Volume 3 / Chapter 117
TL: LightNovelCafe
[TN: Saturday release! Enjoy guys!]
Coline who said he would become a rockstar, stayed at the dorms like Jun Hyuk. He was preparing for his band’s first single.
“Jun, you’re not going to Korea?”
“No. My grades aren’t good. I need to study.”
“Your grades aren’t good? What? Ah…..”
Coline saw the book Jun Hyuk was reading and realized it was his special class.
“That’s hard for anyone to get good grades in. What is that? Is there anyone in this school who reads that book?”
He flipped the book Jun Hyuk was reading to read its cover and stuck out his tongue.
“It’s okay. It’s pretty fun. It’s just a little frustrating because there are a lot of words I don’t know.”
“Hey, that book is hard for me to understand too. Why on earth are you reading Nietzsche?”
Coline thought Jun Hyuk’s special classes were too harsh, but also fascinating that Jun Hyuk did not lose interest.
“Apparently Nietzsche wrote this when he worshipped Wagner. It’s interesting. But… Hey! If you’re going to talk nonsense, go. I need to study German too.”
Jun Hyuk swatted at Coline’s hand as he went through the books.
“Anyway, it’s good that you didn’t go to Korea. We’re not going away either.”
“We? Ah, the band?”
“Yeah. We’re going to record during the break. Won’t you participate?”
“I told you I won’t. You do the band alone and succeed. I have a lot of money.”
“You convert my rock spirit to money.”
Coline who had been speaking in an exaggerated tone spoke cautiously,
“My German is perfect… You want me to teach you?”
“What? Really? You’re American. Where did you say you’re from?”
“Chicago. But I’m Slovakian.”
“Do they speak German in Slovakia?”
“No. Slovakia has its own language. My mother is German.”
It is a quite appetizing offer. He knows from experience that language is learned faster by practicing speaking than by reading.
“Fine. Then it’s just one day. I’ll take a look at your band’s music.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but you can’t bother me any more.”
“Oh oh… my maestro! How can I thank you.”
“Say it in German.”
Coline put his band’s music on a CD and gave it to Jun Hyuk. It was just music they had not played properly in the practice room, but Jun Hyuk kept admiring Coline’s bass.
He had not been fooling around when he said that he wants to become a rockstar. He was good enough to contemplate between becoming a cellist and bassists. Coline is an extremely talented player performing with nearly perfect rhythm, funk, and melody.
“Who are these members? A band that performs at clubs?”
“No. Students at New York College. The guitar is a journalism major and the drummer is management.”
“Impressive…..”
“What do you think? They’re good, right?”
Coline gained confidence at Jun Hyuk’s reaction.
“Coline, are you really going to do the band? What do you think about going all in on the cello instead? It’s a pity because you’re already comparable to Jacqueline Mary du Pre.”
Jacqueline du Pre is a genius cellist from England who debuted at age 15 and became internationally renowned in her early 20s, formally retiring at age 28 due to a chronic disease. She is also the wife of Daniel Barenboim, the conductor of the London Philharmonic, Paris Orchestra, and Chicago Orchestra.
Jun Hyuk said that Coline is a top genius cellist, but Coline did not waver a bit.
“Thanks but I’ve already given up on classical.”
Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh at Coline’s calm answer.
“Whew – Then reserve a recording studio. Let’s make this song well. I’ll produce it, so tell your members that.”
“What? Produce it?”
“Why? You don’t believe in me? If not, forget it.”
“No. I’m just surprised because I was only expecting a little advice and you’re saying you’ll even produce it.”
“It’s because I don’t want your bass to go to waste. This kind of bass can’t be buried. Also, the song isn’t bad.”
“Thanks. I’ll tell you as soon as we reserve a studio.”
When Coline stood with a light heart, Jun Hyuk asked,
“But what’s the band’s name?”
“Violon.”
As Jun Hyuk watched Coline say the name and run out, he smiled.
‘That kid still wants to play the cello.’
Violon.
The official name of the cello is the violoncello, and this means that it is a double bass. Viol means a big violin or or big viola as seen in the violin or viola, and eventually means double bass. Since the diminutive cello is attached here, it becomes ‘small double bass’.
Coline still loves the cello.
***
“It’s too grand. And too complicated.”
This is what Jun Hyuk said during the first take while recording the guitar. The guitarist of the band Violon was confused as to whether or not it is a compliment, but realized that it is not a compliment from Jun Hyuk’s frown.
“You need to play harmoniously because you’re not supposed to be showing off your technique. The song has a simple riff… but the guitar is to Yngwie Malmsteen.”
Yngwie Malmsteen is a classic kid who loved Bach but after watching Jimi Hendrix perform on TV, became a prospective guitarist in Sweden.
Like a classic kid, he added a baroque melody to heavy metal and is the person who changed the average speed of guitar playing with sweep fingering and technique.
Jun Hyuk was not praising him on his technique, but telling him not to play something that is unnecessary.
Violon’s guitarist was about to refute but closed his mouth. He remembered what Coline had warned him about.
“Listen up. This kid calculates each note while making a song. He’s recognized as a genius by a great musician. Make sure you do as he says without complaining because he’s someone who will make our song great.”
Jun Hyuk whispered to Coline after listening to the 2nd take for the guitar,
“We’ll spend the night like this. Can’t we take the easy route?”
“Easy? How?”
“Can I rearrange it? I tried to go with the original song the way it is… but honestly, it’s hard to bear with.”
“You?”
“Yeah. I’ll only touch the guitar and drums. The bass can go the way it is in the original since there’s nothing to change there.”
“Hang on.”
Coline spoke with the band members for a moment and went back to Jun Hyuk,
“Okay. Those guys also decided to trust you and go with it. But you can’t change the song completely. That’s our pride.”
“I told you, the song is good. I’m really just going to arrange it.”
Jun Hyuk took the guitar and spoke to the guitarist,
“Look here, guitar guy. With your skill, you’ll get it just by listening once. Okay?”
Jun Hyuk went into the recording studio and played the guitar and drum more concisely than in the original.
The guitarist and drummer looked full of complaints because all of the parts that would have shown their grand performance skills had disappeared. However, they left their performance to Jun Hyuk when they saw the recording engineer move to the music.
They still seemed to have complaints after finishing the recording and listening to the full song. It does not have the rough taste that is characteristic of rookie rock bands and its grandiosity. All that was left was a simple refinement. This felt like music from the 3rd or 4th album of an experienced group rather than that of a rookie band.
“Alright, that’s it for me. I brought out the best I could so if you don’t like it, just record it again according to the original.”
Coline and the Violon members listened to the recording repeatedly for two days and came to one conclusion. The song is a little outside the band’s color, but it is not one that they get sick of easily after listening to it continuously.
Coline put the song on the online store and boldly chose the price. It was valued at $1.99.
From that day on, all Coline did was from the moment he woke up was to check the views.