The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 162



Only Noblemtl

162 Get back

* * *

“Singapore?”

– okay. Marina Music Festival. It’s a performance we’ve been preparing for for quite some time. We even have a tour scheduled for a nearby country. So, I think it will be difficult to start working on new songs for a while.

“Hey. Producer Miller is still busy. If this continues, you won’t just be No. 1 on Billboard, but you’ll be No. 1 on all world music charts.”

– Walker. Is that what you mean when you call me after a long time? Does this guy clearly know that I’m having a hard time at Billboard?

“It wasn’t a joke, it was a sincere compliment. Not long ago, you made a song that ranked 12th on the Billboard HOT 100. “You don’t have much time left now?”

– Well, I’m hoping so. Thank you for your words.

“you’re welcome. But I don’t think we’ve ever had a chance to work together. “It’s only now that we’re talking about this.”

– That’s because you and I were all caught up in the agency and label. In particular, the label you were at didn’t like me very much.

“It was like that. Because my first album wasn’t that successful. To be honest, it was thanks to ⌜Beautiful Day⌟ that I was able to start working properly.”

– ⌜Beautiful Day⌟. Honestly, I liked that song.

“I mean.”

– Is that why you called me as soon as your contract with that place ended? Do you remember that time?

“yes. Now I am free too. And I can sing better now. “A long time has passed.”

– okay. A lot has passed. Because you are a mid-level singer now.

“then······.”

– After this tour schedule is over, I will come up with four songs. It’s been a while since I’ve been working with you?

“Really?”

– Because I also remembered that time when I received your call. Anyway. I will contact you first when I return to the US after completing my schedule.

“Then I’ll be working hard on vocal training in the meantime.”

– It’s still the same. I get it. see you then.

“yes. all right. “I’ll be waiting.”

.

.

.

The last phone call.

Jack Walker still vividly remembered the phone call.

For various reasons, I was not able to work with producer Miller after the first album.

Because I’m busy taking care of myself.

Because I don’t want to argue with the label.

There were times when I achieved results while listening to that label.

and.

Producer Miller was obviously busy too.

All these years with that excuse.

Even if there had been opposition from those around him, there would have definitely been an opportunity…

I wasn’t able to work on the second song with producer Miller.

In the end, the promise made with producer Miller on that phone call did not come true.

Walker worked alone after his contract with the label ended.

Like Miller, I went to college, learned composition, and tried writing songs.

I tried to imitate the songs he had written so far.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t do it.

Due to my lack of ability, I couldn’t write a song with the kind of feeling that producer Miller created.

‘One song is enough.’

Not a single such song was released.

so. Because that’s what it was.

Just by looking at the sheet music, Walker was able to guess that this song was Miller’s song.

But he said this is not Miller’s song.

Grayson Grant asks.

really. Are you saying you won’t sing unless it’s a song you wrote?

“······.”

Walker could only look at the sheet music carefully, but could not answer right away.

‘I thought it was definitely producer Miller’s song…’

A song written by a Korean composer named MJ.

Walker could not easily understand this situation.

‘how······.’

This song had power.

It contained something that moved people’s hearts.

sadness. longing. joy. Bitterness. happiness. laugh.

All of a person’s emotions are revealed in a short score that lasts about 4 minutes.

Walker grabbed the sheet music.

and.

I hummed quietly to this song without lyrics.

In a very quiet voice.

At this concert hall with only Grant and Walker.

Here, a single pin light illuminates the stage.

Walker returned to that place for a moment.

When I close my eyes, a small outdoor stage comes to mind.

It feels like the heat of a summer day is spreading throughout my body.

The sound of Miller’s guitar, which had stopped slightly due to pain in his wrist, seemed to come from somewhere.

Still a vivid memory.

Walker sang there.

I hummed a little to this amazing song written by a composer I had never met.

After some time passed, Walker slowly opened his eyes.

His humming also stopped for a moment.

This is where you can see the dark auditorium.

We returned to a quiet reality with strong pin lights illuminating the stage.

Walker looked up from his seat on the stage.

I looked directly at him and opened my mouth.

“I think bassist Grant would have noticed that this song has some similarities to producer Miller’s song. “Did you really intend for this situation to come and bring me to ⌜DreamSounds⌟?”

Grant answered calmly.

“It was all a coincidence. That’s when I called you as the opening act. I also met Miller. He also had an accident. Hyunpil Jang was my friend. I also got to know MJ through a friend. “Everyone.”

“Then is this sheet music also a coincidence?”

“It could be a coincidence, or it could be inevitable. Of course I think it was a coincidence. Because that’s how the world works. but······.”

Grant pointed to the sheet music.

“What do you think?”

“······.”

Walker looked at the sheet music in his hand.

This was reality.

A composer who can write songs like this has appeared.

In the end, a promise that never came true.

Another opportunity to make things right has come again.

I couldn’t miss this now.

Walker thought so.

“It is inevitable. That’s why I should call you. “Because this is that kind of song.”

His calm words.

Grant gave him his hand.

Walker stood up on stage, holding Grant’s hand.

* * *

Director Grant’s phone call was short and deep.

Singer Jack Walker said he really liked the song.

So it was decided to sing this song.

Other than that, nothing else was said.

⌜DreamSounds⌟ didn’t touch my work more than I expected.

No deadline was given, and I was even told that if more time was needed, the schedule would be adjusted to allow more time.

In a way, it feels like neglect(?).

I was wondering if this was okay.

‘It’s good for me.’

Just like ⌜Moonlight⌟, ⌜DreamSounds⌟ also guaranteed me freedom.

Because of this, I couldn’t just relax.

Because I felt like I had some kind of responsibility.

Ten days after receiving a call from Director Grant.

In the meantime, I spent each day focusing more on writing songs, even though I was playing the piano.

Composition. Arrangement. Lyrics.

I then recorded the instructions I wanted to request from the vocalist on sheet music.

⌜Moonlight⌟ I sent an email after recording the guide at a recording studio in Apgujeong-dong that Team 1 usually uses.

Recording and directing were decided to be handled by ⌜DreamSounds⌟ in the United States.

As usual, the song slipped out of my hands.

So that’s all I had to do.

“I hope it goes well.”

Lee Ha-eun, who was sitting across from me, reacted to the self-talk I had made without realizing it.

As I look around the classroom where there are only two people, I whisper softly.

“this time······. Are you talking about your new song?”

Even while I was working on the song, I often came to school like today.

I want to play team games with my friends and do my vacation homework.

While I was here, I chatted with Lee Ha-eun.

Because he was the only friend who knew about MJ.

It was quite reassuring to have a friend I could comfortably open up to.

“that’s right. I was thinking about my new song that I sent to ⌜DreamSounds⌟ this time. “At this moment, many thoughts always come to mind.”

Lee Ha-eun, who listened to all the songs I have composed as MJ so far before they were released.

This time, I also played my new song to Lee Ha-eun about two or three times.

Lee Ha-eun looked at me and tilted her head slightly.

“It’s not a song you should worry about, right? I do not remember?”

“You cried when you heard my song?”

“that······! To be precise, you can say that I empathized with the song. It’s a very important skill for a musician. And as someone who has been listening to your songs for the longest time, I can assure you. “These four songs will do really well.”

“Aren’t you just looking at me favorably because we’re friends?”

“I don’t know anything else, but I’m pretty honest about music, right? “I don’t know much about composition, but wasn’t my opinion as a listener quite accurate?”

“I guess so.”

“Ahem. “Is that so?”

Lee Ha-eun is slightly boastful.

“I mean.”

I went to the convenience store on the first floor of the school with a friend who encouraged me.

It snowed especially heavily in January this year.

Even just now, the snow was falling gently.

We each held a cup of warm cocoa in our hands while watching the snow fall outside the window.

Lee Ha-eun takes a sip first and exclaims in admiration.

“Hehe! It tastes like this. “This is why I can’t quit cocoa.”

“I agree. “Cocoa is always good during this season.”

“right? right? “It reminds me of the old days.”

“We ate here quite often at Saebom Piano Academy.”

“that’s right! I don’t know because you don’t go to academy often these days, but Teacher Park Ha-seon still always takes care of it for you. But there are kids who always eat two or three at a time?”

“It’s still the same.”

“Tsk tsk. “It’s still the same.”

When you are enjoying some leisurely time.

A black kid appears outside the convenience store window, looks around, and then looks at us.

Sick of it.

Shin Joo-won hurried into the convenience store and urgently shouted.

“hey! We’re in big trouble! “Come quickly!”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s an emergency! “I need your help!”

“······?”

“······?”

Lee Ha-eun and I’s eyes met with a sudden sense of curiosity.

We followed Shin Ju-won to a dark place behind the school.

At that place······.

“Roll! “Don’t play!”

“I do not have time! “After today, it may get more and more difficult.”

“uh? “Are they reinforcements?”

“That’s right!”

“how······. “What are you guys doing?”

Shin Joo-won answered by giving me and Lee Ha-eun a pair of waterproof gloves.

“I said today that the kids in the sculpture department were making sculptures with snow. “I needed some help.”

“The workers were me and Lee Ha-eun?”

“Instead, he said he would boil the bag if it ends safely. “That too at school.”

“By what means?”

“I guess I brought a gas burner and a pot.”

“Hmm.”

The fifteen members of the Seolwha Yejung staff who fell for such a vain trick were rolling their eyes and growing a snowball.

I looked over there and there was Baek So-yeon.

Lee Ha-eun seemed to think about it for a moment, then ran next to Baek So-yeon and started rolling her eyes along with the other kids.

I looked at them and shook my head.

“They’re just kids.”

“So you’re not going to do it?”

I checked again with Shin Joo-won’s question.

“so······. “How many ramen noodles have you prepared?”

“One box.”

“Everyone came with a plan today.”

“That’s the way it is.”

Well, it wasn’t just because of the ramen, but after hearing that confirmation, I put on my gloves.

And he showed off his skills of building a snowman with Suyeon.

Children growing snowballs, laughing and wondering what’s so good about it.

Since I was with them too, I might be one of the ‘kids’.

The sculpture students made with their eyes was a giant cat.

It was made the size of a person, so if you looked closely, it looked like a tiger, but I didn’t think that was that important.

We took a commemorative photo in front of the snow cat.

I found out that today’s work(?) was a vacation homework for the kids in the sculpture department.

They said they had been waiting for it to snow at school.

As a reward, we cooked and ate ramen together in the home training room.

Although I ended up eating the ramen, which was a little spread due to the clumsy cooking skills of children.

next day.

“oh! Look at this!”

“What?”

There were several real cat footprints on the snow cat we made.

Lee Ha-eun’s guess is that there was definitely a turf war.

Believe it or not, we all nodded together.

Seolwha It was my first winter vacation after coming to Yejung.

This memory seemed like it would remain in my mind for a long time.

* * *

Time flies.

When I look back, there are times when I wonder how I walked down that long road.

But what’s surprising is that.

There are times when faint memories and moments of beautiful times come to mind as clearly as if they happened yesterday.

“Can we really start like this? “If there was a singer of your caliber on the ⌜DreamSounds⌟ label, you could start off better.”

“This is better for a start. The audience will definitely sympathize more. “Because this is that kind of song.”

Walker answers Grant’s question.

Today Jack Walker came to this concert hall to be the opening act for a singer’s performance.

To make that moment clearer.

Walker wanted to release this song as the opening act.

The role of the opening act is clear.

Be sure to get in the mood in advance for this performance.

Walker went out onto the stage when called by the staff.

Grant did not follow him.

Because now he was no longer a singer who needed help.

I checked the equipment with the venue staff and looked at the audience to get a sense of the atmosphere.

A concert hall with about 3,000 people gathered.

Some in the audience recognized Walker and were talking to him.

“Jack Walker? Did you appear as the opening act?”

“Walker wouldn’t be at that level, right? “You’ve had your name announced on Billboard a few times, right?”

“Has it been quiet for a while and then reached this level?”

“It’s a little disappointing. “She was a pretty good singer.”

“that’s right. “Your voice was especially good.”

“But let’s clap our hands. “You worked hard to come here.”

“You should do that.”

A slightly depleted cheer is heard from the audience.

Walker didn’t mind.

He had been working as a singer for a long time and had already gone through many hardships.

The most important thing to him now is…

‘This song. It’s probably a matter of whether I can handle it perfectly.’

Not an easy song.

MJ’s song where appeal and delivery are important.

It was a difficult song to sing during recording.

After greeting the audience, Jack Walker flopped down on the steps on the stage as if nothing had happened.

Next to it was an acoustic guitar that had been prepared in advance.

A microphone was prepared according to the height of the person sitting.

The concert hall, where about 3,000 people gathered, was quieter than ever.

This is the song I originally wanted to receive from Miller.

With the MR of the song that was delivered to him through necessity.

Jack Walker pointed out the chords on his guitar.

I waited 12 years to sing this song.

alone.

Lonely.

I endured that time.

Jack Walker…

Including all that time.

I started singing out loud.

The melody and lyrics of ⌜Get back⌟, composed by MJ, flow from Walker.

⌜Get back⌟.

‘get back.’

or.

It means ‘to return to the original state or place.’

Jack Walker via ⌜Get back⌟.

A promise that ultimately did not come true.

Although it may be a little clumsy, it is implemented on this stage.

“······.”

“······.”

“······.”

“······.”

The shouts of the opening act echoed throughout the concert hall.

The audience began to quietly hold their breath.