noveldepot Chapter 40 Improvisation Instruction
Chapter 40 Improvisation Instruction
Zik rubbed his hands together as he entered the music room. Free private French lessons were a rare opportunity, and he had to make the most of it.
According to Christie, in high society circles, being fluent in French is a natural calling card that distinguishes nouveau riche from old-fashioned gentlemen.
If you can't even understand what people are casually talking about, then don't even think about getting to know your classmates from wealthy families.
The music classroom is spacious and bright, with various musical instruments neatly arranged against the wall, including guitars, pianos, violins, and saxophones. Each instrument looks brand new and exquisite, clearly a well-maintained high-end product.
Judy sat back on the piano bench, leaning casually against the piano. She picked up a basketball from somewhere and skillfully twirled it with one hand on her fingertips. The basketball spun steadily without any sign of falling. Her agility was completely unlike that of a delicate little girl.
Hearing the door open, Judy looked up and saw Zeke. Her eyes lit up, and she casually tossed the basketball at him.
The basketball flew in with a slight force, and Zik instinctively raised his hand and easily caught it with one hand.
"Wow, you can hold the ball with one hand?" Judy exclaimed in surprise, jumping off the piano bench. "That's so cool! Can you teach me how to play basketball?"
Qi Ke was speechless, thinking that this girl was indeed developing into a tomboy in every way. What kind of hobbies were these?
"I'm not very good at it, but I'll just practice with you and teach you some basic moves, which should be fine."
He happened to be unfamiliar with tennis and golf, which the other students were discussing, and since the last Apocalypse YMCA was somewhat related to basketball, Zeke figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
"Then I'll make plans with you when I'm free."
"No problem, what song do you want to sing?"
Zik smiled and nodded, placed the basketball in the corner, and turned to look at the piano.
Judy's smile faded, and she sat back down on the piano bench, opened the sheet music, and lightly tapped a page with her fingertips:
"There's an old French song called 'Les Champs-Élysées,' which is copyrighted by CBS. They want me to cover it."
"CBS? Columbia? So you're going straight for the US market?"
Judy nodded: "Hmm, an executive at Columbia thinks French disco might have potential, and he wants me to practice it first. If they're satisfied, they'll release an album for me to test the waters."
Why is it disco again? This is right in my strike zone. I came to Los Angeles because of disco.
At the same time, Zik was secretly amazed: the disco craze is really hot, even giants like Columbia couldn't resist getting involved secretly.
Although the heads of these major companies are still saying in industry magazines that they "don't have a good opinion of disco," feeling that the music style is thin and like a trend that will pass by in a flash, their words are just empty complaints.
Moreover, it seems really pathetic to want to be a singer without any creative ability. What does it mean to "help" you release an album? The record company makes the lion's share of the profits, making it seem like the singer owes them a favor.
"Then give it a try. To be honest, I know a little about disco." Zeke flicked his hair in a slightly smug way.
"Cool~ I'll get started then." Judy cleared her throat.
She had barely started when Zeke frowned and immediately told her to stop.
"Judy, why are you trying to sing like a boy? Just use your own voice."
"Ahem, uh, sorry, I'm used to it, and besides, the original singer of this song was a man."
She was getting back into the swing of things, and Qi Ke didn't rush her. He casually picked up a guitar from the corner and strummed it haphazardly, thinking to himself that this private school was really nice, since the guitars sold for over 800 yuan in music stores.
Judy switched back to her original voice, which is a bit androgynous, and she might not be able to change it for a while.
But compared to the deliberately lowered, hoarse voice from before, it sounded much more natural now.
The lyrics are completely incomprehensible; it seems to be about something related to the Champs-Élysées. I personally think it's pretty good, but whether it will sell well on CBS, which mainly features white rock and mainstream pop, is uncertain.
The melody is quite catchy, but Judy's singing skills... well, they're not that great. She's far inferior to professional singers like Amanda, but she's good enough for pop music.
After Judy finished singing a section, Zeke smiled and encouraged her, "Your voice is very nice, and your pitch is good too. But to be honest, I'm not a professionally trained singer either, but if you release an album, I'd be happy to buy a copy and listen to it at home."
"Really?" Judy gave a bright smile. "I can tell you're just playing around."
"I'm learning now. I'm a poor kid from Brooklyn, and I can't afford a guitar."
"So how did you end up at this school?"
"It was just good luck. I wrote a great song by chance, and Casablanca Records picked it up. They gave me a first-class ticket and a Mercedes."
As Zik spoke half-jokingly and half-seriously, he couldn't help but mutter to himself how similar his own experience was to Jacques Morali's tale of a poor boy and the American Dream—it was almost like following a script.
"Wow, so you already have some work? And you're from Casablanca?"
"Yes, if you want to see their artists perform, you can contact me. I can get tickets."
"Cool, but my mom's really strict, so there's a good chance I won't be able to sneak out to the show," Judy sighed. "She's also my manager."
"Tsk, that's easy, just go and beg your dad for help."
He thought that since he had a strict mother, he probably had a doting father, so he said casually.
As soon as she finished speaking, Judy's smile vanished, replaced by an utterly calm expression.
"I've never seen him before."
This was awkward. Zik's heart skipped a beat as he realized he had said the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"It's okay, they divorced before I was born, and my mother took good care of me."
Judy quickly composed herself and continued practicing, humming "Oh~ Oh~ Oh."
Qi Ke pondered to himself, no wonder this girl became a tomboy. Her father was absent the whole time, and she was a child star. She probably unconsciously sought strength from the outside world, and her masculine clothing and hobbies might just give her a sense of security.
This kind of girl is a bit difficult to deal with. She must be very guarded, and it's hard to please her without leaving a trace. If you want her to tutor you in French for a long time, you can only start with your professional skills.
Things are a bit tricky; he doesn't know much about music theory.
The good news is that spending these past few days with those Berklee College of Music high achievers in the Sirens band has allowed me to pick up some practical techniques and slang during rehearsals and performances, which will be helpful in dealing with beginners like Judy...
There shouldn't be any major problems.
Right?
Having made up his mind, Zeke put down his guitar and tapped his fingers on the guitar case when Judy reached the chorus:
"Hold on a minute. Your pronunciation was perfect just now. Do you know how powerhouse singers like Tina Turner and Kate Bush sing? When they hit high notes, their throats..."
Zik walked over to her and pointed to the area below his Adam's apple. "It's relaxed, like you're sighing, not straining. The way you sang just now sounded like you were reciting a text. It was accurate, but too tense."
He taught her exactly how Amanda sang. Anyway, although this woman wasn't very likable, she did sing like those two, so it wasn't exactly a lie.
Judy cleared her throat thoughtfully. "You mean my vibrato was too stiff? I also think that last part sounded like chanting. Let me try... Is it like that?"
Judy adjusted her breathing and tried to sing a line in a more relaxed state.
Qi Ke's eyes lit up; the top student's comprehension ability was indeed strong. He snapped his fingers:
"Bingo! That's the feeling. Also, don't just focus on the sheet music. Elvis once said, 'Lyrics are the code, emotion is the signal.' What you're trying to express is that...disco-esque psychedelic feeling. Your eyes are too clear right now. Close your eyes and imagine you're in an underground dance floor in Paris, the lights are so bright you can't open them."
"Did Elvis say that?" Judy frowned, looking at him with some skepticism. "I've never heard of it."