God of Piano

Wouldn’t Chris deserve to know? I thought for a moment, but it was only she who could tell me about her illness. I don’t know if Chris deserves to know, but it’s clear that Rowoon doesn’t deserve to brag about him.

So Rowoon deliberately turned around.

“Anyway, it would be nice to be a composer. You guys can literally apply for college with no limits.”

In the music composition department, you can submit the song you composed to the university without having to audition, so if you only have the application fee, you could theoretically apply to any university in the United States.

It was a completely different situation from the piano department, which usually supports between five and eight universities. Chris asked with a smirk.

“why. Are you envious?”

“Aren’t you envious? Didn’t you say you put it in the California Conservatory?”

“huh. why. Do you want to go to college with this Chris?”

“······done. it’s okay. What are you talking about?”

“why? Be honest. I want to go with you.”

“f*ck you.”

The two chatted like that for a while. And soon Chris asked Rowoon with a strange smile.

“But how is the preparation for the audition going? Do you think it will work out?”

Rowoon answered without hesitation.

#

Luther had no friends other than Gregor. There was a part of him trying to make friends only with Gregor, but it was more because he was basically not a personality that people could get close to.

Because of that, when Gregor began to focus only on lessons and practice ahead of the audition, Luther naturally had no choice but to spend more time alone. And when he was alone in the practice room or dormitory, Luther habitually recalled the words Rowoon had left him.

— I guess you’re the only one who says that to you.

When I asked if I looked like a dick, Rowoon answered like that. And those words left a bigger impact on Luther than expected. I couldn’t deny it. At Hidden Valley High School, the one who gave Luther the lowest grade was Luther himself, not anyone else.

‘A person’s score is fixed from the beginning.’

Luther didn’t like the law. It was because he was in a position to benefit from the law even when he was a child, even when he was in elementary school.

He was talented at the piano. It was a talent that was not enough to be called a genius, but it was still enough to be called a gifted child. Even though he put in less effort than the others, he always elicited applause from his teachers.

Because Luther loved his talent, he longed for and liked those who were just as talented. It was for this reason that he became close with Gregor. Upon entering Hidden Valley High School and hearing his performance for the first time, Luther was immediately convinced. The one who has the most overwhelming talent here is that friend.

And to that extent, he didn’t like Rowoon. In a world where talent determines everything, Rowoon tried to reject it as if it were superstition. he tried Practiced. If you do that, it’s like you can reap fruit someday.

Luther couldn’t accept that. Talent is talent because it cannot be overcome. Discussing Mozart and praising his genius, have you seen someone who praises hard work?

Talent had to be insurmountable. The moment he became able to overcome, everything Luther had was no different from being denied. That’s why I hated Rowoon. bitten off His struggles were dismissed as useless effort.

But Rowoon, who was like that, changed at some point.

Gregor, who had always been an insurmountable wall to him, began to be regarded as Rowoon’s rival before he knew it.

It seemed so even to Luther. Rowoon’s playing contained something lacking in Gregor’s playing as well as Luther’s playing. That something made Rowoon special, and made it possible to compete with Gregor.

Seeing Rowoon like that, Luther felt as if his heart was empty. At first, I just thought that my hidden talent would be revealed. But that thought soon raised another question.

······Then, perhaps, the same talent is hidden in him too?

Whether it was to find the answer, or simply because he wanted to see a duck that had become a swan unlike him, Luther looked for Rowoon. After finding Rowoon, Luther’s face was full of haggard feelings. Someone said that it was because he was rejected in the first audition of the university he had chosen first, but that was not the only reason.

“theory. I don’t mind, but let’s do one favor.”

“what?”

“Play me.”

Luther said briefly.

“The song you are most confident in.”

“…”

Rowoon was not taken aback by the sudden request. Instead, he started playing slowly. Luther waited patiently to see what song Rowoon would play. Is it a dog waltz? Or the Goldberg Variations that are said to overlap with Gregor?

it wasn’t all

What Rowoon played to Luther was Chopin’s Ballade No. 2.

It was the last song I practiced focusing on, but at the same time, it was also the song I was most confident in. Over the past few weeks, Rowoon has focused on Chopin’s Ballade No. 2.

The level of his playing rose frighteningly fast each day. He had already been able to play two of Chopin’s pieces neatly like a pro, and had some understanding of Chopin’s life. As such, the Chopin he plays could not be an ordinary Chopin.

A relationship with Sand. And, the many broken hearts and despair Chopin went through before reaching Sande. sacrifice he had to make. Rowoon’s performance contained all of that. That’s why the performance was special, and that specialness made Luther dark. It was because he couldn’t even understand why this performance was so beautiful. All he could tell was that Rowoon had changed. While he sat in his place and babbled that everyone has a place, he moved forward.

After the performance, Luther slowly stood up from his seat. He had a distraught face, as if he had been denied his entire life. As he was about to leave the practice room, he slowly looked back at Rowoon as if he had remembered something he had forgotten. And he said in a trembling voice.

“······Audition, how many weeks are left?”

“About two weeks left.”

“The word “be nice” doesn’t mean anything. Enough to show off a performance like this. Ron, I…”

Luther was about to say something, but couldn’t bear to say it and clenched his fists. Rowoon watched Luther quietly. That gaze was more intolerable to Luther than the criticism.

“Thank you for playing.”

Those were the last words. Luther left the practice room as if running away. Rowoon watched the door Luther left for a while and scratched his head. What the hell was going on in Luther’s head, Rowoon had no way of knowing. I didn’t even know why he suddenly appeared with such a face and asked me to play.

In fact, I didn’t even have to think about it anymore. It is up to the person who made the mistake to have a lot of thoughts. Rowoon always walked the best he could, and as such, he had no reason or need to think too much.

There was only one thing he needed to know.

The audition is two weeks away, and he’s ready.

ready to be judged. no,

ready to receive praise.

＜ Flight of the Swan (2) ＞ End

＜ Flight of the Swan (3) ＞

In the United States, instrumental music students preparing for the entrance exam to music schools usually submit applications to five to eight schools.

It was the same with Rowoon. He applied to a total of five schools that required songs in a format similar to the California Institute of Music. Theoretically, only the California Conservatory had upward applications, two downward applications, and two decent universities, but Baum said:

— You can think of all schools other than the California Institute of Music as downgrading.

I just had to say that. The results and career Rowoon showed until last year were at a level that made it difficult to dare to dream of the California Conservatory, but considering the tremendous growth Rowoon has shown over the past half year, the story is different.

Rowoon was by no means inferior to other students applying to the California Conservatory. No, in terms of individuality, there was a sense of overwhelming them rather. Because there weren’t many people who surpassed Rowoon in his unique performance.

It’s a strange thing. Usually, most pianists specialized in a particular composer, largely a period and musical style, and showed off their superior knowledge in that part.

However, Rowoon would pull out a performance that was appropriate for the era and the composer, regardless of the style of the opponent. Just looking at the songs I was preparing for this audition, I felt the same way. Bach in the Baroque era, Beethoven in classicism, and Chopin in romanticism.

The three musicians’ songs had different personalities, and the two hands that had to play them belonged to the same man. Nonetheless, Rowoon’s hands moved most appropriately to the song whenever he touched it, bringing out the best sound.

To be honest, Baum was confident that he could play more skillfully than Rowoon, but he wasn’t confident that he could produce a sound more appropriate to the situation. It was no wonder that he was being coached by world famous musicians. And, the impression Baum got was actually quite accurate. Except for the fact that Rowoon is not just a ‘world-class’ musician.

And Baum wasn’t the only one who had that impression.

Prior to auditioning for the California Institute of Music, Rowoon had already auditioned at two schools. Three schools had audition dates earlier than the California Conservatory, but one of the two schools had already announced acceptance, so I didn’t have to bother.

A professor at one of the universities even called Baum directly. He was an alumni who took classes with Baum in college.

[ Long time no see, Asher. Luoen Li, this child, was from Hidden Valley High School… is this your work? ]

“I don’t know if that child is my work, but my pupil is.”

[ ······He raised her well. Even during the 1st audition, I thought he was a fun friend, but after seeing him in person during the 2nd audition, I realized that he wasn’t that great. I thought that the kid was originally specialized in Bach, but he would still be able to play one or two short pieces by Chopin fairly well. ]

I had to think that way too. The songs Rowoon submitted in the first audition were Chopin’s Dog Waltz and Prelude No. 4, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

Chopin’s two pieces have a playing time of about 2 to 3 minutes each, whereas the Goldberg Variation is about 40 to 50 minutes, so I look at the match with Bach’s Goldberg, where I am confident, and Chopin’s songs are my favorite. It was natural to think that it would be to the extent of trying to appeal that the spectrum we have is by no means narrow.

It was a mistake. In the second audition, after listening to Rowoon’s additional performances of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 2 and Chopin’s Ballad No. 2, each with roughly 20 minutes and 8 minutes of playing time, he played Chopin’s short pieces to expand the spectrum that Rowoon lacked. I found out that I didn’t choose.

Rowoon was real. No matter which era he stayed in, he knew how to be a pianist that the era demanded.

[How did you teach? How does a young kid who is not even 20 know how to radiate so many different colors? ]

The professor knew that Rowoon’s talent alone wouldn’t make it possible. In the music world, what is considered as important as talent is which teacher to study with, and that is why Rowoon’s skills cannot be explained without talking about Baum.

However, there was nothing Baum could give back to a friend who asked for his secret. He didn’t know the answer either. ‘Believe in the disciple and wait.’ Baum couldn’t even say the same cliché. Baum didn’t trust Rowoon.

Baum thought the poor teacher was just lucky, but he didn’t have the audacity to admit it casually, and he didn’t have a knack for attributing it to himself. Eventually he said, ‘I don’t know either.’ After repeating the same answer, I had to hang up the phone at the end of an old friend’s voice that seemed to be somewhat disappointed.

It wasn’t a very pleasant phone call. Still, Baum laughed. Rowoon’s performance made even a professor at a well-known university call an old friend whom he had lost contact with. His music was growing.

If it went on like this, passing the California Conservatory would not be a problem. When most musicians dream, Rowoon might make that dream come true. Thinking of that, Baum felt his heart swell for no reason, even though it was not his dream.

‘The California Conservatory will recognize Rowoon if he’s not an idiot. okay. I guess so.’

Baum’s idea was not wrong. In fact, Rowoon’s name appeared quite often at the California Conservatory ahead of the second audition.

“Aiden. Do you remember that kid?”

Massimo Donatti asked. Aiden Han frowned.

“That child? who?”

“Pretending not to know. Of course, that Little Chopin. Who else could be?”

“It’s not that I can’t remember… but it’s not to the point where I immediately come to mind when I hear the word ‘that child’.”

“That child, will the second come?”

“Is there a school in America that will leave the California Conservatory behind? I don’t know.”

Well, he could have given a name like Juilliard or Curtis back to a school like that, but Donatti didn’t bother. He was very loyal to the company, and above all, he did not want to imagine a case where the little Chopin did not choose the California Conservatory.

The woman who was watching such Han and Donati shook her head as if it was absurd. Sweeping through her half-white blond hair, she said.

“Massimo. Are you talking about that kid again?”

“Ann. You heard that number 4 too. Can’t you understand?”

“Well… I’m sure it was okay, but it’s still hard to judge based on those 4 times. The playtime was short, and above all… I liked the doggie waltz and Goldberg, but it wasn’t as good as the 4th, right?”

“Everything else doesn’t have to be good, right? Being able to play one song well means that you can play it that way even with other songs. At least I think so.”

“The sensibility is fine, but there was a feeling that the touch was less polished….”

“That’s what I need to take care of! Anne knows very well that touch can be taught somehow, but emotion is not, right?”

Donatti was already pretending to be a professor in charge of students who hadn’t yet passed. Ann Taylor shook her head as if she couldn’t stop it, then smiled. His childish, straightforward way of thinking often made Professor Lee into a troublemaker, but as such, his thinking often led to quite pleasant incidents. So Taylor didn’t want to argue about the matter any longer.