End of An Era. Continuation of Another

In 2007 my best friend Missy and I saw a 16-year-old Taylor Swift open for Brad Paisley in Tinley Park, IL. Her song at the time was “Tim McGraw” and suffice it to say Missy and I were not fans. We left our seats to get beer and decided she was just a “flash in the pan.” In 2014 I took my then 13-year-old daughter Caroline to see Taylor Swift perform a sold out show at Soldier Field in Chicago. Two weeks ago, Caroline — that same daughter -got tickets for me and Missy to see Taylor Swift play in an arena of 49,000 people in Toronto. Clearly, we are not good judges of musical talent. Someone who is a good judge of musical talent Caroline who is currently working for rising star Gracie Abrams. Gracie has been opening for Taylor Swift for the Eras Tour, which ends next weekend in Vancouver.

While I was not originally a Swift fan, I became one and not just because of her music. She started out with “Tim McGraw” and sang songs about love and teen heartbreak for years. In 2019 she released “The Man” in which she wonders how it would read if she was a man who had made all the same choices, mistakes and accomplishments. In her most recent album Tortured Poets she returns to love and heart break but this time it is adult heartbreak. She tells it like it is but not as a victim. She is now the author of her life not just a character in a song. Her lyrics and style have evolved, and she has not so quietly built a business empire. She also uses her voice to encourage voting and speak up on behalf of all women. She continues to “shake off” her ‘haters” and focuses on what she does well. As this Eras tour comes to an end, I am so grateful that my daughter had the opportunity to see the rise of a strong, independent female musician who treats her team well.

I mentioned that my daughter — who is not a musician — has always been a good judge of musical talent. She is a music fan. She loves multiple genres and loves spending time in the world of musicians. She has worked with many artists but thiere is something about this team that is different. This team has such a positive energy that is palpable. From my distant observations I see my daughter’s sense of fulfillment and self-confidence soar while working with this artist/team. There is no doubt that Gracie Abrams grew up on Taylor Swift’s music and is following her career. Both women are phenomenal artists as well as phenomenal team builders. In a business that has traditionally been run by men, they have created positive environments for other young women to work in. Women lifting women.

My friend Missy believes in women lifting women and she has been on Team Caroline since the beginning. Caroline chose an unconventional path, and Missy has long supported her and predicted her success. You will recall, Missy was also there for the “flash in the pan” prediction. So, it was only fitting that she be my plus one for the concert in Toronto. We saw the show of a lifetime and more importantly got to see “our girl” in action working hard pursuing her dream. We wore sparkly tops and cowboy boots and sang till we lost our voice. We hugged “our girl” and thanked her for the incredible seats, and of she went to the next city with her incredible team.