Chapter 18: Decision Time

It was hot that August, hotter than usual, the locals believed. Our home and the store was air conditioned, as were our vehicles. But hot is hot and it limited the outdoor time for the girls. We were constantly reminding them to wear sunglasses, a hat, and put on sunscreen. I glanced at the thermometer at the back of the house when I arrived home one afternoon and saw the mercury barely below 100° in the shade. I wondered how outdoor workers like roofers and other construction workers survived.

It was one of those afternoons that Marianna returned from picking up the girls at her parents’ home after having a meeting in Sausalito. She appeared to be in a buoyant mood and after offering her a large glass of lemonade, she motioned me to follow her to the living room. As usual, we sat together on the sofa.

“I think I’ve found what I want to do, Nick,” she said after getting settled. “I had a meeting with a man you might have heard of. Jerry Fitzgerald is an entertainment manager for a number of musicians, some of them classical, some of them contemporary. I told him about why I was back in California and why I wasn’t interest in long touring schedules. My first responsibility was to my children, and the second to my family ... and friends.”

“So, how did he react to that?” I wondered.

“Well, he wasn’t thrilled, but understood after what I told him about Italy, Roberto, and the outcome. He said he felt there were two directions I could go in. I could develop a recording career and then use the many local venues for live performances. They could be anything from nightclubs, to theatre type audiences, or even outdoor festivals. That would limit my travel and still keep my name in front of the audiences. I wouldn’t earn the kind of money from the live work that I was used to in Europe, but it would be a comfortable income. If the records sold as well as he thought they might, that would be a potentially larger source of income.”

I was nodding. So far, so good. “What do you think?” I asked.

“I think it’s the most sensible way for me to start. There are a number of music festivals in this general Northern California area ... even up into Tahoe. The travel would be minimal and I could be home here regularly. Jerry was confident he could get me booked into them fairly easily. My name recognition is still strong, so the producers would be more than willing to book me.”

Again, I nodded. “Sounds sensible to me too.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you feel that way, Nick. I think I’m going to sign with Jerry on a limited term contract to see how it goes. I’ve learned my lesson about contracts and I’m going to be cautious before I sign anything. Do you think Clary can act on my behalf? Jerry said I should get a lawyer anyway.”

“Let’s ask him,” I grinned. “He’ll tell us quickly enough if he can handle it.”

It took a little convincing for Clary to agree, protesting that he wasn’t an entertainment lawyer. But he called Jerry himself and they discussed what was needed and in the end, he agreed to represent Marianna. I was really pleased that she was in the hands of someone we trusted. I was just as pleased that she had no intention of leaving the immediate area.

Almost immediately, she got a gig at a Labor Day festival in Berkley. It was a combination back-to-school and holiday performance taking place on the U Cal campus. She’d been working with Jerry to decide what kind of music she would perform. Jerry found a backup band that were used to working with various other performers and they spent two weeks rehearsing before her two performance appearance on the long weekend.

No more classical music for now, she decided. That first performance set the tone for her style. She put the strap of the Stratocaster over her shoulder, walked out on the stage, and ripped into a fast moving hard rock beat. No one was more surprised than her parents, and I wasn’t far behind. I can recall her playing this kind of music when we were in college, but that was years ago. Now, she was reinventing her sound and within seconds she had the young crowd with her. The whistles and cheers almost drowned out the applause at the end of her set. She walked off the stage with a huge grin on her face. She was back!

It didn’t take long for word to get out the Marianna Alvarez was back in the Bay Area and bringing a whole new sound. Both city dailies wrote up the festival, with special mention of Marianna’s appearance and the huge response she got. I could also see the energy that the response gave her during her performances.

“I never felt like that when I was doing the concert tours in Europe, Nick. The crowds at the festival were like a huge shot of adrenalin. I just wanted to keep going ... keep that feeling ... for as long as I could. That was fun!” she shouted, wrapping her arms around me.

“I’m glad, Marianna. I think your parents’ are a little surprised at the change in your music selections, but they couldn’t hide their pride in you when they saw and heard the audience’s response. You looked like you were born to be up there in the spotlight,” I grinned.

“Well, if this is what it’s going to be like, I’m really going to enjoy it,” she beamed, kissing me enthusiastically.

The local papers were just the start of the free publicity that Marianna received. She was interviewed on a local TV station that was news orientated and covered the area around Santa Rosa. That got her another interview on a mainstream network station in San Francisco. In each case, the interviews were very positive as well as curious about her conversion from classical music to contemporary rock/pop. She had the same answer for each time she was asked why the change: “Rock and Pop music is more fun. I have more freedom and I can let go and change things once in a while. I’m not stuck to a rigid format. Like I said, it’s more fun.”

As her visibility increased, so did her performance opportunities. With Jerry’s guidance and my two cents worth, she was very careful about which gigs to accept and which to decline. Whichever she decided, it was bringing in a considerable amount of new money. Clary introduced her to a tax and investment counselor that he trusted. He would make sure she knew exactly where the money was and what her tax status was. He put together a conservative plan for her investments and for the children’s education fund.

With her career re-launched, I felt it was time for me to make my move. I’d been dancing around her without really telling her my feelings and I decided that was unfair to her. I waited until we had some quiet along time before I made my play.

“Marianna, you’ve been here for a while now. You’ve been happy living here, I know. I know I’ve been very happy that you’re here too. I hope this is where you want to stay,” I stumbled awkwardly.

I could see the crooked smile on her face before she replied. “Well, that took you long enough, Nick. I’ve been waiting for you to make up your mind. What are you trying to say? Spit it out,” she said firmly.