Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 398



Only Noblemtl

Episode 398

Everyone couldn’t get over the lingering emotion of the song that Baek Seol-ha had shown. The recording site was filled with deep excitement, anticipating the birth of a new ‘The Unknown’.

Baek Seol-ha, who put on her mask again and came to the waiting area near the stage, was no exception.

She sat on a round chair, her legs neatly folded together, and held the microphone resting on her legs as if in prayer.

‘It might work.’

Snow White’s heart was still pounding.

My vision is blurry because of my heartbeat.

He still couldn’t believe that such a song was coming out of his throat.

‘The best I can do, no.’

Snow White declared.

‘It was the best.’

And I was sure.

‘I have surpassed my old teachers.’

Snow White has leaped to a higher level than the back view of the teacher she admired.

The joy of being certain that you have surpassed the idol you have always admired. It was different from a simple sense of accomplishment.

As if she had shed her shell, she had a strong feeling that she would never go back to the way she was before that day.

Snow White transformed into a feather.

‘I might win… … I might really win.’

The reason Baek Seol-ha believed in victory was not only because her skills had improved.

It was also because I believed in the environment.

‘The broadcast stage is my domain.’

I have appeared on hundreds of broadcast stages so far.

That experience was by no means to be ignored.

If the stage had been an opera house, Snow White’s potential would not have been fully realized…

‘Even the teacher wouldn’t be able to fully demonstrate his skills on this kind of stage.’

It’s impossible to fully adapt after just a few attempts. That’s why Baek Seol-ha could believe in her victory.

‘O Sole Mio in the West’, Lee In-seong went up on stage after being introduced by the MC.

He stood in front of the stand microphone and straightened his posture reverently.

‘Teacher, what song will you sing?’

Snow White brought her best contest song.

It is a song that boasts powerful yet intense damping and technique.

What about Lee In-seong?

‘If a male singer were to bring a song to a competition, it would either be rock-based or a ballad.’

What are the chances that Lee In-seong chose a song that was suitable for the competition?

‘Looking back on the stages so far, the songs that the teacher chose were old, reflecting the teacher’s age. Songs that the teacher listened to during his childhood. Just like the ones I chose… ‘

At least the pop star songs that Baek Seol-ha chose have not become dulled by the passage of time.

America’s amazingly advanced sound engineering technology has not faded much even after 10 years.

But these were not the songs that Lee In-seong had chosen.

‘The reason the teacher won was because of his overwhelming singing ability. If that were all… … .’

Snow White’s eyes behind the mask radiated a sharp determination.

‘I will take the victory, sir. I will win in my country, on my stage.’

Soon, the song started playing.

As soon as she heard the first note, Baek Seol-ha was taken aback.

‘what?’

Violin, cello, contrabass, and brass instruments all harmonize beautifully.

You can’t call it pop. It’s not rock. It’s not a ballad. There’s no reason why you can’t use orchestral sounds in that genre, but this main melody is just too…

‘It’s classic.’

Classic and monotonous.

Snow White was surprised that he had thought of that.

‘This is an opera piece.’

In modern times, popular music created not only by the singer’s voice but also by the instruments used can be called the masters of the music.

There are even songs that completely exclude the singer’s vocals from the highlights and only include the ‘drop’, a method of expressing highlights in electronic music.

The singer’s voice composes the song along with those instruments and runs together.

‘But this song isn’t it.’

The instruments in the background are monotonous. Monotonous and plain, as if waiting for something.

The instruments are water.

They are trying to float a boat on it.

‘The ship… … that ship… … .’

Immediately afterwards, Lee In-seong opened his mouth.

[Ave Maria―

(Mary, I salute you)]

The sacred song resonates.

Lee In-seong brought his territory onto the stage to fight his disciple.

* * *

There is a word called ‘heavenly voice’.

It’s a phrase so commonly quoted in the media that it no longer resonates with people.

It is a word used to describe a song that sounds like an angel singing, a voice that came down from heaven.

The word, so common, came to everyone’s mind at the same time.

[Maria―]

Can this be called a song?

Can a song with only the lyrics “Ave Maria” be called a song?

But it was definitely a song.

As a song, it comes to people as if it is permeating their hearts. The heavenly voice also brings light to people’s heads.

“Ugh… … .”

Someone couldn’t hold it back and started crying.

He took the rosary beads from his wrist and clasped his hands together devoutly.

Yes, the first to react were the Catholics. They were seeing the mercy of God, the sunlight shining through the stained glass of the cathedral.

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”

The words the angel spoke to Mary flow into the minds of the believers.

No, it’s not just words.

The scenery from that day 2,000 years ago is depicted.

‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’

A god who died carrying the original sin of all people in all nations.

The image of the blessed woman who conceived the god is depicted in the song.

Devout Catholics bow their heads in praise, unable to hold back their tears.

[Ave Maria―]

It wasn’t just Catholics who reacted so strongly. Even people of other religions or no religion felt something from Lee In-seong’s song.

It was sacred.

Lee In-seong’s voice echoed through the air in all directions, as if it had an echo effect. It spread clearly as if the space itself was vibrating.

It must be a voice that has not even been touched by a machine, but it floats through the air as if it will go on forever.

[A―]

Even if it had only one syllable, it was a hymn.

Truly, a voice from heaven made it possible.

The audience member sitting in the front row trembled slightly. For some reason, his hand, which had been resting on the armrest, was gripping it tightly.

The armrest shook under his pressure.

The reaction was similar to that of a farmer who first heard a choir sing in a cathedral 1,000 years ago.

It was the reaction of someone who felt divinity for the first time, truly experiencing the Holy Spirit that he had only heard about through the words of the priest.

[Mari―]

Since ancient times, singing has been the skill closest to God.

The irregular and chaotic human mind was the only way to express the orderly laws of God.

So for a long time, song was a religion.

Catholic hymns.

The Aakdo of Yuga.

All songs in the world have been maintained and developed based on religion.

No, religion could not let go of the song. It could not dare to let go of the miracle that allowed people to experience God directly.

[Ave―]

Modern people are insensitive to music.

Because music can be listened to anytime, anywhere.

If you eat a delicacy every day, it becomes no different from ordinary food. As a result, modern people have become unable to respond to anything other than stimulating music.

However, Lee In-seong’s song, although extremely plain, left a deep thrill in everyone’s mind.

It reminds us of the origin of the song, the purpose of the song, and the fact that the song is such a beautiful thing.

The technique of vocal music, which has never been practiced since the beginning of European music, has been passed down tenaciously through hundreds of thousands of ordinary people and thousands of geniuses to the present day.

[Maria―]

It was passed on to Lee In-seong.

It was the culmination of the culture that mankind had accumulated.

He overcomes the innate limitations of humanity and reaches heaven.

It erases the ever-changing human nature and presents the eternal and unchanging divinity to those who listen.

but…….

* * *

‘The cute genius who sings well’ and ‘O Sole Mio of the West’ were performed on stage at the same time.

Numbers appear on the scoreboard.

The judges’ eyes widened in surprise.

The victory went to the ‘cute genius who also sings well’.

‘Of course… … I see… … .’

Snow White looked at Lee In-seong, the ‘O Sole Mio in the West’, with her cold eyes. His face was covered by a mask, so it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

‘The teacher’s stage lacked entertainment.’

Lee In-seong only evoked the impression that he ‘sang well’.

Of course, just singing well on a variety show stage is not enough.

Even if you show off a technique that is like the sum total of human culture, you cannot receive a good evaluation because the audience is not expecting a feast of skills like showing off.

‘Your attitude as an entertainer… … .’

It was not enough for Lee In-seong.

However, in Baek Seol-ha’s opinion, this was a truly absurd result. She looked at the scoreboard with her eyes drained of light.

‘The difference in price is four times… … .’

He beat his master by four times.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Snow White wanted to scream.

‘How can you vote for me after seeing such a performance? Didn’t you all feel it? Didn’t you all feel the realm that the teacher had reached, the highest level that a human being can reach?’

Lee In-seong’s songs are a legacy that must be recorded.

Even after witnessing it, people still gave their votes to Snow White’s own stage.

I felt it was absurd.

But that absurdity was only for Snow White.

She felt the bitter truth she had just realized.

‘Just singing well isn’t enough. It just won’t work. Really, it just won’t work.’

Idols are artists.

And he’s an entertainer.

Living in the public eye and standing on stage is not enough with just honing your skills.

You have to entertain people with that skill.

Snow White was reminded of that fact again.

‘There’s no way the teacher wouldn’t know.’

But why… … .

[‘The Unknown’ is a ‘cute genius who also sings well!’]

Anyway, people celebrate the birth of the new ‘The Unknown’. Snow White stared blankly at the fluttering pollen.

* * *

Lee In-seong was standing blankly in the middle of the waiting room. He stared blankly into space, then slowly turned his eyes to the makeup table.

There was a mask of ‘O Sole Mio in the West’.

He walked over to the table and picked up a mask. The mask, which was shaped like the sun, was made of artificial cotton, so it was extremely hot when he wore it and sang.

It felt like I was being bathed in the midsummer sun.

‘Isn’t it?’

Was it because I heard Baek Seol-ha’s song that my heart became warm?

Lee In-seong smiled and placed the mask on the table. He was about to leave for a long time and far away, so he had no intention of taking any souvenirs that would leave a lasting impression.

“teacher!”

At that moment, the door opened wide, and Baek Seol-ha appeared, looking like she had just wiped off her sweat in a hurry.

Because I had been wearing the mask for a long time, my hair had been out of style for a long time.

She strode towards Lee In-seong without even thinking about brushing away the hair that clung awkwardly to her cheek.

“Why did you choose that song!”

Lee In-seong looked at his disciple whom he was meeting face to face for the first time in a long time. He wanted to show a serious appearance, but his face was currently filled with surprise.

It was because of the force that Baek Seol-ha unleashed when they reunited after a long time.

“Seolhaya.”

Seongpil, who arrived late, pulled Baek Seolha away from Lee Inseong.

“If you ask like that, my friend will run away too. Calm down… … .”

“Were you planning to lose to me on purpose? No matter how well you sing, if you bring opera to the competition… …!”

“Who would want to lose on purpose?”

Snow White flinched.

Lee In-seong continued speaking calmly.

“Snow White. I didn’t get to choose the stage I would fight on, or the opponent I would fight against. But I can choose who I want to be evaluated on. I didn’t want to show my song to the people sitting in the audience. It wasn’t them I wanted to be evaluated on. Snow White, it was you.”

A reunion with a disciple who knows his past.

I didn’t want to sing a song I wasn’t familiar with.

“If a song is a story, I thought that the first words I said to you shouldn’t be awkward for me. I didn’t mean to lose on purpose. I did my best and showed the best. So, Snow White.”

Lee In-seong asked his disciple.

“What are your thoughts on listening to this teacher’s song after a long time?”

Snow White now knows why Lee In-seong chose ‘Ave Maria’.

He didn’t sing for the competition.

He sang for his students. He showed the best he could, regardless of the stage.

That is why Lee In-seong’s stage is not evaluated as a ‘stage that lost by a four-fold difference’.

It wasn’t important in the first place.

The ‘Unknown’ final was not a duel to be judged by strangers.

It was a sincere conversation between a reunited master and disciple.

It’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to sing a song from an unfamiliar genre.

“… … I was touched.”

Snow White gave a brief statement of her feelings.

Lee In-seong was satisfied with that alone.

“Snow White, you’ve grown up so well. You’ve become a very respectable young lady.”

Snow White didn’t answer and just chewed her lower lip.

In that sharp look, Lee In-seong found Baek Seol-ha from the past. He smiled.

“Can we talk for about thirty minutes?”

“Huh? Oh, where are you going?”

“USA.”

“America… … ? T-But it’s been a while since we last met. Could you give me some time… … .”

“Don’t think of it as being harsh. The less time we can spend together, the higher the density. Come on, let’s fill up this long-awaited reunion.”

Lee In-seong sat down with a bright smile.

Snow White sat across from me.

“Why… … are you leaving?”

“America. I think I’ll be active in America for quite some time. Well, it’s a bit of a boast, but I became a judge for the Grammy Awards. I’ve also made a solid entry into the American music industry. I should give back.”

“… … .”

“Look at this. It’s a medal I received from France. It’s called the Cultural Merit Medal, and it’s only given to people who have made great cultural contributions. Isn’t it great?”

“… … .”

“Snow White, you can go wherever you want and brag about how great your teacher is.”

Snow White had no answer as her mind was complicated. Towards Snow White, Lee In-seong continued speaking.

“I’ll brag too. Snow White, you’re my disciple.”

Only then did Baek Seol-ha react.

Those words struck me much deeper than the usual compliments like, “I liked your song.”

“I’m proud of you, Snow White.”

“… … .”

Tears welled up in Baekseol’s eyes when she heard her teacher’s praise.

“Teacher, I became an idol.”

“Great job.”

“I’m singing a song too.”

“Your dream has come true.”

“But it’s not enough. Teacher, can you teach me some more?”

“You lack nothing.”

“Oh, no. I knew it when I heard the teacher’s song. I still have a long way to go. As a teacher, as someone who has walked this path before me and far away, the last lesson… … .”

Lee In-seong placed his hands neatly on his knees.

“Okay, let’s start our first lesson.”

“……yes?”

“I wasn’t even worthy of being called a teacher before. I was too inadequate to be called a master. Everything I taught you is now shameful to me. And yet, you have grown so well. You are already a wise man.”

“That’s, that can’t be… … .”

“So, this is your first lesson. The first lesson I give you as a singer.”

The two priests finally met each other as true master and disciple.

Snow White realized that Lee In-seong was sincere. Her eyes also showed sincerity.

“please.”

Where should I start?

Lee In-seong’s worries were long.

Finally he opened his mouth.

“Snow White, I swore that I would dedicate my life to singing. So I kept singing. But, it wasn’t like that.”

“yes?”

“I was doing music. I sang because I loved music.”

What is music?

“I think music is something that is pleasant to listen to. Something that is artificially created to be pleasant to listen to. Then what is pleasant to listen to? Something that is pleasant to listen to… .”

Love whispered by lovers.

A warm word from family.

A friend’s lame joke.

“I think music is something that uses the power of song and instruments to represent humans. It is a sound that can move the hearts of people who are not related to me, even for a short and limited time, and the relationships between people.”

So music makes people happy.

Makes me sad.

To impress.

Also, it can make you happy.

“In that sense, I sang, but I didn’t do music. What I pursued was technique, not music. The songs I admired were not heart, but technique. The songs I wanted lacked musicality. That… … .”

Lee In-seong pointed to Baek Seol-ha.

“Snow White, I just realized this after seeing you. I’m sure I’ve finally become a singer, a musician. Clearly. All I taught you in the past was technique. If I had been more mature, I might have taught you something more valuable. I’m sorry about that.”

“… … .”

“I’ve been busy traveling around the world. I’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, and seen a lot. There are wars going on around the world, children holding guns, old people starving, young people dying. I’ve heard and seen that.”

Lee In-seong lowered his head depressedly. He touched his hand.

“And yet, I was just singing. What meaning could there be? While people were dying miserably and suffering, what meaning could my song have? What meaning could there have been? Even though I suffered and worried for a long time, I couldn’t let go of singing.”

But now I know.

“So that the future, our descendants, do not remember the present only as darkness. We must make music. So that our times are not engraved with only wounds. So that the wounds engraved in history are remembered as constellations, we must sing.”

Lee In-seong lifted his head refreshingly.

“Snow White, I finally feel like a musician. And I’m talking to you with this music. Music is a language, a story. If music is a story, then you must be thinking like this.”

I want to answer.

“I want you to listen to my song and tell me your answer. That’s what stories are for. But I won’t listen here.”

Lee In-seong stood up from his seat.

Quite some time has passed already.

“You will surely meet me again from a higher place. Become a kinder person than you are now, and become a person who can turn wounds into constellations.”

Lee In-seong picked up his mask from the table and handed it to Baek Seol-ha.

“Girls’ League Seol-ha, I’ll be waiting for you in America.”

So Lee In-seong left the waiting room.

Snow White sat quietly on her chair, just looking at the spot where Lee In-seong had been. It was longer than the time she had spent talking to Lee In-seong that she opened her mouth.

“Director.”

“huh.”

“Waiting in America means… … .”

Seongpil nodded.

“You were talking about the Grammy Awards, right?”

Lee In-seong said that he had become a judge for the Grammy Awards. He also added that he would be active in the United States for a long time.

Snow White asked.

“What exactly is a Grammy?”

“… … Grammy.”

The Grammy Awards is an awards ceremony representing the American music industry.

Representing the American music industry is essentially representing world music.

Sooner or later, music from around the world is bound to follow America.

It can be seen as an awards ceremony representing the Earth.

The influence of American pop extends all over the world.

An awards ceremony that is the music industry itself.

“How can I get there?”

“There is something called the Recording Academy. All categories of the Grammys are judged and selected by members of the Recording Academy. I think Mr. Lee In-seong is also a member of the Recording Academy.”

The members of the Recording Academy selection committee are living witnesses to the American music market.

Only those who have left a distinct mark on the history of the entertainment, music, and recording industries are selected as members of the selection committee.

Only those who have proven their musical achievements, vision, and ability over a long period of time, rather than just being a one-time shining star, can become a full member of the Recording Academy and a selection committee member.

“In other words, the Recording Academy is home to historical figures representing the American music industry.”

This is truly the temple of the gods.

They sit on their heavenly thrones and look down on those who challenge the throne of God.

“Those people judge and select all the entries in each category of the Grammys. And the winners are chosen by the highest-ranking people in the Grammys, called voting members.”

Lee In-seong has qualified to be a voting member.

The Grammys’ authority comes from these procedures.

Because the gods of music, who are the figures of music history itself, are directly judging and voting.

“It’s an award ceremony where just being nominated is an honor… … It’s that kind of honor.”

Even pop stars who are known all over the world say this about the Grammys.

I don’t need it, but I want it, he said.

The Grammys aren’t something you can challenge for just because you “need it.” They’re just something you can look at with admiration, like precious metals displayed on a store shelf.

Even pop stars don’t dare say they “want” a Grammy. All they can say is “want.”

“Have you ever received an idol?”

“If you expand the scope to the world, there are only a few cases where Western boy bands and pop idols were nominated.”

“What about Koreans?”

“In the sound engineering and opera categories, I have received awards.”

“What about K-pop idols?”

Seongpil took a deep breath and said.

“It’s the only time that WTP has been nominated. It’s extremely recent and extremely unusual. Everyone is surprised and says it’s ridiculous.”

The Grammy Awards is an awards ceremony with a long history, tradition, and great authority.

It’s not that trendy.

It means conservative, but that doesn’t mean it’s rigid.

Members of the Recording Academy, the panel that judges the Grammy Awards, have been in the music business for a long time, so they’ve seen countless stars and genres that have come and gone.

Just because there’s a single fire doesn’t move.

“The genre of hip-hop has emerged, and it’s only recently that it’s been nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.”

To gain recognition from the pantheon of the gods, a genre needs to be proven to be enduring and not just a passing fad.

The Grammys are truly the realm of dreams, the highest honor that musicians around the world aspire to receive.

The most certain sign of all that you have become a constellation that will never be erased from the night sky.

It is a recognition from God that you are worthy to have your name written in history.

“A K-pop idol has only been nominated once… … .”

Snow White muttered and then asked.

“Can we go?”

Seongpil answered.

So concise and clear.

“You can go.”

“… … .”

The teacher was very harsh.

Because I finished reuniting with my former disciple in just 30 minutes.

But he was still a good teacher, as his disciples remember.

The master left something truly valuable to his disciple.

Snow White got up from her chair.

And then I left the waiting room.

“song.”

The next goal was set.

“hurry.”

Hall of the Gods.

Heaven outside of heaven.

Grammy Awards.

The name of the first class that Lee In-seong took was ‘Dream’.