Before Taylor Swift became the megastar that she is today, she was just a young girl with a dream. This is the story of Taylor Swift’s first audition, what she learned from it, and how she found her first breakthrough as an artist. I hope it will give young people hope and motivation to work hard and find the unique gift they can offer to the world.
Taylor Swift’s Audition: A Story for Kids
“Hi, I’m Taylor. I’m 11 and I want a record deal.”
Taylor Swift showed up to an audition in Nashville with these words and CD recordings of herself singing karaoke. She didn’t get that record deal, but she didn’t give up.
She returned home to Pennsylvania and started working harder than ever. “I need to figure out a way to be different,” she said to herself.
First, she started to learn guitar. She had tried to play the guitar before but gave up. Now after getting rejected by record labels in Nashville, she was determined to master the instrument. She started taking lessons and practicing every day.
It wasn’t the guitar, however, that made her unique. The first time she showed up in Nashville, she was covering other people’s songs. Next time, she planned to bring and sing her own material.
“Songwriting became my one true love. It became the thing I could never put down. I became obsessed with it.”
A thirteen-year-old Taylor took another trip with her mom down to Nashville. This time she had a guitar in hand and a CD full of her own songs. People were impressed. She came home with her first record deal.
Her parents were very supportive; so supportive that they agreed to move their family down to Nashville so Taylor could pursue a career in country music.
The move paid off. Shortly after finishing high school, Taylor Swift became the youngest person ever to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.
Discussion Questions
- How did Taylor Swift react to her first rejection in Nashville? What did she do afterwards?
- How should you react in a similar way when you feel rejected?
- What made Taylor Swift different when she returned to Nashville again?
- What are some skills that make you unique?
- How can you continue to improve this skill?
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