The Music of an Arts High School Genius Must Be Special - Chapter 181



Only Krnovel

Episode 181. Looking back

I remember the third evaluation in the first semester of the first year.

I remember how cowardly I was, racking my brain and resorting to tricks because I simply had no ability to neatly learn the difficult songs that were assigned to me as assignments.

But this time it’s different.

Growth is like a winding road, it always feels like you’re going around in circles, but at some point when you look back, you realize that you’re moving forward.

I felt it when I looked back after a long time.

This time, I am confident that I will not hear people say that I am perfect without a single error, but I will not hear people say that I am lacking in technique and fundamentals.

‘It’s good to have some confidence based on a foundation, but… … .’

The problem is that there isn’t much time left until the concert.

The more I practice, the more I feel like the noticeable mistakes are disappearing, and my whole body feels ticklish because I am secretly getting better.

‘If you block it here, it explodes there, if you block it there, it explodes here.’

Petrushka was even more difficult to adapt to because it wasn’t a piece that could be played continuously in one breath like the usual pieces I’d practiced so far.

In order to express the movements of the main character (actor) and the emotions that appear and change in an instant, this piece often rests its hands in the middle of the performance.

Because each phrase feels like a fresh start, it often interrupts continuous concentration.

Why, isn’t there a worst-case scenario where you’re playing a rhythm game and suddenly think, ‘Hey, how am I playing this?’ You can think of it as a series of refreshing moments.

If you get hit with a whirlwind repeatedly, you’ll get used to it and gradually become numb, but if you give it time to recover from the pain, it’ll hurt anew every moment.

“Oh my, Doya.”

He lowered his head weakly and rested his forehead on the keyboard. Then he grabbed his hair tightly.

pain.

I’m having a hard time because I want to play well…

“What’re you doing?”

As I was sighing deeply, as if I was going to spit out my long legs, I heard a familiar voice through the gap in the practice room door that was suddenly open.

There were three of us children.

Today, I only invited Lee Sung-hyuk to practice, but Lee Ha-yeon and Kim Joo-hee also came because they had time to spare before dinner.

“scream.”

“what.”

“If I had come even a little later, I might have been rolling around on the floor.”

“Ugh… … Who told you to collaborate with dance when it took a week?”

I checked my friends sitting next to the piano and adjusted my posture.

There wasn’t much time left until dinner, so I had to hurry up and play.

‘Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve told this to three people at the same time.’

I thought it would be rewarding to show my changed appearance and have my friends give me feedback, so I immediately put all my strength into my body and started hitting the keys.

“I don’t know about anything else, but it feels organized from beginning to end. I didn’t hear any parts that were obviously lacking like last time.”

“Is it okay? The speed control has definitely improved. What is it?”

First of all, we heard favorable reviews from Lee Seong-hyeok and Kim Joo-hee.

Of course, it was praise considering the growth compared to the beginning of practice and the remaining week… … but fortunately, I felt that the complaining and pulling out my hair was worth it.

Even now, if I receive harsh criticism, isn’t that proof that there was a big mistake in my song selection?

“But there is something.”

After exchanging a few more words with the guys, Lee Ha-yeon, who had been quiet, tilted her head and said.

“You hit the same sound again earlier, why did you hit it like that?”

“Why like that?”

“Come down an octave, no, wait a minute.”

She quickly took the sheet music and pointed to a phrase with her index finger.

“Here, the law is unique.”

“Was that so? I didn’t read the spelling very well.”

“Can you hit me again?”

I nodded silently and played only certain phrases as instructed.

It was roughly around the part where Petrushka goes crazy after being scolded by the ballerina.

“Oh? Really?”

“Don’t you usually go with the same hand?”

“Yeah, right. I also know that my left hand is always raised.”

I wondered what it was, but it turned out to be a phrase that had recently changed the position of the hand to suit my taste. I was already used to it, so I guess I didn’t understand the question right away.

“Oh, Petrushka, this one has a lot of slamming parts. After practicing for a long time, my fingertips started to hurt, so I tried doing it with my other hand and it was actually more comfortable.”

“Really? Is it okay as long as it’s comfortable for you?”

“This kind of song isn’t one that you can crush with the pedal when you’re tired… … It’s better to distribute your energy by playing it repeatedly with your resting hand.”

The faster the tempo and the more technically difficult the piece is, the weaker the touch becomes in the latter half of the performance, a chronic problem for all pianists.

Normally, you would step on the sustain pedal to create a humming sound, but since Petrushka is all about a clear sound, you don’t often step on the pedal to create resonance.

So, I came up with my own customized method of hitting to manage my stamina in order to minimize the difference between the touch in the beginning and the end.

“… … But I still have to do it the way I learned.”

Lee Ha-yeon looked very dissatisfied, as if she wasn’t convinced by my explanation.

“Well, isn’t it okay as long as it makes a good sound no matter how you hit it?”

“I think Dohyun is right.”

“There is no right way to do it. Just play comfortably without overdoing it.”

I learned the principles of playing posture and the movement of muscles in various parts of the upper body from Lee Ha-yeon.

Since I thought this was also a basic application, I didn’t have any particular reservations.

“Yeah… … I see.”

Lee Ha-yeon, who was lost in thought for a moment, slowly nodded her head.

It wasn’t a big deal, so I straightened up right away, and a few more performances and feedback followed.

“There’s only one week left? It’s really different from when I listened to it with Yeri. I think it’s worth a try.”

Kim Joo-hee clapped her hands faintly, as if she was quite pleased.

“Did you doubt my song selection? Did you think it would be hard to get the timing right?”

“Are you stupid… … Of course.”

He shot her a stinging glare as she shook her head, but then quickly returned with an embarrassed expression.

Thinking back to the first performance, I thought it might be possible… … .

‘I’m still not completely satisfied with it, and there are still many parts that need to be polished.’

I stared down at my hands and showed the backs of my hands to my friends.

“Hey, look at this. Do your nails look long? Didn’t you just make that squeaky noise because you didn’t cut them?”

“Ah, it’s short, short! Just right!”

“Why are you so sensitive today?”

“……is it.”

I got hit on the back of my hand by Kim Joo-hee for no reason and didn’t even get to drink the soup.

I licked my lips and checked the time. It was already dinner time.

“Who stays at school on Saturday?”

“Me! I’m going to wait for the head of the Yeri group and then go out to eat lunch.”

“What are you going to do in the morning?”

“Well, I’ll just lie down… … .”

Kim Joo-hee, who noticed my gaze while fiddling with her phone, raised her head and made a frightened expression.

“That’s great. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the practice room.”

“Ah, shit, Kwon Do-hyun, really.”

“Listen to me. I’ll prepare for your improvement too, okay?”

“Because of you, I think I’ll learn Petrushka by heart… … .”

***

The concert of improvement is just around the corner.

Han Yong-seong looked at his student Kwon Do-hyeon, who was struggling hard with the keyboard.

‘The outline is really set.’

Although less than half a year had passed since he had taken on his disciple, he felt a sense of the times had changed prematurely.

Kwon Do-hyun has definitely improved his skills. In every area.

First, let’s look at the musicality.

Han Yong-seong once compared the musician Kwon Do-hyun to a ‘collage with countless pieces’.

I knew that I had great expressive powers thanks to my ability to absorb things and make them my own, but I never expected that I would progress so much in such a short period of time.

‘experience.’

Han Yong-seong divided the word experience into two meanings.

First, I gained experience in performing and performing in real situations.

The wild horse that had never run on a race track before finally recognized the width and length of the track. The world of performance, which had been running wildly based solely on senses, was now organized.

Falling, bumping into things, breaking things, I learned how to control my colorful inspiration and unique individuality, and that trial and error paid a price several times more valuable than others.

Secondly, Kwon Do-hyun’s realm was expanded through special experiences that not everyone can experience.

Everyone practices playing the piano alone to improve their skills.

However, Kwon Do-hyun made his fortune through various experiences.

Busking, orchestral concertos, composition and collaboration, chamber music, outdoor performances, popular music arrangements… … even recent collaborations with dance.

The experience of performing with ballet students to a selection of ballet music seems to have been of great help in this performance.

I learned when to back off and when to push, and I was particularly good at embodying the emotional tonicity he pointed out.

‘The growth of technique, this is the most mysterious thing.’

It’s hard to find a major weakness the guy exposed on day one.

If I could freely display my skills, I would have lost my impatience in expressing my emotions, but that was an absurd wish. Rather, in the two weeks, I achieved the maximum growth that the teacher could rationally accept.

‘Of course, it could be seen that only some of the techniques necessary for playing this piece were learned through repeated practice… … .’

Even that is great.

Even if that kind of practice is possible, isn’t it proof that if you continue to challenge difficult songs in the future, you will be able to gradually master numerous techniques without difficulty?

“Wait a minute, that’s a homonymous sound, why are your hands positioned like that?”

“Ah, to put it simply… … I changed it to what I felt comfortable with because my physical strength was lacking, and it fit me well, so I’m just leaving it as is.”

The pianist changes his playing technique.

Since it wasn’t a particularly unusual case, Han Yong-seong just ignored it for now.

“While we’re taking a break from playing… … How is it? Do you think you can do well when you improve?”

“Overall, it was good. You did well. Since it wasn’t a test that was graded strictly, I don’t think you need to worry too much about losing points.”

Looking at Kwon Do-hyun, whose expression had brightened significantly, Han Yong-seong continued speaking cautiously.

“But… … When it’s too much, it’s still too much. There are parts where I can’t focus, like there’s noise because I have too many thoughts.”

The reason Han Yong-seong had the courage to make such a simple point was also simple.

Because he thought he was responsible for the mistake.

‘There was absolutely no need to demand excessive studying.’

The era of the Russian Empire at the time, the motive behind the composition of the piece, and the message Stravinsky conveyed through Petrushka… … .

It was okay for Kwon Do-hyun not to be given homework to learn such additional background knowledge.

First of all, if he was a guy, he would have known enough about the basic information surrounding the piece, and since it was ballet music, even if he didn’t know much about it, he could have just pointed out that part and taught it to me.

‘I’ve explained to this guy over and over again that too much information is poisonous… … but I ended up saying something pointless.’

Uneasy.

The somewhat unfamiliar style of lessons, which provided proper guidance to a student who didn’t know where to go and helped him properly control his overflowing thoughts, was difficult to adapt to even in the second semester.

Han Yong-seong studied teaching methods every day and listened to Kwon Do-hyeon’s performances, but as time went by, his regrets piled up.

I feel my own shortcomings at every moment.

“Do you remember why I recommended Dohyun to you to compose and collaborate, and why I asked you to play at an extremely slow metronome speed?”

“I remember it was to feel the power of the score… … and to play with a slightly clearer mind.”

“Yeah, I guess this time I realized why sheet music is so important.”

“Yes, I talked a lot with my friend about the sheet music.”

Kwon Do-hyun smiled with a bitter aftertaste, and Han Yong-seong, who had been puzzled for a moment, continued speaking.

“It won’t be easy, but let’s eliminate all the information that we consider secondary and practice for the remaining time. What does it matter that Petrushka is a satire or that Russia is something? Just think about the main characters of the play, the score, and that’s it.”

“yes.”

“There’s something you like, sound. Good sound too. In the end, the only thing that reaches the audience is sound.”

The guy nodded seriously, his eyes full of gunfire.

“The goal is always simple, and the expression is one step behind what you feel. We don’t have to be scholars, nor do we have to be overly immersed, feeling people who enjoy themselves alone.”

“Oh, that’s what Horowitz said.”

“Yanma, that, huh? You can just think of this as the teacher saying something cool and move on. There’s nothing pretty about it.”

“It’s deception to say you don’t know what you know. How can you deceive a teacher who is as great as heaven?”

“Horse, human.”

After the grumbling and awkward reactions passed, silence fell over the practice room for a moment.

Just as we were preparing for the next practice, Kwon Do-hyun asked cautiously.

“Teacher, it is natural that the listener’s impression will differ depending on who plays the piece.”

“Well, that’s obvious, but… … Can you give me an example?”

“Like listening to my father play.”

It’s not strange for people to talk about anything during break time, but Han Yong-seong’s eyebrows twitched at the odd topic in particular.

“Does your father also do music?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“My father. I don’t know about my father, but my teacher’s grandfather played the cello.”

“Oh, you come from a family of musicians.”

Han Yong-seong smiled a bit bitterly as he recalled memories from his childhood for the first time in a long while.

“When you’re young, there’s that kind of thing. When you sing, you have to hit the high notes loudly to be good at it. When you play the piano, you have to play it fast to be good at it. You tend to like things that can be expressed in numbers.”

“Yes, usually it is like that.”

“The teacher didn’t like my grandfather’s playing either. It wasn’t very fun to listen to. It was slow and boring.”

Although he felt burdened by Kwon Do-hyun’s overly interested gaze, Han Yong-seong confided in him and told him a story that was almost like a confession.

“But after the old man passed away… … I realized as I got older. How heartwarming that sound was.”

“warm.”

“It was warm, cozy. Objectively, his skills weren’t that great, but I still think about him when I hear similar sounds. I should have recorded it.”

Han Yong-seong smiled faintly as he regained his sense of taste and came out of the memories.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Oh, no, just that.”

“It’s a bit bland, Inma. Let’s hurry up and start class.”

“yes.”