“I want to go up. up there to the sky. you want to be a star That’s why it’s on TV. But your task is not simply to make people love you. That’s not enough. You need to help them love the classics as much as they love you. We have to show how lovely the classics are. That is what I want to ask of you.”
“Show me.”
“Please prove it.”
“What a classic is.”
“Why do you guys, why are we pouring our lives into it?”
“I beg you sincerely.”
“And, I believe that you all understood my request…”
Jeff turned to them. And when his gaze stopped somewhere for a moment, Rowoon thought that Jeff was looking at him.
And before the thought was over, Jeff opened his mouth.
“Let’s start. this show.”
＜ Take the baseline (1) ＞ End
＜ Overcoming the baseline (2) ＞
Cheers and applause followed. It was as if a performance had ended.
Could it be because of the popularity of the name Jeff Bilson? Or is it because he has the charisma that captivates the crowd?
‘······Is it the power of a person who rises to the top? That’s it.’
It is difficult to judge whether it is because he has risen to the top that he has that power, or vice versa. However, it was certain that Jeff Bilson’s aura contained what Rowoon was aiming for.
All the students were intoxicated by Jeff’s speech and were in a heated mood. And the judges did not miss the atmosphere.
Jennifer Chao. Having immigrated from China and became a cellist representing the United States, she opened her mouth in a calm voice as she adjusted her glasses.
“Then let me introduce the first mission.”
“Every division will be given four songs each.”
“Those from each school should discuss with each other and choose which song to choose among them.”
“And all the songs will be ranked from 1st to 8th…”
“The school with the lowest average ranking will have to go back home.”
“If you want to stay long, practice long.”
“Try for a long time.”
“I wish you good luck.”
It was a pretty straightforward explanation. And after that, contemporary music composer Jaden Blacksmith smiled and received the word.
“Then I will release the song now.”
“First, I will tell you about the piano section.”
“Anyway, the theme this time seems to be ‘era’.”
“Songs about the four eras, from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist, are evenly divided.”
“First of all, baroque… Yes, it’s a natural choice if it’s natural. Bach! Fantasia Fugue in G minor!”
“And in the classics, Mozart! His rondo alla turca! It’s the so-called Turkish march. Another famous song came out.”
“And in romance, Chopin! This, too, is a matter of course. Chopin’s Waltz No. 2. You can play number 2.”
“And in the last Impressionism… Well, at this point, it’s obvious who to discuss. label. Ravel’s play with water will be the last song!”
Jayden then taught me the violin, cello, and opera mission songs one by one. Amid the growing buzz, Rowoon looked back at Heather, Jungwoo, and Eric. And I thought as I looked into their sparkling eyes.
‘······It won’t be easy.’
#
“If you don’t play Chopin, who the hell is going to do it?”
Eric said in a hoarse voice. It was as Rowoon expected. The more their hearts burned about this competition, the more they clashed with each other in matters such as sharing mission songs. Heather sighed.
“Eric. I’ve been playing Chopin’s pieces to the point of getting really sick of them. Now is the time to change something.”
“Why do we have to make that change at this point? Didn’t you see the kids gathered there earlier? All of them are great guys, and there are 7 schools we have to fight against. But you’re going to hide your power against those guys?”
“I’m not saying I’m hiding my strength… No, what kind of kid am I who can only play Chopin? Why do you speak that way?”
“It’s not that I can only play Chopin, but I can play Chopin overwhelmingly well. I’m saying this out of respect for your abilities. Let’s make good use of our abilities. What strange words am I talking about?”
Seeing the two collide like that, Rowoon and Jungwoo looked back at each other for a moment. Eric’s words and Heather’s words had some truth. So it was difficult to take anyone’s side. Jungwoo looked at them for a moment before stepping in between them.
“Now, calm down for a moment. Even if we talk like this, we will only end up fighting each other’s emotions. Can you see the camera over there? Are all of you going on air? Do you want to show me something like this?”
“…”
“······okay. brother.”
I don’t know if they understood Jungwoo’s words or if they came to their senses because there was a camera, but the two of them all stopped fighting. Jungwoo said with relief as if he was barely breathing.
“Now then, tell me your opinion first, Eric. Aside from what Heather is doing, what do you want to do?”
“I am either Bach or Mozart.”
“Well, you’ve been that way since before.”
“This is a contest. Even if you do what you are good at, you don’t have to do what you are not good at.”
“That’s right. I understand. Okay, so Eric’s picks are Bach and Mozart, and Heather, what about you?”
From noble mtl dot com
“······Well, I do have a crush on the label, but······.”
“That’s not a bad choice either. Because you have a feeling that you can play such lyrical songs better than others. Of course, it’s true that you’re very specialized in Chopin, but I think you’ll be able to beat Ravel even more easily. okay. I like that too. Eric. You don’t have to force Heather to play Chopin, do you?”
“······Then who plays Chopin? you? Or him? theory?”
“I can hit it, but… Rowoon. What do you want to hit?”
“Ah, me…”
Rowoon thought. In fact, it didn’t matter who it was as long as it wasn’t the label. In the case of Ravel, Rowoon was a musician who had not yet unlocked the private tutoring function, and the other three recently obtained private tutoring.
Not to mention Chopin. At one point, Rowoon was so immersed in Chopin that he developed a kind of dependence. In a way, it might be the best option among the options he has now.
“… Mozart.”
But Rowoon answered like that. And Jung-woo’s eyes couldn’t help but contain a suspicious expression for a moment. It was also because I hadn’t seen Rowoon play Mozart that often.
“Mozart? Are you good at playing Mozart?”
“Honestly, out of the four, I’m most specialized in Chopin, but I’m quite interested in Mozart these days. Wouldn’t it be better to play for someone you care about, even considering the competition?”
“Well, if you are, that would be it. Alright so Eric. what do you think about it? How organized do you think it is? You say you like both Bach and Mozart, so you play Bach and I play Chopin. And the header is a label. Isn’t it neat?”
“…”
Eric seemed to be regretting something, but he soon swallowed a sigh and nodded. No matter what he said here, it was because the atmosphere was blurred and the end was visible.
Jungwoo clapped his hands together.
“good. Then everyone has decided on the song, and now all that remains is to practice until next week. Hey, but it’s tough. To think that I had to complete one song in a week, not even for 15 days.”
“That’s why they only gave us short songs. Aren’t they all 3 to 5 minute songs?”
“That makes it even scarier. Doesn’t that mean the other kids can also prepare more fully?”
“I honestly have no worries.”
Eric shrugged.
“Bach’s Fantasy Fugue in G Minor, I’ve played it at a competition before.”
“Well, it’s not like I haven’t played Chopin’s Waltz No. 2. Because it’s a famous song. Has Heather ever tried playing with water?”
“······Ah yes. what. Yes.”
Heather nodded her head in disbelief. It was evident that he had never played Water Games before. Seeing that, Eric tried to say something for a moment, but then sighed and lowered his head. It was because of the calculation that if you practice, you will give up on your own or do something. And even so, I didn’t think a woman like her would play so badly.
Jungwoo smiled.
“Now then, shall we all practice first?”
#
“Wow, how come all of them are Steinway pianos?”
After walking around the practice room, Rowoon and Heather had no choice but to stick out their tongues. Steinway & Sons. Even the lowest-priced pianos were famously high-end pianos, priced in the 10,000-dollar range.
“Well, it must have been sponsored.”
“······i envy you. I want to be sponsored too.”
Every time Heather looked at the piano, her eyes twinkled. Most pianists had no choice but to dream of having at least one Steinway piano in their home. Not with an upright, but with a grand piano.
“But are you sure? joy of water. From the look on your face, I don’t think I’ve ever hit you before.”
“… are you tired?”
“You can’t lie. It shows all over your face.”
“Kuhmm… Anyway, I have confidence. I’ve never heard of the game of water. I always thought I wanted to hit it. And if it’s my super vision… I am confident that I will get used to it soon.”
Heather smirked and shrugged. She was quick to write sheet music she had never seen before. No, it was nice not to have to listen to sheet music. She possessed absolute pitch, and even had the memory to be able to follow along to a certain extent if she concentrated on listening to a song for the first time.
“First of all, you have to listen a little more before hitting. this is my trick Listening to the performance a lot before practicing feels like it’s already practice in itself.”
“You know what I mean. But isn’t it affected as much?”
“My influence is too strong to be influenced by others.”
Even if you try to be influenced, in the end your color will cover it all up, Heather said smugly. Then, as if he had just come to mind, he asked Rowoon a question.
“Ah, but you really want to play Mozart, right?”
“······or not?”
“I wondered if he had deliberately chosen Mozart to give up Chopin to Jungwoo oppa. He wants to prove to people that he was only recognized for classicism in the past, and now he is also good at romanticism.”
“I didn’t really think of that. I’m sorry, but I’m not that selfless.”
“Well, musicians are naturally a bit selfish.”
Heather chuckled and nodded. And after spending time listening to each other’s songs like that, it was time to head back to the practice room. Maybe there were more people who were ready like them, but in the practice room there were quite a lot more people than before, each concentrating on practicing.