stonecrandall Chapter 17 Sparks Fly in the Recording Studio
Chapter 17 Sparks Fly in the Recording Studio
The Universal Music Studios in downtown Auckland has glass walls that isolate it from the hustle and bustle of the street, and central air conditioning that blows cool air at a constant temperature, but it can't dispel the subtle sense of alienation in the studio.
When Lin Hao kicked open the recording studio door, carrying a thermal bag printed with Northeast Yangko dance, everyone inside looked up in unison.
The young woman at the head of the group sat at the piano, her white dress accentuating her pale skin. Her long hair was loosely tied back, revealing a slender neck. It was Zhang Qingying, a newcomer heavily promoted by Universal Music this year. With her dolphin-like high notes, she swept across various music charts and was known in the industry as a cool and talented woman.
She glanced at Lin Hao, her fingertips still resting on the black and white piano keys, and nodded politely, without even a hint of a smile on her lips; the prejudice in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Clearly, in her eyes, the basketball player in front of her, wearing a Warriors training uniform, carrying a thermal bag, and with half a suona stick sticking out of his pocket, was just an internet celebrity who became famous by attracting attention. Collaborating with her was nothing more than a commercial arrangement by the company to ride on his popularity.
"Mr. Lin, hello." Zhang Qingying stood up, her voice as cold and aloof as she was. "I am Zhang Qingying, the producer of this song. Let me be frank before we collaborate: I only work with people who understand music. If it's just to ride the wave of popularity and record a few lines of spoken word, then I won't accept the collaboration."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the recording studio froze. The manager, standing to the side, turned pale and kept giving Zhang Qingying meaningful glances, wishing she could cover her mouth.
Who doesn't know that Lin Hao is currently the hottest new talent in the United States? His suona version of "A Man Should Be Self-reliant" has become a hit across the internet. The company went to great lengths to secure this collaboration, but their own artist was immediately attacked by others?
Lin Hao wasn't angry at all. Instead, he put the insulated bag on the mixing console, unzipped it, and inside were two boxes of freshly cooked sweet and sour pork and four cans of yellow peaches. The sweet aroma instantly filled the air, overpowering the faint smell of disinfectant in the recording studio.
"Ms. Zhang, don't jump to conclusions yet." Lin Hao grinned, his thick Northeastern accent slowly drifting out. "Whether I understand music or not isn't something I can just talk about. But before we talk about music, let's fill our stomachs first. We Northeasterners have a saying: 'You need to be well-fed to have the energy to work.' This sweet and sour pork is fresh from a Northeastern restaurant in Chinatown; it's still warm."
Zhang Qingying stared blankly at the disposable chopsticks he offered. This was the first time in her life someone had talked to her about sweet and sour pork in a top-notch recording studio. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but the sweet and sour aroma wafted into her nose, and almost unconsciously, she accepted the chopsticks.
The recording engineer and music arranger next to them had been drooling for a while. When they saw Zhang Qingying accept the dish, they all crowded around and each picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork. Their eyes lit up instantly.
"My goodness! This is so delicious!"
"Mr. Lin, you're amazing! I've lived in Auckland for five years and have never had such authentic Northeastern Chinese food!"
Lin Hao leaned against the mixing console with a smile, watching Zhang Qingying eat sweet and sour pork. The lines on her originally tense face softened a lot. Only then did he pick up the music composition sheet on the table and start flipping through it.
The sheet music was written in advance by the company, and the song was called "Northeast People on the Ball Field". The verse was pop rap, and the chorus featured Zhang Qingying's high notes. Only eight beats were left in the interlude, and a suona solo was added for Lin Hao. To put it bluntly, they were just using him as a tool to ride on the coattails of popularity.
After Lin Hao finished reading the score, he frowned, pointed to the interlude on the sheet music, and shook his head.
"This score is no good."
With just one sentence, the recording studio fell silent.
Zhang Qingying had just put down her chopsticks when she heard this, her face instantly turning cold. She looked up at him, her tone tinged with displeasure: "Mr. Lin, this score was revised by my team and the arranger over three sleepless nights. You haven't even studied music theory, so what gives you the right to say it's no good?"
"I haven't studied music theory systematically, but I've been playing the suona for twenty years." Lin Hao picked up his ebony suona, twirled it in his hand, and pointed at the sheet music with his fingertips, dissecting it phrase by phrase. "Look at the rhythm of this verse, it's half a beat too fast, and it doesn't match the suona's breath at all. And in this chorus, your dolphin-like high notes go upwards. If the suona only inserts it briefly in the interlude, the soul of the whole song will be lost, and it won't connect at all."
The arranger, unconvinced, stepped in to retort: "Mr. Lin, we're following the arrangement logic of pop songs. The suona is just an embellishment; we can't let the suona drown out the vocals, can we?"
"Who says embellishments can't be part of the main theme?" Lin Hao laughed, put the suona mouthpiece in his mouth, and without any accompaniment, he started playing a melody.
The tune was a variation of "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant," combining strength with the gentle melodies of Northeast Errenzhuan (a traditional folk art form). It started as bright as thunder and ended as soft as flowing water. The melody, which lasted only a dozen seconds, had all the elements of introduction, development, transition, and conclusion. Even without accompaniment, it sent shivers down one's spine.
Everyone in the recording studio was stunned, including Zhang Qingying.
She originally thought that Lin Hao was just good at making noise and trying to grab attention with his performance during the halftime show of the finals. But the melody he just played, the handling of the transitions, the connection of the breaths, and the progression of the emotions, all showed the skill of a top-notch folk musician. It was definitely not just something he played casually.
Lin Hao put down his suona, looked at the stunned crowd, and continued, "My idea is that this song shouldn't have any main or secondary elements. Your dolphin-like high notes and my suona should just harmonize and echo each other. The verses will use the rhythm of Northeast Errenzhuan as a base, and in the chorus, you'll hit high notes, and I'll support you with my suona. In the bridge section, we'll go head-to-head. Your dolphin-like high notes will match the high notes of my suona. Finally, we'll combine them in the chorus, and that kind of passionate energy from the basketball court will come through immediately."
As he spoke, he drew on the sheet music with his finger, explaining clearly where to add a suona, where to add a dolphin-like high note, and where to change the rhythm. What was originally an ordinary commercial song was instantly given a soul by his few words of modification.
Zhang Qingying stood there, watching Lin Hao point at the sheet music and talk eloquently. The prejudice in her eyes completely disappeared, replaced by surprise and admiration.
Having studied classical music for over a decade and played pop music for so many years, she knew better than anyone how amazing and daring Lin Hao's proposed adaptation was.
"You..." Zhang Qingying opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time. In the end, she just took a step forward, leaned closer to the sheet music, looked up at Lin Hao, and said, "Tell me again, how do you want to arrange the harmony here?"
Lin Hao smiled, leaned down and whispered his thoughts to her.
The two stood head to head, shoulders almost touching. Lin Hao's Northeastern accent mingled with Zhang Qingying's gentle explanations. The two, who were originally at odds, now chatted enthusiastically about the score, like old friends who had known each other for many years.
As they got into the conversation, Lin Hao picked up the suona, and Zhang Qingying sat down at the piano. The two of them spontaneously played a duet. The suona's bright and powerful notes, combined with the piano's clear and melodious tones, and Zhang Qingying's casual whistle of a dolphin-like high note, collided together without sounding out of place. Instead, they sparked an unexpected brilliance.
The sound engineer instinctively pressed the record button, capturing the impromptu ensemble, and his eyes grew brighter with each listen.
The afternoon passed just like that.
The original recording plan was completely overturned and started all over again. From the arrangement framework to the details of the melody, from the suona solo to the dolphin notes and the harmony of the suona, the two of them polished and revised it little by little, and the more they talked, the more they clicked, and their tacit understanding reached its peak.
By the time the final arrangement framework was finalized, it was already dark outside.
The staff in the recording studio had long since left, leaving only the two of them, along with a half-eaten box of sweet and sour pork and two empty canned peach jars on the table.
Zhang Qingying looked at the final version of the score, her eyes shining. She looked up at Lin Hao and smiled for the first time. The smile was like ice and snow melting, instantly dispelling the coldness around her.
"Thank you, Lin Hao," she said softly. "If it weren't for you, this song wouldn't be what it is now. I apologize for my prejudice against you before."
"Hey, it's no big deal." Lin Hao waved his hand, put the suona back into his bag, and said, "We Northeasterners don't do those fancy things. As long as the song is good, that's more important than anything else."
"Oh, right." Zhang Qing seemed to suddenly remember something, picked up her phone, and said, "To thank you, I'll treat you to dinner. There's a nice Western restaurant nearby, it's on me."
"Forget about Western restaurants." Lin Hao grinned. "If we're going to eat, let's have braised goose in an iron pot. I know a place in Chinatown that's really authentic. It'll be my treat. Consider it an early celebration of our song becoming a hit."
Looking at the frankness and sincerity in his eyes, Zhang Qingying smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
As the two packed up and left the recording studio, a warm California breeze blew by. Zhang Qingying watched Lin Hao's limping figure and couldn't help but ask, "Is your foot injury really not affecting your playing? Didn't the doctor tell you to rest more?"
Lin Hao turned around and smiled, patting his leg: "This little injury won't stop me from playing the suona or playing basketball. When the regular season starts, you're welcome to come to the game, and I'll play the opening theme for you."
Looking into the light in his eyes, Zhang Qingying nodded gently, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
Little did she know that this seemingly nonchalant boy from Northeast China would not only ignite the entire NBA, but also completely enter her life.
As the two drove toward Chinatown, a post on social media instantly went viral across the American basketball community.
This year's second overall pick, Jay Williams of the Chicago Bulls, posted a training video with a caption that blatantly stated:
"The game-winning shot in the Summer League was just luck. Some people become famous online with a song and by making a scene, but they forget that the NBA court is never a place for internet celebrities. Next time we meet, I will show him what real basketball is."
The entire internet exploded instantly, and everyone knew that these words were directed at Lin Hao.
A new showdown is about to begin.