke returned home to Brownsville, it was still early, and there was still some time before dinner.
Old Rossi had already returned to the restaurant to open for business, and he would usually be busy at the restaurant until around 10 p.m. before dragging his tired body home.
Only the mother, sister Maria, and brother Joey were at home, chatting and preparing dinner around the dining table in the living room, while the two little children were running around wildly in the backyard.
Zeke walked into the house, took out a $2000 check he had prepared beforehand, and handed it to his mother: "Mom, I got a job at a record company. This is part of the money I'll earn from selling songs. You can take it to help with household expenses, so we won't have to be so frugal anymore."
"Really? So much!" The mother took the check, and her eyes lit up instantly when she saw the amount. Her face lit up with joy. She carefully folded the check and put it in her pocket, not feeling at all that there was anything wrong with a 16-year-old going out to work.
In Brownsville, many children drop out of school in their teens to work and help support their families. For Zeke to find a job at a record company is already a great stroke of luck.
"It's true, of course." Zeke smiled. "But the record company is in Los Angeles, so I'll have to move there too. They'll help me find a private high school so I can continue studying while I work, and they'll even provide me with a car, a Mercedes."
"Wow!" Joey, the younger brother, exclaimed, his eyes widening in amazement. "A Mercedes? Those are luxury cars driven by big shots! All those big stars and company bosses on TV drive cars like that! Zeke, are you going to be a big shot someday?!"
Zik chuckled and patted Joey's head gently, his voice tender, "I'll be earning more and more money in the future, and our family's financial situation will improve. Once I've established myself in Los Angeles, I'll bring you there too, so you can go to a good school, how about that?"
"Uh, forget it then." Joey shook her head without even thinking. "I don't have any friends over there, it'd be so boring. Besides, I've heard the West Coast is a mess, full of trouble."
"Exactly, exactly," the mother added, a hint of worry on her face. "NBC News said it's a mixed bag there, full of hippies and gays. You have to be careful working and studying there alone, and remember to call home if anything happens."
Zick rolled his eyes inwardly and thought to himself: What a joke! We live in a gang-ridden place like Brownsville, how much worse can Los Angeles be?
He didn't forget his sister Maria either: "Maria, haven't you always wanted to go to nursing school? You don't have to only think about nursing school anymore. You can consider real universities and medical schools. I can help you pay your tuition. When I earn enough money in the future, maybe I can even support you to open your own clinic."
"Oh my god, are you serious, Zeke?" Maria suddenly looked up, covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes filled with disbelief, and her voice trembled slightly.
She had dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was a child, but her family simply couldn't afford it.
"Of course I'm serious." Qi Ke looked at her, his tone firm. "You're my sister, and of course I won't watch you fail to achieve your dreams. You're so smart, and you have such good grades; you'll definitely get into medical school and become a good doctor."
Maria could no longer hold back her tears. She hugged Zeke tightly, her voice choked with emotion as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Zeke, thank you... I never thought I would actually have the opportunity to go to medical school and become a doctor."
Zik gently patted her back to soothe her.
In the United States, studying medicine and law are indeed among the most lucrative professions, as everyone knows. For example, Herbert's lawyer fees today are equivalent to an average person's monthly salary.
But the cost of training a doctor and a lawyer is simply beyond the reach of working-class Italian families like theirs.
Maria had only ever secretly planned to attend medical school for a few years and become a nurse. In the lower-class community, this was already a fairly respectable and well-paid career choice.
Becoming a licensed doctor is far more difficult and expensive than becoming a nurse: it takes at least 4 years for undergraduate studies, 4 years for medical school, and at least 3 years for residency training, followed by specialist certification training. From university admission to independent medical practice, it takes at least 11 years, and if you choose a longer specialty, it may take 15 years or even longer.
For most of those long years, there was no income. In addition to the high cost of living, there were also exorbitant tuition fees. Long-time immigrants often say that training a doctor to own his own clinic requires the savings of three generations of an ordinary family, and that's no joke.
Zeke had long planned to lift his family out of poverty. His younger brother, Joey, had never been interested in studying and was not academically inclined. But his older sister, Maria, was different. She was academically excellent and hardworking, but she was trapped by her family's circumstances.
As for his two nephews and nieces, he thought they were still very promising. If they were properly nurtured after leaving Brownsville, they might be able to attend Ivy League schools in the future.
His Chinese mindset was subtly at work; after all, all other pursuits are inferior, only studying is superior.
The Italians' emphasis on family also influenced his decision-making. After his elder brother Paul died in battle, he, the second son, became the next pillar of the family.
Becoming a doctor is not only his sister's dream, but also an honor for the whole family to raise a doctor. Even if it costs more for tuition, he feels it's worth it.
Moreover, this is the golden age of disco, and the movie and soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever" are both creating sales and box office miracles, each topping the Billboard album sales chart and the weekly box office champion, enjoying unparalleled popularity.
Zik felt that the song "YMCA" given by Apocalypse was no worse than any of the songs on this soundtrack. The initial response to the Siren band's live performance was also fantastic. With the royalties he could receive for the lyrics and music in the future, he could definitely support a medical student.