novelraw Chapter 46 I'll set the tone for folk music!
Chapter 46 I'll set the tone for folk music!
In the living room of the hotel suite.
"Mr. Li, all the arrangements for the performance by celebrities from all walks of life in Hong Kong Island tomorrow have been made."
Commander Zhou sat opposite him, first reporting that things were settled, then his tone changed again.
"The problem is that the outdoor performances at Victoria Park on the weekend, which usually include one afternoon and one evening exchange performance, are scheduled for the following two days."
His voice lowered.
"Last year... our venue was deserted. Most of the attendees were older residents of Hong Kong Island, with very few young people. They all crowded around the Western orchestras and pop bands next door. Last year, there was even a small Middle Eastern instrumental ensemble, and they had more young people watching than we did."
Li Yisheng looked out the window at Victoria Harbour with a solemn expression.
"The development of our national music has always been rooted in the imperial court, while its sounds resonate with the natural landscape. Times are progressing, and the gap in the market is not something that can be created overnight."
"yes!"
Commander Zhou picked up his tea and took a sip.
"This time, the troupe was determined and specifically selected promising young talents from the music academy who have good looks and solid skills!"
He speaks loudly, but lacks conviction.
"The pieces are all carefully arranged classics... their artistry is undeniable, but I'm worried they won't capture the ears of young people."
Li Yisheng shook his head: "I can still talk about performance and arrangement, but marketing and attracting attention... this old man can't keep up."
The room fell silent, save for the soft clinking of teacups.
At this moment, Li Shuo, who had been listening for a long time, suddenly remembered something and had a flash of inspiration. He then thought of his father, Li Mingyao, who was hiding from his grandfather at his second aunt's house, and his eyes lit up!
"Grandpa, Commander Zhou, would you like me to give it a try?"
"You?" Li Yisheng turned to look at him, a look of surprise and a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes. He remembered his grandson's quick wit and talent when he was learning traditional musical instruments from him as a child.
Commander Zhou immediately chimed in, "What are your thoughts, Li Shuo? Tell us quickly!"
Li Shuo didn't answer directly. He looked at his grandfather and said, "I have an idea, but I have to make a condition first."
"condition?"
"Yes." Li Shuo nodded.
"Grandpa, if I can really make our folk music a star at Victoria Park this time, truly 'showcase' our style, and get young people crowding to watch... could you please stop being so unfriendly to my dad?"
Li Yisheng's face darkened.
"My dad has always respected you."
Li Shuo continued, "This time when he came to Hong Kong Island, he wanted to stay with you more than anyone else, but he was afraid that standing in front of you would annoy you, so he hid at his second aunt's place."
Commander Zhou cleared his throat: "Mr. Li, your son, Mr. Li Mingyao, has always been a tireless supporter of our troupe's traditional culture."
Grandma Song Zhuohua also said softly, "My dear grandson is right. Our son is stubborn, just like you were when you were young, but he has never neglected his filial piety towards you, his father. After all these years, you should be able to calm down a bit."
Li Yisheng looked at his wife, then at his grandson, and thought of his son who hadn't spoken properly in a long time. The knot of anger that had been stuck in his chest for years suddenly felt a little sore.
He turned his face away and remained silent for a long while.
"Alright! If my grandson can really make it happen and make Minle proud, as long as he doesn't provoke me, I won't hold it against him!"
He immediately turned back.
"You're talking about giving Chinese folk music a real boost, not just a small-scale effort, but something that will win over the hearts and minds of Hong Kong residents, especially young people, who are used to seeing new things and listening to pop music! Are you really confident about that?"
Li Shuo met his grandfather's gaze, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"You should hold it up, old man!"
"This style needs to be not only impressive, but it needs to be grand!"
Having set an example for himself, Li Shuo went to a quiet place, took out his phone, found a number, and dialed it.
The phone rang a few times before being answered.
"Feed? Li Shuo?"
"Sammi, I'm sorry to bother you again."
Li Shuo spoke with familiarity.
"I have an urgent matter I'd like to ask for your help with. I need to obtain short-term adaptation and performance licenses for several Hong Kong and Japanese pop songs for folk music performances, and time is very tight. Could you please use your connections at Warner Music to expedite the process for me?"
On the other end of the phone, Zheng Xiuwen chuckled softly.
"You little brat... what are you up to now? Fine, send me the song title and details, and I'll take care of it for you."
"Thanks, Sammi!" Li Shuo breathed a sigh of relief.
The Hong Kong Island City Hall Concert Hall was brightly lit the following evening.
Li Shuo, dressed in a well-fitting casual suit and with his hair neatly styled, accompanied his grandfather, who was dressed in a sharp suit, and his grandmother, who was dressed in an elegant embroidered suit dress. They also brought Zhu Zhu, who was dressed up and looked stylish and beautiful. They arrived at the front row on time.
On stage, the Chinese folk music ensemble gave a passionate performance.
The gentle and graceful style of "Spring River Flower Moon Night", the passionate style of "Ambush from Ten Sides", and the lively style of "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon" all demonstrate profound skill and lingering charm.
The audience was indeed mostly middle-aged and elderly, all listening attentively and giving enthusiastic applause at the end of each piece.
The performance was undoubtedly a success.
As the final performance ended and the audience photo session concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Li Shuo greeted his grandparents and then plunged into the backstage area.
The backstage area was a bit noisy, and the musicians who were removing their makeup and packing up their instruments were all somewhat surprised to see him.
Li Shuo glanced around and quickly found the "youth team" that Commander Zhou had arranged to wait for.
Sixteen young faces, thirteen women and three men, were the best prepared for the open-air performance in Victoria Park.
The configuration was clearly carefully considered.
The erhu, pipa, guzheng, yangqin, dizi, xiao, sheng, ruan, and even that "thing" almost cover the mainstream of folk music.
The team members had a decent appearance and demeanor, but at this moment they all seemed a bit lost and anxious about the weekend's performance.
"Excuse me, everyone."
Li Shuo clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention, and then took out a stack of sheet music that he had worked on overnight and still had the warmth of the copy from the bag he was carrying.
"My name is Li Shuo! As Commander Zhou said, let's do something different for the outdoor performance this weekend. This is a newly composed piece of music; please take a look."
A sense of unease lingered in the crowd. A girl with a ponytail, holding a pipa, muttered softly, "All this rearrangement, it's still just the same old stories..."
But soon, when the sheet music was distributed to individuals, the whispers abruptly ceased.
Eyes were glued to the score, first with doubt, then with surprise, and then several people seemed to breathe more rapidly. The previously somewhat restrained atmosphere was instantly replaced by an unbelievable excitement.
The most striking-looking girls looked at Li Shuo with shock and curiosity in their eyes, and even with a hint of admiration.
These scores completely shattered their preconceived notions!
"Hello...Teacher Li Shuo."
A boy wearing glasses, who was in charge of playing the flute, couldn't help but point at the sheet music to the boy who looked even younger than himself, his voice slightly stuttering.
"This arrangement...this is too audacious! Are you really going to give us two seats in the back row?"
"Yes!" Li Shuo said confidently. "Everyone, today you should all focus on familiarizing yourselves with your parts according to the score and get a feel for it. Tomorrow," he glanced around at the young people dressed in the troupe's somewhat "well-dressed" uniforms, "we have something important to do."
"Tomorrow? What for tomorrow?" another short-haired girl playing the erhu asked curiously.
Li Shuo smiled.
"Buy trendy clothes and get your makeup done."
There was a moment of silence backstage, then it erupted into chaos.
The young people could no longer contain themselves and began to exclaim, discuss, and ask questions all at once. Their initial apprehension about the open-air performance seemed to be instantly diluted by this huge and novel arrangement.
Li Shuo didn't explain much. Amidst the chatter, he waved his hand, turned around, and walked out of the backstage area.
Two days later, a "new Chinese style" event will take place in Victoria Park, which will help Grandpa and Dad, and will also be a good opportunity for him to improve his status.
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Li Shuo?
"What's wrong with this sister now? I haven't had time for her lately!"