The Wishing Coin: A Modern Fairy Tale Read Online Free Page A

attention and GMU’s producer personally invited me to the studio for a chat with the hosts.
    I walked in 15 minutes earlier and saw Georgepolous, Rogers, and Lancer chattering during the ads.
    “Julia, how are you?” Stephan Georgepolous smiled at me as I came closer. “Congratulations on your story! You’ve discovered a young rapper – what was his name?” He started fishing for something in the papers in front of him.
    “It was something like ‘rich’… Something Rich…” Sara Lancer suggested.
    “Yes, Roscoe Ritch is the newest rising star,” I agreed. “Did you like his song?”
    “I tried playing it to my daughters and they really liked it,” Stephan said.
    “And yet, I don’t understand how that poor boy’s song gained such popularity with no label, no adequate video, and no marketing behind it.” Roberta turned to me. “Julia, aren’t you, as a reporter, baffled as well?”
    “Oh yes, definitely.”
    “Why do you think it’s so strange, Roberta?” Georgepolous chimed in, interrupting me. “I don’t think that nowadays a performer needs a contract with a music company in order to record a hit single. As James Altucher would have said, ‘We are living in the “Choose Yourself” era.’”
    After five minutes, we were already live. Rogers introduced the viewers to the new sensation Roscoe Ritch and after a short excerpt of his video was played she asked me, “Julia, how did you discover that boy? Did anyone refer him to you or you just came across his video and decided to watch it? How did you decide to interview him?”
    “A very good question, Roberta, since I don’t know how it happened, myself. I learned about Roscoe Ritch from my GChat where he’d sent me a message along with a link to his song on YouTube.”
    “Do you mean it was sheer curiosity that made you click that video?” Rogers asked.
    “That’s incredible, Julia. Every day I receive tons, perhaps hundreds, of emails with requests for reviewing books or music albums and I don’t even take a look at them!” Georgepolous was marveling.
    “I don’t pay attention to most of my messages or tweets containing ads, too, but…this time it was different. The fact that the video had gathered over two million views intrigued me and I couldn’t help but just click on it.”
    “Julia, a few minutes ago, we were discussing artists and creative people’s independence; do you think that artists no longer need a producer or label in order to succeed?”
    “I think everything’s highly individual and it’s a matter of inner perception. I can name a lot of people who wouldn’t have been successful if it hadn’t been for the big label or producer behind them. On the other hand, indie musicians like Macklemore, Lorde, and the Swedish duo Ylvis have managed to establish their names and are now known by everyone. We are witnessing the tendency of more and more artists to choose the independent model because big companies don’t facilitate their development and don’t even support them financially. What’s more, if they release their works on their own, they ensure themselves full control and, of course, bigger royalties. I think each artist should ask themselves: Do I want to develop on the basis of the old model or am I ready to embrace the new one? As they say, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’”
    “I’ll quote Macklemore, who you, Julia, said was a successful indie musician: ‘One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come-up,’” Georgepolous added.
    “Stephan, have you ever thought about getting into the rap business?” Sara Lancer asked him. “I think you’ll be really good.”
    “Is there some catch here?” He looked at her mischievously.
    She laughed and clapped her hands.
    “I want to hear you rap! Please! Just a few lines,” she insisted and finally Georgepolous gave up.
    “I will surely regret this later,” He fixed his tie and began singing: “Yo-yoo, man…”
    I couldn’t