“Thank you all for your patience.
We've finished warming up, so we're ready to start whenever you like.”
“Okay!
Then, can you guys start by singing something for us?”
“We'll know what to do after we hear the melody.”
“Understood.”
(I'm nervous, but not in the same way as I usually am when we sing street music...)
(I don't know if what I've learned is going to translate properly.)
(But...)
♪————————!
♪————!
♪————~~!
“...”
“Well, well...”
(...!
The cello and sax have started playing.)
(Wait, we just started!
They can play along this perfectly...?!)
“Oh, I'm liking this energy. I feel excited already.”
“But you guys should try to relax more.
Here, like this...”
(The overall tone's changing as more instruments jump in.)
(Whoa, we're doing Latin music now? But everything was all jazzy just a second ago.)
(How are they able to do that on the fly...?!)
(A quena, an accordion, an erhu and a mandolin.)
(I can't believe a session with this combination of instruments sounds so harmonious. Especially since they all originate from different parts of the world.)
(Not only that...)
(For some reason, it feels really easy to sing.)
(I don't have to think about what to do next. I know just based on the way they're playing.)
(They must be playing in a way that makes it easier for us to sing...)
(If that's the case...)
(We gotta kick it up a notch.)
(If we're gonna blow the minds of everyone here, then we gotta do better!)
♪——————!
(This is so strange...)
(My mind seems to slowly be going blank.)
(It's like all the boundaries between myself and everything else are melting, as everything fills up with this sound...)
(Like a door slowly opening.)
————~~♪
——————♪
♪——————!!
“Haha. That was an awesome run you just threw in there! Next, I'll...!”
(I know...)
(I know exactly what they're going to do next.)
(We sing and they respond.)
(It's like they're telling us to run as one.)
(We don't have to think about what's actually correct.)
(We just have to listen to the music!)
Huff... Huff...
That was...
Yeah... I'm not sure how else to put it into words besides...
That was...
That was so much fun...!
“Nice performance, everyone!”
“I'm astonished. I honestly wasn't expecting your very first session to go quite this well.”
“Mr. Lloyd...”
“What did you think, Toya?”
“Do you have a better understanding of what Harumichi felt back then?”
...
(I know nothing about the students who just did this session with us.)
(I have no idea what their feelings are regarding music.)
(But strangely, one thing is clear...)
(And that is...)
(Classical and street music. Our paths may have diverged...)
(But I'm glad I know how he feels now.)
“Somewhere along the way, I think my brain subconsciously divided music up into categories.”
“Into categories?”
“Yes.
Classical music, street music and everything else.”
“Classical and street music are clearly different from one another. Other genres of music also have their own styles and techniques.”
“However...”
“All musicians are likely trying to reach the same goal. At least, that's what I took away from our session just now.”
(When my mind went blank during our session, I felt sound coursing through every fiber of my being...)
(It was the unforgettable sensation of holding a conversation just with music.)
“I don't know if this is what my dad felt back then, but...”
“I see.
You should talk to him about this the next chance you get.”
“But I think you're not far off.”
“The way you improvised towards the end there was great!”
“Wanna play again, you guys? We can try a different song this time!”
They're speaking really fast, but I think I get the gist...
Hehe. Me too.
“You guys sounded super duper amazing just now!”
“Haha. They seem to have taken a liking to all of you.”
“You stand to benefit quite a lot from this experience, so I recommend that you all keep at it for a little while longer.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Woohoo!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Lloyd...
Can I ask you a question?”
“Yes?”
“The first time we met, you said that I reminded you of my dad when he was younger...”
“But do I really look that much like him?”
“I mean, no one has ever said that to me before...”
“Ah, well...”
“You both possess cool demeanors and aren't quick to show your emotions.”
“But deep down within both of you is that love of music. In that sense, you remind me of him very much.”
A cool demeanor and a love of music...
Hehe. That's such a great description of you, Aoyagi.
Yeah, when he puts it that way, I can see it.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Lloyd.”
(Dad, Shuji and everyone here...
Perhaps they're all hoping to discover the same something, along the path known as music.)
(And music is free. Much more free than I ever realized.)
(Which is why I shouldn't limit myself to just classical and street music. I should try to learn about as many different types of music as I can.)
(Because that may be the key to the street music I wish to make.)