God's Song

Editor: adkji

“Then, to continue, you’re not going to ever release those scores you have bundled up? You’re still writing songs now, right? You’re just going to keep storing them?”

“I’m sure I will one day. He he.”

“What does that laugh mean? And does that ‘one day’ really mean something?”

Yoon Jung Su spoke while examining Jun Hyuk, who kept smiling.

“Those songs aren’t that bad, though some of the early ones are cheesy. To say it simply, they’re on reserve.”

“What? Reserve?”

“Yes. When it becomes hard to write songs and I can’t think of motifs... They’re just on reserve so I can reveal them one by one if I lose inspiration.”

“I don’t think that’s it. That just means you’re never going to reveal them.”

It just sounds like a joke. Music matures with time. He could lose inspiration, but music is not written only when motifs come to them. As they create music, there are more instances when they start to think up motifs.

“You never know. It might just disappear one day.”

“Don’t worry because that’s not going to happen. Isn’t it better to go through them one by one and release them, except for the ones you really don’t like?”

They did not realize that the time was passing by because they were talking intensely about music. After 3 hours flew by, Jun Hyuk sent the signal to end it.

“Teacher, I’m starting to get hungry. Let’s eat together. We can talk while we eat.....”

“Oh. It went on for too long, didn’t it? Let’s do that. Then, last question: your personal goals? I’m going to do this no matter what. Something like that.”

Yoon Jung Su posed the last question with the producer’s signal that the interview was over.

“Mozart left the world over 600 songs as he died at the age of 36, but I’ll live at least twice that long, right? Then I guess my goal is to leave over 1000 songs?”

“1000 songs?”

“Yes. If I keep going as I’m doing now, I think it’s a goal I can meet.”

“All classical?”

“Hm. I didn’t really decide on that. Just as it happens.”

“Speaking as a fan of yours, I hope you become a great musician, who crosses through different genres.”

The interview ended with Yoon Jung Su’s meaningful hopes for Jun Hyuk, and Tara approached them.

“Jun. The car is waiting, so go first in that. I just made a reservation, so the driver will take you to the restaurant. Mr. Yoon is going to head there too, so eat with everyone.”

“Why? You’re not coming?”

“I still have work to do here. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done, so don’t mind me.”

Tara and Lim So Mi need to go through the entire interview footage. Jun Hyuk and Yoon Jung Su left the guest room.

“Teacher, let’s go. We can talk as we eat.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mr. Yoon too. We both live in Korea but meeting in New York.”

“Oh right. When do you go back?”

“Tomorrow evening. I have plenty of time.”

Jun Hyuk enjoyed his dinner with a carefree heart, now that he was done with his last interview. He is happy that he can concentrate on music again now that the cumbersome work is over.

***

Laura Goldberg never thought she would have to sing an aria with just one sound.

She had been more excited when she heard that Jun Hyuk had written the song while thinking of her. He is a star and she will be the first person to sing his song. This alone will catch the world’s attention.

The mail with the score included said that they would start recording as soon as she arrived in New York, so she should be fully prepared.

Laura had not imagined that she would record her first album so soon. She learned the music sheet that President Stern sent her and just waited for the gala concert to hurry up and end.

When Laura arrived in New York, she forgot her jetlag and exhaustion and ran to the recording studio. Only two people were waiting for her in the recording studio, a sound engineer and Jun Hyuk.

“Did the gala concert go well?”

“Honestly, I was out of it once I got the score. I was paying more attention to this song than I was to the concert. And thanks.”

Laura thanked him for choosing her, but Jun Hyuk shook his head.

“Push that back until after the recording. If I don’t think you’re up for it, I’m going to get another soprano.”

Jun Hyuk cut it off coldly and Laura sobered. There is no need to say thank you. Jun Hyuk is the composer and he will be directing her. Her job is to hurry up and end the recording to his standards.

They have not gathered in this studio because of recognition or friendship. They have come to work.

“Okay. I’ll bring out a result that you’ll be satisfied with, Mr. Producer.”

Jun Hyuk smiled when he heard Laura sound ready to get work done.

“Great. Then, do you want to try singing it easily? Let’s see what you practiced over a week first.”

Laura went into the recording booth, put the score on the stand, and cleared her throat.

“Laura. Since there isn’t an accompaniment, pay attention to the beat. Do you need a metronome?”

“No. I’ll try it out without a metronome first.”

“Okay. Go.”

Her voice came out through the recording booth microphone and wrapped the whole studio. Jun Hyuk wrote something on a piece of paper while she sang.

Laura sang 5 five-minute songs without resting and looked at Jun Hyuk.

“Laura, what did you do for a week?”

“Huh? Why? Is it that bad?”

“Your pronunciation is completely off in the passage (part of a melody where the notes are quickly changed in direction to go high or low). I’m sure you saw the one message written on the score. The pronunciation needs to be precise. You didn’t see it?”

“That... that.”

“I have a lot to say about other things, but there’s no need to say it because you can’t do the most basic part.”

Laura was speechless in the recording booth.

“Laura, let me ask one thing.”

“... Yeah.”

“This song. You don’t like it? It’s bad?”

“No. It’s really good. The melody is really beautiful.”

“Then, I haven’t done anything wrong?”

“R... Right.”

“If the song is good, it’s okay if the performance is a little off. Contrary to that, if the performance is good, it’s okay for the song to be plain. But, there isn’t a crazy record label willing to make an album just because it’s okay.”

Jun Hyuk ignored Laura who could not lift her head, and spoke to the sound engineer.

“Will you make what we just recorded into a CD?”

“Excuse me? Oh... Sure.”

The sound engineer was completely lost in Laura’s hair-raisingly beautiful voice and exquisite technique. He could not understand what the producer was so upset about. This is at a perfect standard for a first take.

“Laura, come out.”

Laura came out and Jun Hyuk gave her a sheet of paper.

“These are the places where your pronunciation is off while you sing. Take the CD and check it. We’ll just say that you weren’t in good condition today. If it’s like this tomorrow, it might be hard to keep going.”

The sheet that Jun Hyuk gave her is full of numbers indicating minutes and seconds like a stopwatch.

“And there are a lot of cases where you have to go straight to the concert hall after getting off a plane because your tour schedule is tight. Being off condition because of long flights... I’m sure you know that this kind of excuse doesn’t work in the professional world.”

Laura gently bit her lip. This was not a place to come running to out of excitement. She needed to have come with complete preparation.

Laura looked up at Jun Hyuk and spoke,

“3 days.”

“Huh? What?”

“Let’s meet after 3 days. I can’t get ready in 1 day.”

Jun Hyuk’s face relaxed,

“3 days is enough? Do you want more?”

“No. I need to do it within 3 days. I can’t just keep you waiting.”

Jun Hyuk smiled widely,

“Great. Then 2 in the afternoon in 3 days. Okay?”

Jun Hyuk sent Laura away and then listened to her song again.

“Maestro. I don’t really know what you’re trying to do with this song, but isn’t it pretty great for a first take?”

The sound engineer spoke up cautiously after listening to the recording with Jun Hyuk.

“It is great. This kind of unique sound is rare.”

“But you were really pushing her.....”

“You’ll realize when we’re finishing up with our recording. You’ll know what this sound really looks like.”

The sound engineer was still puzzled at Jun Hyuk’s words.