#Vocal Popular Sheet Music

[moralesmilesanhour]

mad props! 03

summary: you're now officially part of the theater club's latest production! just one small problem... wc: 1282 a/n: Can't believe I was able to type this out within the same week. But I diiiid! The songs being performed are: 'Popular' - Wicked 'Ohmigod You guys' - Legally Blonde: The Musical (Original Cast Recording) | Have fun reading ! Feel free to tell me what you thought in the comments <3 (only warning is that the process of putting a theatre production together is probably not super realistic here lmao) 02 03 04

“One five, four five, three five, two five, one five, four five, three-two-one,”

You clutched the white binder containing your sheet music to your chest as you went through every vocal exercise from middle school that you could remember.

From the diaphragm, you reminded yourself, taking another deep breath.

“One five,

Four five,

Three five,

Two five,

One five,

Four five,

Three-two-one–”

“Y/N L/N?” the casting director’s voice called out to you.

Your stomach lurched as you rose from your seat and approached the stage. You handed the sheet music over to the pianist. The blinding stage lights made you sweat beneath your uniform, but part of you was grateful that it hid the faces of your four-person audience. 

The first chord was your cue.

“Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I…”

You sang the lines through your nose, making your delivery as cartoonish as possible. It even earned a few laughs from the dark void in front of you that bolstered your confidence. 

Now, when playing a character such as Galinda, one may be tempted to keep the squeaky ‘princess voice’ the whole way through. But you knew better. 

You added depth to your voice for some lines, maybe a growl here, a cry there; your performance needed to show that you could do more than just play the pretty soprano lead.

You belted the final note, arms spread wide as if you weren’t just about to vomit from nerves, and curtsied.

There was disembodied applause, and then: “Thank you, we’ll be sure to send out an email on Friday to let you know if you got the part.”

“Thanks,” you exhaled as you stepped down from the stage. 

All that there was left to do was wait.

You were jumpy all Friday afternoon. Even Miles noticed your knee making your desks tremble with the way it bounced up and down in the middle of English class.

“Yo, you good?” he whispered.

You shot him a glare while tapping your pencil frantically. “None of your business.”

“It actually is my business,” he shot back, teeth clenched, “ ‘cuz you’re shaking the damn desk.”

“Is there a problem back there?” the English professor peered over his glasses at the two of you.

“Nope,” Miles sighed. “Not at all.”

Your leg stopped bouncing, and you rested your chin on top of folded hands.

“If you must know,” you muttered, “I had an audition the other day, and callbacks are supposed to be this evening.”

He furrowed his brows. “Oh…kay…?”

“What do you mean ‘okay’? I’m super nervous about it–”

“I mean, why are you telling me this?”

Your eyes widened. Why were you telling him this?

“I…well, you’re sitting next to me, and you asked–” 

“I didn’t ask for allat.”

You kissed your teeth, and went back to taking notes in silence.

-

“Oh, the principal’s gonna love that.”

Joshua Baptiste–current president of Visions’ art club–grinned as he watched Miles add his signature to the wide sheet of paper.

Miles replaced the cap on one of his paint markers with a click, assessing his work.

It was a poster for an upcoming pep rally, advertised in bold, sleek letters that curled in and around each other and ended in sharp arrows. Satisfied, he rose to his feet.

“You think?”

“Hell yeah. Better than anything I could’ve put together,” Joshua ran a hand through loose, sandy curls. “I’m more of a portraits kinda guy.”

The boy’s smile was contagious, showing off two rows of light blue braces. Miles remembered how he used to circle back around to his lunch table just to see them when he laughed with his friends, silver earrings tinkling as he threw his head back. 

He’d done crazier things just to see a crush.

Miles returned the compliment, “Your paintings go crazy, though. You could get into art school if you put a portfolio together.”

Joshua shrugged. “Doubt my parents would ever let me go.”

The other hummed in agreement.

“Anywho, I came over here to ask you a favor. Theater club needs an extra pair of hands working on the set, and I already said one of our guys would help out. You in?”

Miles raised an eyebrow at the sudden new project being dumped on him, but he relented. Not like he had anything better to do today.

“Sure. Where to?”

Joshua’s face lit up, and he gestured for Miles to follow him.

“They’re down in the auditorium. You’re a life-saver, man.”

The auditorium was already bustling with students when the two boys entered. There was one group on the far right busy customizing piles of hot-pink costumes with bows and sequins. On the left side, a bunch of kids clutched wrinkled scripts in their hands, practicing until it was time to run through the first few songs. Miles looked up, and taking center stage was a group of no more than ten girls practicing what looked like stage choreography. 

Regardless of what each group was working on, there was an urgency bordering on panic to their movements and voices. Miles thanked his past self for not signing up to be a part of it.

“Oh, thank god!”

A tall, stocky-looking girl wearing pink glasses scurried up to them, carrying a clipboard.

Joshua gestured towards Miles. “Here’s your guy! He’s got an eye for color, you’re in good hands.”

He gave a quick salute before turning to exit through the double doors.

The girl stuck out her hand. “I’m Sarah Park, junior, and student production manager for, uh, all of this!”

Miles accepted the handshake and nodded. “Cool. What’s your vision for the set?”

“Well, it’s…”

Before Sarah could finish, the lights dimmed, and a voice announced: “We’re gonna rehearse the opening, everyone in ‘Ohmigod You Guys’, please take your places!”

She grabbed Miles’ wrist and led him to a seat in the front row and whispered, “You should probably just see it.”

Suddenly, music boomed from the speakers as the stage lights illuminated the same girls from before, now all standing in a straight line across the stage with wide smiles.

They sang a number he didn’t recognize, but there was plenty of squealing as they passed down a blank sheet of paper as a prop. He deduced from the few lyrics he caught that they were playing sorority girls, but that was about it.

As the “Ohmigods” crescendoed, Miles noticed that there was someone entering from backstage that then stood behind the girls. He wondered what for, until the group parted and stepped to the side.

Nothing could’ve prepared him for who stood in the middle of the stage. In a blonde wig.

“It’s almost there, but…”

Miles’ jaw dropped as you recited your lines fully in-character. 

It hadn’t occurred to him that you could smile without malice, but people were full of surprises: Here was the girl who rarely spoke more than a sentence in class until last week, belting her heart out while twirling across the stage. He would have pinned you as more of the debater type.

The song ended on one final “Oh my god!” in unison before the lights were turned back up.

“Great job, everyone, especially for a first run-through. Everybody take five!”

You sighed in relief, wiping away the sweat collecting around your hairline from being beneath a hot wig and an even hotter spotlight. Wig in hand, you carefully descended down the steps with the rest of the cast and made your way back to your seats.

Sarah brushed past you in between aisles, along with a familiar red hoodie.

You paused and spun around on your heel, confirming your fears. 

You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.

[mote-historie]

STARS Song, Vocal Popular Sheet Music, Lyrics by James Lamont Haven Gillespie, Music by John Alden, Van Alstyne & Curtis Music Publishing Co., New York, Chicago, 1921.

Art Deco Cover Stars Art Illustration by C. K. Agnew.

[aettuddae]

funky — chapter 54.

➵ synopsis: aeri takes her members to a music festival to introduce them to her newly made friend, jeon minki, the front person of a popular rock band in south korea. after seeing minki, karina, aespa's leader, becomes completely starstruck with the rockstar, and decides to find a way to make them fall in love with her, even though minki is the most clueless person in the universe.

masterlist | prev | next

[written chapter]

the members of funky cat club were in the studio, as they had been every day for almost a month and a half.

they were working on a new album. the band's meetings were focused on recording, composing and songwriting sprees. by that time they had only about five songs completed, which they didn't even know would make it onto the final project.

since that news, minki, the band's songwriting mainstay, had been completely disconnected. before that, they were coming up with new music almost every day.

but now they no longer had a muse to inspire them.

everyone thought their new work would have an aura of joy and celebration, with the tracks they had finished being flashes of light and the happiest days in the last year for the songwriter.

but the concept had been altered completely, and they were, once again, faced with a minki who could do nothing but write heartbreaking ballads full of despair.

—it's okay, all our albums are like that, anyway. — minghao thought to himself as he went over the words on a piece of paper the vocalist had handed him earlier.

"don't i deserve sunshine too?" read the first line.

that day had been anything but productive for the guys, like every day for the past two weeks. jeon's lyrics were distressing, it was even upsetting that they couldn't create something decent, worthy of their brilliant and sensitive mind.

rosé on her part was too busy being the support that kept minki awake, active, present. she didn't have time to make music when all her time was spent taking care of her volatile best friend.

yunjin, as the only composer left available, was doing her best to work, but the tense and heavy atmosphere that accompanied them in that studio every time they met, suffocated her and didn't let her concentrate.

so that day, it was just another session wasted sitting around the room and thinking about how to push the group's career forward.

gyuvin looked anxious. he paced around the room with a blank stare, while his bass hung from his neck, resting delicately on his hands, which were playing notes without any correlation between them. in view of the mood everyone was in, no one thought this behavior was weird.

it was then that the notification tone of the youngest's phone broke the silence that enveloped them, and he hurried to pick it up and read the message.

both guitarists were inside the recording booth. the blonde was sitting on the floor and playing chords on her acoustic guitar, while the main vocal was lying on the carpet right next to her, staring at the ceiling and humming melodies, trying to get something that would work, something catchy, good.

the girl dropped her guitar, causing the person next to her to look at her in confusion.

"we're never going to finish this album." she sighed in frustration and picked up the notes with phrases and ideas in front of her, going over them for the tenth time as if this one she was going to find something she didn't see before.

"it's no big deal, we're just a little stuck." reassured her band mate sitting up straight.

"minki, we've been blank for two weeks." reminded the girl.

"so what about that? no one ever finished a good album in a month." they shrugged and snatched some sheets from rosé's hands and started going through them as well. "it'll take a while, but you'll see we'll make a good product." they assured, speaking without a hint of emotion.

that's how minki had been talking these past few weeks, without energy or feeling, almost robotic.

"minki," their friend called softly, gaining their attentive gaze. "will you heal in time to finish this album?"

they thought about it for a moment, wanting to give an accurate answer. but how could they know when they would heal? after all, they were this hurt by a person who was in their life for only a month.

it still amazed them how no matter how many hours or days someone has been in your life, if they are special enough they will leave a big void when they are no longer in it.

the one thing they had learned from this whole situation was that the only two things no one can control are time and feelings.

"time heals all wounds and all that shit people say," they replied casually, trying to calm roseanne's concerns. "i may not recover completely, but i'll be better." they concluded. "besides, it's my job, rosie, i have to do it even if it costs me."

"i don't like that you think of music as your job." the blonde brought her knees to her chest, hugging them, then watching the singer with melancholy in her eyes.

that wasn't her minki. and she missed the minki she always had before.

"it's your passion, you were always so happy when you had to make music." she remembered sadly. "i don't like to see you like this, min."

"don't call me min." they asked and let out a bitter scoff.

"pookie bear." she corrected, causing them both to laugh at the corny nickname.

"it's just that," minki's head dropped slightly, as if they were giving up, with their eyes glued to the ground. "i feel like i don't have anything to write about anymore."

they took a big breath of air, taking in all the things that were going on inside them, and lifted their gaze, this time pinning it on their best friend's eyes.

"but hey," minki slid across the carpet, getting close enough to the main guitarist to lay their head on her knees. "it's only been two weeks, it doesn't mean i'll be empty forever." they tried to reassure their friend.

rosé brought her hand up to minki's hair, tangling her fingers in the locks that lay at the nape of their neck and subtly playing with them.

it was heart-rending to see her favorite person like that. so vulnerable, so downcast, as if they were a little kid who needed to be taken care of in a world full of dangers that are too complex for them to understand.

minki was an older sibling, a leader, a front-person. they took care of the people they loved, and always appeared indestructible, grandiose, reliable, so that the people around them would feel protected, supported. they didn't do it on purpose, they didn't need to look that way, it was just like that, that was the kind of person they were.

but now rosé found herself in the position of protector for minki, and that puzzled her, and worried her.

what was so special about this jimin girl that she would hurt minki at their core? that she could disarm them, lower all their guards, and then smash them in the places where it hurt the most?

the woman raised her arms, detaching them from her legs to wrap them around her friend. she leaned her body and rested her cheek carefully on their head. they didn't last long in such a position, as the eldest jeon sibling gently straightened up and they both were left looking into each other's eyes for a moment.

minki didn't know what the reason was, what triggered that desire. if it was the need to feel accompanied, loved, or simply protected by someone. if what they were looking for was to fill that space that had been left unoccupied inside them with someone else, or if what they wanted was someone who honestly wanted to fill it.

but even without knowing exactly why, they brought their hands to rosé's face and took it carefully between their fingertips.

it wasn't the type of care with which you hold something you don't want to break, it was the type with which you grasp something you shouldn't, that you're not sure is worth risking getting caught with it in your hands.

cautiously they moved closer to her, close enough for their noses to touch, and then they caught her lips with their own.

it was a tender kiss. it felt more like they were trying to caress each other, being aware of how easily they could break. as if they were afraid and doubtful of what they were doing, because they would never have imagined themselves in that situation.

the blonde traced her friend's back with her palm, raising it to the level of the back of their neck, where she placed it to exert some pressure and deepen the contact slightly more, to project security, confidence, courage.

she would never have imagined herself in that situation, but since she was in it, she'd at least use it to make it clear to minki that she would never let anyone hurt them again.

"guys." minghao's voice boomed through the booth.

hearing their friend, they both broke the connection abruptly, coming to their senses, regaining awareness of where they were and who they were.

minki, out of surprise, stood up quickly, with their eyes wide in panic, ready to explain everything to their band members. they turned to look at them through the glass that separated the room they were in from the common room.

the vocalist's expression fell, giving way to one of uncertainty. the void inside them was finally replaced with something, but to the misfortune of the body that carried those emotions, what finally made presence on themselves was a sharp pang in their chest. they thought for a second that their heart might burst from the pain that drowned their existence when they realized that through that glass, the person staring back at them was jimin.

in her eyes, in those orbs that were the color of the sweetest chocolates in the world, disappointment abounded, accompanied by a gleam that took the oldest no more than a glance to identify as tears that lashed out to wet her precious, delicate cheeks.

does porcelain get ruined if it gets wet?

her shoulders were slumped, unwilling to rise, demonstrating how the desire to work things out had left the blackhaired's body.

the older person found itself straining to hold in place and not rush out to hug her to quell any hint of sadness that might be tormenting her at the moment.

—she already has someone to hold her. — they remembered.

jimin furrowed her eyebrows, changing the hint of anguish on her face to one of anger. the singer hadn't noticed, but she had brought with her the hoodie they had lent her a month ago, and threw it reluctantly over the sound console. then she just left, without crossing a word with them, without explaining anything she had come to explain.

gyuvin told her that if she wasted that opportunity, she wouldn't get another one, but jimin really didn't care about losing it at that moment.

when the door closed behind the younger girl's body, minki came out of the cabin with furious and quick steps.

"why was she here?" they exclaimed, agitated.

"i told her to come." confessed gyuvin, earning the ire of his friend.

"what for?" they shouted. "what did you expect to happen?"

"she came to return your fucking hoodie." he pointed to the garment in annoyance. "and she wanted to talk so you two could sort things out and you would stop being a fucking lifeless body walking around." he added, as he walked away from the group and grabbed his jacket.

"and you couldn't let me know she was coming?" claimed minki, their voice cracking from the urge to cry that held in their throat.

"i knew you wouldn't want to talk to her, that you wouldn't be okay with her coming, so i didn't tell you anything." he explained as he put on his coat. "but i never expected this to happen." he pointed to both rosé and minki.

"of course i don't want to see her or talk to her, for god's sake, she's dating someone else!" the older one burst out in anger.

"she's not dating jaemin, dammit!" revealed the boy exhausted from the situation.

"what?" minki's attitude vanished and they could only stand there bewildered, feeling like they had done the worst possible thing.

"look, dude," he began to speak more calmly. "i have no idea what the exact context of the situation is, but you would've known by now if you would just let her talk!" he bellowed. "but now i don't think she wants to explain anything to you."

gyuvin grabbed the door handle and yanked it open.

"where are you going?" yunjin's voice was heard.

"i can't let jimin go alone." he clarified and left the place.

the remaining four members of the band stayed in the studio, standing in the places where they were almost frozen in silence.

"how do we feel about this?" spoke the keyboardist trying to break the tension. "unexpected, right?" the leader glared at her with their eyes, causing her to shrink her body and regret even opening her mouth.

"do you think you can write a song about this?" the drummer proposed.

"minghao!" the vocalist scolded him.

[inblss]

𑁍ࠬ AURORA ﹒ DEBUT EXTENDED PLAY

AURORA is the debut extended play released by NBLISS, released on FEBRUARY 3RD, 2024, by FLOWERBANK ENTERTAINMENT. following the success of their pre-debut single, the ep takes the listener further down the dark and twisted halls of the hidden boarding school, exploring themes of longing, loss, friendship, and warped sense of love. from light and airy tracks expressing curiosity to alluring yet profound sadness bursting with musical despair, AURORA is the public’s first look into the group’s budding lore.

TRACKLIST

KNOCK-KNOCK (WHO’S THERE?)

SWEET JUICE

TAKE DOWN

ALBUM AESTHETIC

PHYSICAL ALBUM AND INCLUSIONS

﹟ ACCEPTANCE VERSION — LIMITED ︙ stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 5 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 5 ), limited photo cards ( 2 randomized out of 10 ), bracelet with charms ( 4 randomized out of 12 ), signed acceptance letter, crewneck

﹟ HYEJIN VERSION ︙ member stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 3 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 1 ), member photocards ( 2 randomized out of 4 )

﹟ RANI VERSION ︙ member stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 3 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 1 ), member photocards ( 2 randomized out of 4 )

﹟ DAWN VERSION ︙ member stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 3 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 1 ), member photocards ( 2 randomized out of 4 )

﹟ XIÙ VERSION ︙ member stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 3 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 1 ), member photocards ( 2 randomized out of 4 )

﹟ VIVIENNE VERSION ︙ member stylized outbox ( 234x309x25 ), scrapbook ( 180x255, 70 pages ), accordion lyric book, large group poster ( 1 ), individual member posters ( 3 ), sticker sheets ( 3, four stickers ea ), CD ( 1 ), personal ID card ( 1 ), member photocards ( 2 randomized out of 4 )

NOTES ABOUT THE ERA

౨ৎ the debut ep is here ! grab your popcorn and a stress reliever because this was a wild ass ride.

౨ৎ officially hitting streaming services on february 3rd, the girls were hit with mixed reviews yet again. some complaining about yet another group with lore, some praising them for their vocal ability, and other just glad there was a group out there with enough talent to handle both. in the end, if it was streamed, the girls all collectively decided not to pay mind any negativity. ( and honestly, good for them. )

౨ৎ unlike the perception for the debut single, VIVIENNE was better received this time around, much to her surprise and secret relief. a clip of her stunning visuals during promotional appearances made rounds on twitter which led to even more eyes on the group. she would go on to famously shrug when asked about her rise in popularity, saying ‘ that’s how the world works. they hate you one day, love you the next. ’ she would sport this nonchalant attitude for the rest of their appearances, but even she couldn’t help but shed a few tears for each win they received.

౨ৎ while appearing on music core to perform SWEET JUICE, the girls—or rather RANI—went viral amongst netizens for a short video that was quick to circulate. taken by an unknown source, the clip depicts a clearly disgruntled RANI telling off someone hidden by the shadows backstage. although the footage doesn’t reveal what is being said due to a performance happening at the same time, her body language showed just how upset she was. in the end, she’s pulled off to the side by a redhead, who is believed to be HYEJIN. sentiments about RANI seemed to go downhill after that, until it was revealed that the out of context clip had been the result of a wardrobe disfunction pertaining to DAWN’s outfit before their performance. and just like a flip of a coin, RANI was then hailed as someone you definitely wanted in your corner.

౨ৎ the ep boasted a humble 7 wins for its promotional period, including an inkigayo triple crown. all the girls cried at each win to varying degrees, with XIÙ having to turn around during several of their speeches. at one point DAWN had to step up to thank their fans when HYEJIN could barely get a word out, bluntly thanking everyone before bursting into tears herself.

౨ৎ interactions were at an all time high! despite not meeting yet, netizens were quick to spot the uncanny resemblance between HYEJIN and stray kids’ HYUNJIN, even joking that the two may have even been separated at birth. XIÙ was given flowers by a random upcoming artist, smiling sweetly at him until DAWN leaned over to snatch the flowers out of his hands and stare at him until he bowed and scurried off. on a variety show, VIVIENNE was asked what her ideal type was, to which she deadpanned a sharp ‘ i’m not interested in wasting my time when no one’s frontal lobe has been developed yet ’, causing the interviewer to stare at her in disbelief. a few groups were caught looking at the girls in varying degrees of interest and curiosity, sparking both rumors and speculation possible future interactions.

౨ৎ during a live, one of the girls had caught wind of a fan uploading group and personal profiles for them, so they quickly located the website to see if any of the info rang true. and in true DAWN fashion, she was quick to point out one of the irregularities in the fan’s perception. ‘ she did not f—ing say that, ’ she would say, completely forgetting about the live. ‘ you’re lying on the internet and people are believing you. this is tr— ’ HYEJIN is seen covering her mouth before the live mysteriously cuts out.

౨ৎ during another live, this time unboxing each other their albums, RANI can be seen peering over at VIVIENNE’s photocards. what she said in full was too low to be heard, but the words ‘ church girl ’ and ‘ autumn ’ were picked up by the camera. both VIVIENNE and DAWN can be seen trying to hold back their laughter.

౨ৎ due to the limited version being.. limited.. stores reported an increase of albums being stolen or damaged due to the inclusions the album had. it became so apparent that the girls themselves put out statements regarding the issue, from HYEJIN’s ‘ please do the right thing! ’ to VIVIENNE’s ‘ steal better things ’ gracing their twitter. ( VIVIENNE’s post was soon deleted for something more appropriate. )

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #5: 1954

Entering 1954. In addition to the traditional pop standards, there's a lot of vocal quartets this year, which has been a staple of the decade already. Doo-wop, a genre of music originating from Black artists and vocal groups, is reaching one of its peaks in mainstream popularity. As with previous years, the songs compiled onto the Top 30 Year-End chart are calculated by examining the retail sales of records and sheet music, as well as jukebox performances.

More information about this blog here

[femme-malewife]

Fantasia LOVE&KISS Novel Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I’m not a professional translator. Also, fair warning, the chapters are quite long.

Masterlist here

🎤

There was a time when Aizou couldn’t sing anymore. There was a time when he couldn't hear the sounds that made his heart pound. There was a time when he closed off the world to escape the noise.

Today was the day for recording their newest song. And for the first time, it seemed to actually be going well. He practiced the song many times ever since he got the demo sheet music, and he tried singing it in many different ways, but today, he was able to sing the song the best way he could have imagined it.

It could be because he didn’t have a lot of tension in his shoulders, or because he felt like he was in good condition, but either way, he felt impressed with how his own voice sounded steady. His voice was clear and his tone was consistent.

He sang with his hands clenched at his sides.

Aizou shifted his speakers as a voice came from the speakers. “Okay. We’re done for the day”

Aizou glanced at the control room, which was separated by a window. “Eh? Are you sure?” Normally, he had to do it a second time and sometimes more.

“It’s fine. It was good. What’s the matter? You did great.”

“Why’s that? Do you think it’s because it’s sunny today?” Aizou asked. The weather forecast said there was a zero percent chance of precipitation, and it had been sunny when he’d left in the morning. From the speakers, he heard the director laughing.

“Does that really have anything to do with it? But if you’re really worried, then let’s do it one more time. Sing just like how you just did, with a smile!”

“Yes sir!” Aizou said with a big smile on his face. There were times when he had to re-record a song several times because he couldn’t sing it the way he wanted to, so on days like today, getting the okay on his first try was uncommon. But Aizou was more than happy to be able to sing comfortably.

The recording ended quickly, and the sun was setting when he left the studio after a quick exchange.

People were crossing the crosswalk at the intersection and walking toward the station one after another.

(This is the end of my work for today, right? I don't even have a lesson today.)

Aizou took his phone out to check the schedule and saw that the recording session was the last thing for the day.

The first time Aizo passed an idol audition and joined an entertainment agency called "Moebius" was when he was in his third year of middle school. He applied for it because he was told that the successful applicant would get to debut, but somehow there was another successful applicant besides himself, and the two of them ended up forming a unit.

The unit was now known as “LIPxLIP”, and they debuted with their song “Romeo”. They immediately grew popular as high school idols.

Aizou stopped at the intersection just as the traffic light turned red. He was wearing a hat and glasses, but two high school girls who were also waiting at the light noticed him. 

"Eh, isn't that Aizou?"

He could hear them whispering.

"Crap! Really?”

Aizou felt embarrassed when he saw them looking at him with excitement, so he quickly pulled down the brim of my hat. On the large screen at the end of the signal, he could see myself and his partner in glittering princely outfits.

It is a commercial for a live concert that was going to be held in the summer. In preparation, he was busy recording new songs, producing CDs, taking dance lessons, and taking vocal lessons.

Before their debut, Aizou didn't know what to do or where to find his place in the world, so he spent all of the time he had studying and practicing guitar. He couldn't bring himself to do anything except stare off distantly, and he didn’t feel like getting involved with anyone, and he wasn’t very social. Sure, he talked with his school friends, but he didn’t care about club activities or going out with them all.

He wasn’t comfortable staying at home either, so he rented a room at a music store that he often visited and spent a lot of his days there. He was a shy person, but the reason why he applied for the idol audition was because he wanted to sing.

That was the only reason.

Aizou didn't think he had the personality for being an idol. He didn't even like to talk with girls. Before his debut, he never would have thought of acting like a prince for anyone. When his friends from middle school heard that Aizou had become an idol, they said, "What, seriously? You?” They were surprised to hear that Aizou had become an idol.

He supposed it was only natural.

Back then, he rarely ever spoke to the girls. He was pretty sure that they ignored him because he didn’t socialize very often. It was embarrassing to be shown him blowing a kiss on a large screen.

He wasn’t an ideal idol, but he couldn't think of any other way to make someone listen to him sing.

He loved to sing, and was the kind of child who would always jump up and down on the couch while loudly singing. Seeing Aizou like that, his mother entered him in a singing contest on a whim. It was also the first time he ever got up on stage and sang in front of people. Aizou himself was praised as a good singer, and he was even admired at school, so he went around saying, "I'm going to be a musician in the future!”

He was embarrassed to think about it now, but he’d always been a happy child.

But as soon as he’d entered the large hall, he felt so sick with nerves that he had almost thrown up and sat down in the foyer. He’d been so scared. He’d felt small, like an inflated balloon that was deflating quickly.

The only reason he’d managed to get on stage was because his brother pushed him to. He could still remember the thunderous applause when he finished singing and the proud smiles of his family, who were listening to him in the audience.

His mother was crying from emotion, but she was still smiling. He wanted to sing more in front of everyone. He wanted them to praise him. If he were to  stand on stage, everyone would see him.

Everyone would see him and need him.

Even his parents, who always fought with each other, would smile.

In fact, that was probably the first time that he dreamed of standing on stage and singing. It was not a whimsical, spur of the moment fantasy, either. It was a dream that he really wanted to pursue.

Aizou had given up on that dream once when he could no longer sing, and in the midst of the dark and bleak days ahead, he wished to see it again. He’d felt that he had nothing left, so it’d been his only “hope”. 

If he stood on the stage, if he sang again, then someone would need him.

He wanted to be able to make someone smile. He wanted to regain what he’d lost.

He felt like there was no place for him anywhere in the world, so I wanted to create a place where he could feel safe and accepted.

(I never expected that it would be in the world of idols, but…)

He was content, though.

Aizou smiled slightly as he looked at the large vision screen.

His partner was incomprehensible and disagreeable, and they kept clashing with each other. It was as if he had encountered an unknown alien and was fighting him every day. Although they now understand each other to the point where they can communicate, they still disagreed and resented each other, and bickering was still an everyday occurrence.

There were times when they would have a heart-to-heart talk about their disagreements. Still, he was the only partner in the world for him, and he supposed that he really had no choice but to be patient with him.

(Come to think of it, wasn’t that guy doing a photoshoot for a magazine today?)

Since they’d been working more and more separately these days, he didn’t know all of his partner's schedule. He recalled talking about that with his manager at the office.

It was for a fashion magazine, he was pretty sure, but he didn't bother to check with the manager and was about to put his phone away when he suddenly received a message.

(Oh, it's from Yui…)

He was a member of the idol unit “Full Throttle4”, or also known as “FT4”. There was Yui and Rio, the vocalists, Dai and Megu the dancers, and Iv the manager and producer.

They were also judges for the audition that Aizou participated in, and after he passed the audition, they coached Aizou and his partner in dance and vocal lessons. They still see them sometimes when they have free time.

Even though they worked for different offices, they weren’t actually idols, and yet, they were people that Aizou genuinely respected and didn’t want to lose to.

“Aizou, I found an insanely good ramen place~! Let’s meet up at the station in 30 minutes~!”

The message was more of a demand than an invitation, so Aizou quickly typed out his reply with a wry smile on his face.

“Which station?”

Yui’s “insanely good ramen place” most likely meant “insanely spicy ramen place”. No one loved spicy things more than him.

He remembered one time, Yui got him some spicy ramen and it was so spicy that Aizou had lost consciousness for a solid three seconds. He was pretty sure he hallucinated being in a flower garden.

If it was possible, he would really like to have some actual good ramen, but he couldn’t complain if he was being treated to a drink as well.

“It really can’t be helped, I may as well go…” Aizou sighed in resignation to himself.

Besides, there's something he wanted to talk about. He was supposed to have the manager pick him up after work, but that would no longer be necessary.

He quickly reported that the recording had gone without any issues and hurried across the crosswalk after the light turned green.

Yui was waiting for him at a nearby train station. They headed toward the plaza in front of the station, the building lit up the darkened streets. Near the entrance of the station, there were many people waiting to meet someone.

The people around the area were looking at their phones or gathered around, enjoying themselves and making a lot of noise. Yui’s appearance was immediately noticeable.

He was sitting on the edge of the fountain, and a group of women were gathered around him. They were probably university students or working people. Yui, who was chatting and laughing happily with them, waved his hand in the air and called out to him. "Aizou~ this way! Aizou!" and waved his hand.

The women around him suddenly gasped. "What, Aizou?”

Suddenly they were all looking at him. Aizou looked down in a panic and tried to hide his face with his hat, but it was too late. High school girls who were walking nearby turned their heads and began to excitedly speak.

“It’s really him!”

“Oh my god, he’s so hot!”

“Ehhh! Hey, hey! Yui, why are you meeting up with Aizou?”

Aizou could hear the women around Yui. And to think Aizou had gone through the trouble to wear a disguise. He didn't want to stand out at all, unless he was at work.

But Yui didn't seem to mind at all, and even now he wasn't wearing a disguise. He was the vocalist of FT4 and popular not only among women but also among men, so it was impossible for him not to stand out wherever he goes. He was surrounded by women and seemed to take it for granted that he would be the center of attention.

Aizou was envious of his composure.

“I’m going somewhere with Aizou~! Sorry, ladies~!” Yui got up and walked over to Aizou.

“So where are we going?”

“Somewhere nice?” Yui lifted his index finger to his lips and winked at the girls, as if he were trying to say “I don’t want you to disclose my secret!” He winked at them. “We’ll see you at our next live concert! We’ll be sure to put on a great show~!”

The girls around started screaming in excitement and joy.

“Yui! You’re so cool! I’ll definitely go!”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

Yui waved his hand to the excited girls and walked away shoulder to shoulder with Aizou. FT4 was a dance vocal unit. That's what they are all about. However, they seem much more idol-like than he, who was actually an idol, was.

💮

Yui took him to a small restaurant in a narrow alley lined with multi-tenant buildings.

“Experience the spiciness beyond your limits!”

“We have the spiciest fainting level hot homemade noodles!”

Aizou felt fear when he read the signs that read off about their spicy noodles. He was about to escape, but Yui, who was in a good mood, spoke up. “The noodles here are super good, come on!”

He really couldn’t escape thanks to Yui’s grasp.

As he was pulled into the restaurant, he was guided to a seat by the counter. It was almost time to go home, the restaurant was practically empty, and the waiters seemed bored. There were only one other pair of customrs.

Aizou doubted that people didn’t come here to eat peacefully, but rather becaue the noodles would be too spicy. Sweat began to bead on his forehead before he even had any food in front of him.

(If it’s possible, please don’t make it too spicy...)

"Hey, super spicy ramen noodles for two with triple the spiciness!" Before looking at the menu, Yui raised his hand to order.

“Super spicy ramen noodles, triple the spiciness for two! Understood. Your order has been placed.” The waitress said.

(What do you mean, triple the spiciness?! Is this a secret menu item or something?!)

“It’s okay. The noodles in this restaurant are not that spicy!” Yui laughed as he patted Aizou’s back. Aizou stared at him, suddenly uneasy.

“Yui’s version of not spicy is the same thing as normal people’s super spicy!”

“Aizou...I have some good advice for you. If you eat spicy food, your singing level will go up! Just follow my example and you'll be fine!" With a look of pride on his face, Yui jabbed his thumb at himself with a flick of the wrist.

(No way that that’s true!)

Aizou could feel his throat tingling already.

(What kind of throat does this guy have..?!)

“So eating spicy food is actually very beneficial for you!”

“Aghh! I don’t get it! I don’t get it at all!” Aizou slumped down and groaned in anguish.

“You don’t know how to train yourself! Here I am, your softhearted senior, offering to train you to become a full-fledged professional!”

What in the world was he being trained for? Aizou wrinkled his brow and sat up quickly.

“I’d like you to train me in singing, if you don't mind!”

There were so many things he wanted to learn from Yui, a vocalist of FT4. His powerful voice could easily move people's hearts.

“You know, I heard that if you eat spicy food, you'll get good at it. Today's homemade noodles are the first step!” Yui was playing with a pair of disposable chopsticks, pulling them in and out of the little bag as he spoke.

Aizou had never taken vocal lessons from Yui before, but he’d taken dance lessons from Dai and Megu before.

(The instructions from those two were so easy to understand...)

Though they are rumored to be the ones who have been involved in forty different crazy rumors, they taught them well from the basics.

Iv is indeed the true leader of FT4, and although he was calm and smiling from beginning to end, the way he taught was very difficult. He was calm and composed throughout the lesson, but his teaching style was very hard. Even his partner had to correct him many times.

“You know what? No matter what happens, don't ever, ever make Iv angry!”

Dai and Megu had told Aizou that on the day that he was going to be taught by him.

"Yes, yes, or else you will experience hell on earth!”

Fortunately, Aizou didn’t piss Iv off and did not experience the hell, but he understood why the other members were so scare of him.

Behind his smile, there was a sense of intimidation that makes it impossible to say whether or not, and a strong aura that was hard to resist.

After all, he was the unconventional leader of a group with many problems. Aizou also took a lesson from Rio, the other vocalist.

Sometimes they said stuff like, “you were made by FT4!”, Aizou would always get embarrassed, but he didn’t want them to think that they were still amateurs. He wanted them to think “We can’t be overtaken by these guys so easily!”

He wanted to show them how good they were.

And, although Yui is good at singing, he also heard that he was good with sports and skateboarding.

He mentioned that he also snowboards during the snow season.

Yui asked him, "so have you ever done it before?"

“I had practiced with my brother for a while on a skateboard he had bought me. This was when they were both still in elementary school.”

“Oh yeah, Aizou has an older brother, right?”

“We don't get along very well now. We hardly talk to each other at...home.” Aizou replied with a wry smile.

Even this was not the case in the past. He used to spend more time playing with his older brother than with his friends. At the time, he thought that his older brother was "amazing" because he could do so many things better than he could. It was the same with skateboarding. The day his brother got his board, he had already mastered it and was able to do simple turns and jumps without anyone teaching him.

Aizo had tried to imitate him, but it did not go well, and he kept falling and landing on his ass.

It was not that he was not good at exercising. In fact, he was better at physical education than his classmates. It was just that myhisbrother was more dexterous than he was.

(I remember he was always like that...)

He was the best in his class on the bars, in soccer and basketball, and in the sprint. He was chosen to be the anchor at the athletic meet relay, and it was always his older brother who cut the goal tape.

His test scores were probably quite good, but he did not boast about it and always seemed uninterested. He could have been better if he wanted to be, but he was always reluctant to try, even though he could do anything.

This must have been frustrating for the adults around him. When he returned home after a bilateral meeting with his homeroom teacher, Aizou had once heard their mother lecturing his brother. She told him that his grades were good but that he lacked enthusiasm, and his brother listened to their mother's words with a bored look on his face.

People around him might think it was a waste, but his brother himself didn't seem to see much value in what he had. He was dexterous and to the point, so he could do more than anyone else, but he also got bored very quickly.

Once he improved to a certain level, he just gave it up. It was the same with skateboarding.

After a few months, he stopped playing and left the board he had bought for himself. Aizou had stopped too, simply because his brother stopped doing it. Practicing by himself was boring, and without someone to watch him, he had no motivation to do it, and eventually he lost his enthusiasm.

He was doing just fine. He didn't seem to be involved in any club activities. For better or worse, he was not attached to anything. So, if he didn't need something, he could let it go. Surprisingly, easily and effortlessly. No matter what it was.

And once he abandoned something, he never looked back.

“I wonder what he really thinks...” Aizou muttered to himself.

His brother was always making a lot of noise in his room nowadays, or grinning while looking at his phone, and it's all extremely freakin’ weird, but he seemed to be enjoying himself from start to finish.

Aizou didn't see the fake laughter that he used to see in the past. That was probably a good thing. Aizou sincerely hoped that if he has found someone he truly cares about, he won't let go of her hand this time.

Yui, who was listening with his hand on his cheek, unexpectedly reached for him and patted his head.

“Ah-!” Aizou looked at him in surprise and saw him laughing with both elbows on the counter.

"Next time, why don't you go buy a board with me? If we're going to start, we'll need it, won't we?" 

“Yes, I’ll go with you!” Aizou immediately replied with a smile.

“If you really wanna do it, then I’m not going to go easy on you! So be prepared!”

“Ah, wait, no...I’m a beginner, just a beginner...”

“You’ll catch on pretty quickly, it’s not like you have a lack in skill. Man, it’s like you don’t think you can do it yourself.”

Yui placed the bowl of ramen brought to the counter in front of him and Aizou.

It was just like how Aizou thought of his brother. He looked over at Yui, a little surprised that someone else would see it that way.

“I've never thought of myself as skillful. But...I know I have to get over it to move on, don’t I?"

Yui grinned at Aizou as he handed the chopsticks to him. Aizou looked down at the bowl of ramen in front of him.

(Ugh...I knew it would be spicy..!!)

The surface of the ramen was completely red, and just by looking at it, it looked like it would set his mouth on fire.

Aizou cracked the disposable chopsticks with a wariness as he wondered what level was safe to put in the mouth.

“Yui...you know...”

“Hm?”

“Can I order some sweet apricot bean curd after my...meal?" Unlike his partner, he usually didn’t eat much sweet food, but today he would definitely need it.

Yui rolled his eyes and looked at Aizou in amusement.

"Ahahahaha! Fine, but only if you finish all of your ramen!”

💮

“That was so good! Super spicy ramen is the best!" Yui cheered as they left after he paid the bill. "Thanks for the food!”

Aizou felt a tingling sensation not only in his mouth, but in his stomach as well. He wondered if it was better that he did not pass out like he did with the extremely spicy ramen from before.

Today's bowl of ramen noodles was at a level where Aizou could manage to finish it. However, his taste buds seemed to have gone completely haywire, and he could not taste the apricot custard that Yui ordered at the end of the meal, so it was not a pleasant experience for his mouth.

“Yui...I want regular ramen next time...”

“I guess it can’t be helped that you’re a hopeless customer. I get it. I'll take you out for regular ramen next time! I know lots of good places!” Yui laughed as he faced Aizou. He clasped his hands behind his head as he walked. “Though, speaking of which, where's your partner?"

“Uh...probably at a photoshoot for a magazine?”

“You should definitely bring him along next time!”

“I’ll keep that in mind, as long as you don’t forget your promise!”

“I’ll send you my schedule later so you know when I’m off next,” Yui said with a wave of his hand. He took his phone out and made a phone call. “Rio~ what are you making for dinner tonight~? ....Beef stroganoff! Sounds delicious~ I’m on my way now so leave some for me~”

The members of FT4 always seemed to be getting along.

(Ah, come to think...the photoshoot should be over by now...)

Looking at the watch he wore on his wrist, he noticed that it was almost 10 at night. They would have gone home by now. His body, which had been warmed by the hot ramen, began to cool down, and Aizou turned around and started walking away.

As he turned onto the main street and headed toward the station, he was suddenly tackled from behind by something.

“Uwah!" When he turned around in surprise, he saw a familiar dog clinging to his leg.

“Oi, Hotaru!” The guy who held the leash tugged at his hat, and Aizou immediately realized who it was. He was wearing the same hat and glasses he always wore for a disguise. He was breathing heavily, likely thanks to his dog suddenly pulling him away and running so fast.

“You...hey, what are you doing out here at this time of night?”

“You can obviously see what I’m doing, I’m walking my dog!” Yujiro, the other member of LIPxLIP, replied in an annoyed tone as he tugged at the leash. He was trying to pull his dog away for some reason.

(Ah...he has walked his dog here before too...)

The two of them left the station, and Aizou sat down on the stairs. He rolled his canned coffee that he bought from a vending machine in his hand as Yujiro stood with him, with his dog next to him.

The moon reflected on the surface of the river, which swayed quietly with each gust of wind.

“So how was today's shoot?"

“...It went fine...it was just a normal shoot.”

“I see.” Aizou had no idea what else to say, so he shook his can to pass time.

“...What about you? You had a recording today.”

“Ah- it went great. I was in great shape.”

“Is that it?” Yujiro, who had been staring at the river, suddenly turned to him. “Is there anything else that you wanted to ask me?”

“...Nothing big, I just...do you always walk your dog at this time of night?”

“Well...today...”

Aizou glanced at Yujiro's face as he sat down next to him and stopped speaking.

“Well..?”

“Koichiro and father were arguing again. It was....bothering me. So I left.”

“Aren’t they close? Your father and brother, I mean.”

“...I’m wondering if he’s in his rebellious phase?” Yujiro's hair and clothes fluttered gently in the wind.

Aizou choked on a laugh and put his hand over his mouth. Even though he didn’t think it's a laughing matter, he still couldn’t help the chuckle. The way Yujiro said it was strange. “I don’t think you of all people can say that.”

“I know that we don’t talk much, but...he seems to be in a bad mood lately...maybe he’s in a slump. He’s starting to miss a lot of practice and it sets father off.”

Yujiro's younger brother, Koichiro, was still in middle school. He was chosen as the successor to his father, a famous kabuki actor, and has been performing on stage since he was a child.

This was in sharp contrast to Yujiro, who was not allowed to stand on stage even if he wanted to, and was confined to a behind-the-scenes position. Although he was always in the limelight, his younger brother must have had his share of hardships.

“Well, I don’t know about any of that, but...your place seems pretty strict.”

There seem to be a lot of connections. Yujiro also had a lot of trouble convincing his father when he passed the audition and to sign a consent form to work with the office. It was different from his own home, where there was a more go-with-the-flow attitude.

“...I wonder what they’re thinking. They have a performance coming up...”

“Isn’t it good to let him try to be more free?” Aizou asked thoughtfully.

Yujiro looked at him in surprise. “Why?”

“Why...I mean, what if seeing you do all of your activities freely made him envious?” Aizou raised his eyebrows. “Don’t ask me.”

There were many things about Yujiro's house that he didn’t understand. However, he thought that he could understand a little bit, since he was also a little brother.

(I mean, even I used to stick with my brother and do nothing but imitate him when I was little...)

The same went for skateboarding. Anything his brother did seemed like a good thing, and he wanted to try it himself. He supposed that was just how brothers were. His older brother was the target of his admiration.

“You’re the older brother, so of course you don’t get it.” Aizou said when Yujiro frowned at him, looking confused.

Even though they were not related by blood, an older brother is still an older brother, and a younger brother is still a younger brother.

Surprisingly, Aizou was a little relieved to see that this partner seemed to be playing the older brother at home.

(Well, he’s probably feeling suffocated too...)

When he thought back to his middle school days, he remembered that he was constantly lost, and he hated everything about it. Everything he heard seemed like a bunch of senseless noise, and he desperately struggled to get out of it.

(Ah, but I had old man Morita helping me before...)

Morita-san was the owner of his favorite music store. He met him when he wandered around town with nowhere to go, and he was also the one who let Aizou rent out a practice room for a few days.

Whenever he didn't want to go home, he spent his time playing his guitar in that practice room. It was the only place he could keep his mind at peace at the time.

He was so pissed off about that, that he even complained about it once. At that time, Morita only laughed while patting Aizou's head and said, "That's just the way young people are.”

For those who are at the mercy of stormy emotions, it is a matter of life and death, and such simple words are not enough to convince them. However, when that storm passes, you end up wondering what was so rough about the world.

(Yujiro...never seems to have rebelled at his home...)

Though the decision to become an idol was probably his biggest act of rebellion, in Aizou’s opinion. Since he’d been forbidden from being able to stand on the stage, and that was the one thing he’d really wanted.

But for his family, it must have been a surprise. For his younger brother, too, the "betrayal" may have come out of the blue.

In any case, his partner was unique in what he thought and what he did. Compared to him, the younger brother seemed more standard in his rebellion, as he is the one who was confronting his father head-on

“By the way...Yujiro.”

“...What?”

“Your uh, dog has been biting my hair for a while now...” Aizou bent forward a bit, internally pleading for him to do something about it. Yujiro’s dog was leaning against his back and had been biting and licking at his short ponytail.

“Hotaru, it won’t taste good if you eat that,” Yujiro said, but didn’t move to stop him.

Aizou let out a sigh, resting his face in his hand.

(Is there something I missed?)

Yujiro's dog clung to him and wouldn't leave. It was better since it didn't bark at him, but he would have preferred that if it meant his hair wasn’t being licked.

He was still an idol, after all, and he had no idea when he was being watched. It would be awful if people saw him with such ruined hair.

Yujiro chuckled when he saw Hotaru wagging his tail happily. “You think you’re friends, don’t you? He’s got a tail too.”

“My hair isn’t a tail, dammit...” Aizou grumbled, yanking his hair tie out of his hair and standing up.

Yujiro stood up as well and lifted Hotaru up in his arms before the dog would start playing with his legs.

“The manager said that there’s a meeting at the office tomorrow. She said to call later.”

“Hm. I’ll check it out, then.”

“Why? I thought you were off tomorrow.”

“I don't know. We've been working a lot lately.  But the fact that he suddenly called me up must mean that she has something very important to do.”

(I wonder what it is...)

He thought about calling later to find out, but he supposed he’d just find out when he dropped by at the office tomorrow.

🎤

When Aizou and Yujiro went to the office in the early afternoon the next day, they found the president and manager waiting for them in the conference room. The other staff members seemed to be on vacation. This was probably why the office was so quiet.

Aizou sat down in one of the chairs.

“Actually!” President Tamura clapped her hands together as she told them the news.

“A play?!” Both Aizou and Yujiro shouted simultaneously.

“Yes! I know this is sudden, but this stage will be a great challenge for both of us, and if we succeed, it will lead to new job offers," the president said with a smile as she put both hands on the table in front of her.

“But...um...I've never done any acting or anything like that..?" Aizou had taken acting lessons before their debut, and he had played the role of a prince in an MV shoot, but he had never been on a theater stage.

He honestly thought it would be a long time before he would be offered such a job, so he wasn't prepared for it.

(Is it normal for this kind of thing to be sprung up on us?)

Aizou glanced over at his partner, suddenly feeling anxious.

Yujiro would have practiced and studied acting at home. During a previous acting lesson, he memorized the lines immediately, and even his teacher was amazed at his acting ability. If asked to do it, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Though he was obviously surprised, he didn’t seem nervous.

“Yes, I guessed as much. I've already told them that you have no experience on stage, and they've still agreed to do it. I know it's a lot of work for you because it's your first time on stage, but I'm sure you guys can handle it. Besides, this is a musical. Singing and dancing is what you are best at!”

“A musical?! We’re doing a musical?!” Aizou leaned forward in shock. Since he had no prior stage experience, being thrust into doing a musical seemed even more reckless.

(But...if it’s singing and dancing, is it really okay since we always do it?)

When it was put that way, he could probably give it a go... “No, no no!” He stopped and shook his head quickly.

(This isn’t possible! It's not like a live performance. This is something where you sing, dance, and act. That is going to be really difficult, right?)

He had a feeling that he would be a laughingstock if he, as an amateur performer, suddenly took the stage.

(Yujiro...looks like he may do it...)

His partner was silently listening to the president speak. Aizou put his hand to his head.

(And if only I can’t do it, it’ll make us look bad...)

“Aizou, you don't need to worry. You'll get proper instruction in acting, singing, and dancing. It's true, we don't have a lot of time. But I really want you to do this play. It's the perfect role for both of you. But the decision is yours.”

The President and Manager both looked at Aizou and Yujiro, before Uchida placed some papers in front of them.

“I’ll give you the script and sheet music to look over.”

“I want you to go look at it and think about it. We don't have much time, so I'd like an answer right away if possible. We need to talk about it together. It's a stage you’re both going to perform on!" The president, who had come around behind them, put her hands on Aizo and Yujiro's heads. She was smiling widely, as if she was convinced that the two would accept the offer.

The two left the office and headed for an old coffee shop off the main street.

Today was a holiday and fast food restaurants near the office were going to be crowded. Not wanting to be recognized, Aizou preferred a quieter place to relax and read the script.

He peeked inside the shop through the window and saw a counter with seats for four and a few seats for two. There seemed to be no customers.

When he opened the door and entered, he heard a voice calling out a, "welcome.”

Surprised by the familiar voice, Aizou looked at the counter and saw that standing there, wearing an apron, was Yamamoto Koudai, a fellow Sakuragaoka high school student. He was a member of the newspaper club and had interviewed them at school before.

“Ah, hey Yamamoto-senpai.”

“Oh. Hey. Are you guys off today?” Koudai’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No, we just got back from work...Yamamoto-senpai, you work part-time here?” Yujiro was the one to ask.

“Yes, I was asked to. There’s plenty of available seats. You can sit anywhere,” Koudai began to prepare a tray with water and napkins.

Aizou and Yujiro went to a four-seater seat in the corner, put down their bags, and sat down. They did not expect to meet a senior student from school at the coffee shop that they happened to enter.

(Well, it's nice to be able to relax...)

It's not likely that they would run into other fans of theirs. And since there were no other customers, he knew that he could stay a little longer.

The shop seemed comfortable, and he secretly thought that if Koudai was working there part-time, he would be happy to come there more often.

When Koudai put a glass and napkins on the table, Yujiro seemed to have already looked at the menu and made a decision.

“I would like a chocolate parfait and a cup of hot cocoa, please. With lots of cream,” Yujiro ordered.

“Is there even an option for lots of cream?” Aizou grumbled, opening the menu. Sure enough, there was no such thing as lots of cream on the menu.

Koudai put his pen by his mouth and laughed. “It’s alright. My junior came all this way, so I can give him that. What about you, Shibasaki-kun?”

“Ah...I’m fine with just a hot coffee. No milk or sugar, please.” After he finished ordering, Koudai wrote down their order.

“Alright. Please wait a moment and it’ll be ready.” He went back to the counter to prepare their orders.

Looking around, he didn’t see anyone who looked like they could be the owner of the shop, so it was becoming clear that Koudai was the one in charge. He was preparing the drinks and the parfait himself.

(I wonder how long he’s worked here...)

Aizou, who was not in the mood for idly watching, took the script and sheet music out of his bag and put them on the table.

Yujiro, who was sitting across from him, crossed his legs and flipped through the script. At the beginning of the script, there was a synopsis of the story and the characters.

Basically, the story is about two young men who visit a town, slay a dragon, and save the princess of the land. The character images played by the two men are clear and the dialogue is well paced. Aizou felt that he could understand why the president said the roles were perfect for them when he read the script. The way they fight and cooperate with each other was easy to relate to.

(This is...actually interesting...)

It was a script that really made Aizou want to try it.

As he turned the pages, Koudai came over with a tray in his hands. "Here you go.” He placed a cup of coffee in front of Aizou and a glass of cream-filled hot cocoa and the chocolate parfait in front of Yujiro.

Yujiro was reading his script intently with the hand holding the pen on his chin. He was concentrating. He seemed to be unaware that the parfait he had ordered had arrived.

"Take your time," Koudai said simply, realizing that they shouldn’t be disturbed. He went back to the counter. He must have known that what they were reading was a script, but he didn't ask any unnecessary questions.

Aizou reached for his cup and took a sip of coffee.

(Ugh, I knew this was going to happen...)

Aizou sipped his coffee with this thought in mind. All he could hear was the occasional sound of a car driving by, Koudai washing dishes, and the second hand of the clock on the wall. The cream from the chocolate parfait on the table started melting and slowly trickling down the surface of the glass.

By the time Aizou had finished reading the script, his desire to do it had grown. He should have guessed that President Tamura would have known.

Aizou closed the script and looked at his partner. Yujiro had finished reading the script first and was now quickly eating the chocolate parfait ice cream. It seemed to have already melted, though.

“...So what are you going to do?” Aizou asked.

“What about you?” Yujiro countered.

“I want to do it, but...I don’t know if I can...you’ll do it too, right?” 

Yujiro stopped moving his hand and turned his gaze to Aizou. Looking into his eyes, Aizou could see that he was completely motivated.

“I don’t think you can’t do it,” Yujiro said softly without an ounce of hesitation.

“Maybe you're right," Aizou muttered. For Yujiro, who could perform, there was no reason to hesitate. This is a unique opportunity for them. They knew that, but once he said that they are going to do it, there was no backing out.

It was only natural that when one accepted a job as theirs, it came with responsibility. If he accepted the job even though he could not do it, he would cause trouble not only for the president but also for everyone else involved.

“What are you so unusually timid for?” Yujiro laughed quietly. 

Aizou’s brows furrowed. “It’s just...how can you seriously say that I can do it so easily, just because I want to do it?”

“How? I mean, I’ve been doing everything I do because I want to. It’s not like I was an idol with experience before. Everyone starts off somewhere...even idols.”

The recording of their songs, the album production, the photography, the TV work, the radio, and the live performance were all a first for them. They had no confidence or experience. Yet, they still managed to build their skills.

They managed to make it this far. This was not to say that there had been no failures. There were many things Aizou could have done better. But he had always done his best, and he always accomplished what he set out to do. In order to move forward, he had to overcome this hurdle.

He knew that.

But...

Aizou brushes his bangs back with one hand and sighed in resignation.

“I understand...and I admit. For once, I'm not so sure! I may be the laughingstock during the acting lessons, so keep that in mind..! I know I’m a terrible actor and a daikon, so I can't say yes with as much confidence as I usually do!"

"...I don’t think you have to play the character.”

“Eh...why’s that?”

“Because this is what you always do!” Yujiro’s shoulders shook as he laughed. Aizou’s eyes narrowed. It didn’t sound like he was praising him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the simplicity and lack of thought.”

“Ah, that’s just like you! You’re really not cute or honest at all! You have a twisted personality!”

“Huh?! Who has a twisted personality?! Say that again, I dare you!” 

“I’m not doing it! I can’t do a nice musical with you!”

“That’s my line! If you can’t do it, then go cry in a corner by yourself!” Both annoyed now, they stood up without realizing it, reaching out to grab each other to start fighting. Knees banged against the table, the glasses clattered, and the parfait cup moved like it was about to fall.

“Okay. No more, you two!” Koudai grabbed them by their shirt collars and yanked them apart.

It was then that they remembered that they were not alone and they were in a coffee shop. Both of them looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry.” They both apologized quietly, before quickly gathering their things and hurrying back to the office.

When they got back, Manager Uchida caught sight of their grim faces and rolled her eyes. “Were you two fighting again?!” She must have seen their wrinkled clothes and messy hair. She put a hand to her forehead in clear distress. “Honestly. When are you two going to start getting along?” 

Aizou and Yujiro glanced at each other, then looked away in a huff.

The president laughed at them. “Well, you two have you decided what you’re going to do?”

“Of course we’ll do it!” Both of them said, before Aizou glanced sharply at his partner.

“Don’t copy me!” Yujiro scowled. “You said you won’t do it, so what are you yelling for?!”

“I can’t be the one to let you look good!” Aizou retorted. The two had only just started to push each other, when the president suddenly ran over and hugged them tightly, indirectly forcing them to hug each other.

“I knew you two would do it! It’s just as I predicted! This show’s going to be a success!”

“President, I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Also, I need to adjust the work schedule!" Manager Uchida pushed up her glasses with a quick finger. Both the president and the manager seemed motivated.

Aizou and Yujiro were still in the president's arms, and both of them had sour expressions on their faces.

(I wonder how long we’re going to keep doing this...)

The members of FT4 always seem to be happy and relaxed whenever he saw them. Hibiki Kazuma and Soda Mifuyu, two members of the dance-vocal unit who had been in the same group before their debut, seemed to be in perfect harmony with their partners as well.

They were probably the only unit that fought so much. It's been over a year since their debut, and they must have grown up in their own way. Aizou thought it was time to put an end to the pointless fighting.

“This is uncomfortable. Stop it,” Yujiro hissed to him.

“Tell that to the president..! Ow! Don’t step on my foot!” Aizou whispered back.

Seriously, things never went well with them.

⚔️🏹

The two faced each other in the middle of the darkened alley, their hats and capes heavy with rain. They both have the same goal. What they were looking for was the legendary stone that would grant their wish.

“Do you know something that I don’t?”

“...And what if it were true?” Yujiro asked warily.

“Then I want you to tell me. I don’t expect it to be free, of course. I’ll give you a fair reward in exchange.”

“As if I would be honest with you. If we’re after the same thing, don’t you think I’d lie about the information I gave you?” Yujiro frowned.

“Maybe. I won't trust all of what you say. I don't even know who you are...but if we have the same goal, it would be easier to cooperate with each other, right? And...if you knew where the gems were, you wouldn't be going around town asking people. That means you don't know that much yet.” He smirked at him. “Is that right?”

(It’s...easier to cooperate with each other?)

But it would be no fun to go along with the conversation. As he stood there,  pondering how to respond, they suddenly heard a scream that seemed to break the silence of the night. After looking at each other, they both ran in the direction of the voice.

“H-help me!” It was the drunken man that was on the ground earlier. He was staggering about now. His legs got tangled and he fell over. Yujiro gasped as a crowd of demons swarmed the man.

They had large eyes, which were as red as scarlet flames, shone with several eerie glints in the darkness of the night. They weren’t very large. They were about half the size of a human being. The bodies were translucent blue.

(Even in a town like this..!)

In the mountains and fields of the northern country, demons rarely appeared in a city surrounded by walls. Even if they do occasionally appear, it was only one or two at most. He had never heard of a group of demons appearing in the city.

People had been acting strange in this town.

Everyone returned to their houses by sunset, and he rarely saw anyone walking down the street. It was not normal for people not to turn on their lights even after dark.

The drunken man was dragged away by the demons that surrounded him, screaming, his face pale with fear.

Yujiro put his hand on the bow he carried on his shoulder. His hand hesitated because there were too many demons. There was no end to what he could do with one of them.

The other guy pulled his rapier out of his sheath and ran forward.

“Hey!” Yujiro shouted to stop him.

“Cover me!”

“What?!”

It was too reckless to rush into a crowd of demons. The man was a drunk, and the sharp claws of the demons that attacked him were repelled by his thin rapier. He turned around and pierced the eye of another demon that tried to jump at him from behind. Normally, he would not trust someone he had just met. And yet, he asked for backup as if it were a matter of course.

It was as if the idea of him not grabbing the drunk and running away hadn’t even crossed his mind.

The drunk man was crawling away now that the demons’ attention was on the other guy, sobbing as he went.

Left behind by the drunk man he’d just saved, he was surrounded by demons who were closing in on him with absolutely nowhere to run.

(I can’t believe this guy.)

With a loud sigh, Yujiro tore the cloth off of his bow.

“I really hate soft-hearted guys who don’t use their head!” He spat out, aiming his bow and arrow.

The arrow he released hit the red eye of the demon that was going to attack him. With a deafening scream, the demon's body shattered into pieces, and the fragments, which had turned to mist, were swept away by the wind.

After stabbing at another twenty demons, the guy leaped over the swarming demons, facing him.

He was not going to deal with all the demons, as expected. There was no reason for him to stay there and struggle. Seeing him rushing toward Yujiro with a swarm of demons in tow, he grabbed his bow and immediately spun around. He quickly caught up with him and lined up next to him.

“That was horrible aiming! You seriously almost hit me!”

“That’s what you say after I just saved your ass?!”

“Yes, you’re a terrible shot!”

“Agghh! You suck! I’m never covering for you again!”

“Good, because I won’t ask you to!”

As thy turned down the street while arguing, they saw a canal ahead of them. When they crossed the stone bridge to the middle of the street, they stopped because a crowd of demons was also in the street ahead.

Their red eyes turned toward them in unison. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me...this is all your fault,” Yujiro muttered angrily.

“Really?” The guy said dismissively.

Demons came at them one after another from the front and back of the stone bridge. As Yujiro stepped back to the edge of the bridge's railing, he was suddenly grabbed by the collar of my cape.

“Eh?!” He was promptly pulled over the railing.

“Let’s go, already!”

“Haaaa?!” Yujiro shrieked as the guy threw them off the railing, causing them to fall into the canal.

⚔️🏹

“T...terrible...” Yujiro muttered, trying to dry his hair with a cloth. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

The guy, “Aizou”, sat on a bed nearby and dried off with a disgusted frown on his face as he had to take off his shirt.

“At least we were saved!”

“Ha? Nothing about this is fine. We should have gotten out of there from the start!”

What's more, Yujiro found out after they jumped into the channel that Aizou can't swim. He was lucky that it was shallow, but what was he going to do if it wasn't? He was so thoughtless when he charged into the crowd of demons to save the man.

How he managed to live this long was honestly beyond him.

“I couldn’t just leave that old man there!”

“It had nothing to do with us. It’s none of our business.”

“Well, thanks to me, we managed to find a place to stay, so what’s the problem?”

“That’s a problem- why are we even sharing a room? And this place is a shitty place to stay...”

Yujiro looked at the dusty table. They were in a room of a small inn. When they finally climbed out of the canal and were walking around soaked to the bone, that drunken man came running over with a wild look on his face.

The drunken man must have sobered up completely after being attacked by the demon. He had run away in fear, but he was worried about the two he had left behind and was looking for them.

The man was an innkeeper, and when he realized that they had nowhere to stay, he said, "No charge, just stay at our place!"

He enthusiastically recommended it to them. He was apologizing and thanking them for helping him. They were just in need of a place to stay. Many of the other inns were closed and had been turned into stores. According to him, the inns in this town used to be crowded with people, but since demons began to appear, the merchants and travelers visiting the inns have disappeared, and the inns seem to have completely fallen thanks to not being in use.

The man who was working at the inn had lost his job, and the inn was as good as closed. He became desperate and often went out to drink alcohol, refusing to listen to his family's warning that demons would appear.

Although they were kind enough to let them stay as long as they needed to, the other rooms were unusable due to leaks, and they had to share this room, the only one available, between the two of them. That was the worst part. It was impossible to relax in this room.

“It's better than staying in the field with demons. You complain too much, we don’t need to stay in an extravagent place!"

Yujiro's brow wrinkled more and more as Aizou told him off.

“The room next door is empty, so just stay there. It has a bath, right?” Aizou said, sitting up from his bed.

A knock at the door interrupted their argument.

When the door opened, there was a startled yell. A petite girl with braids in her hair stood there. She looked to be about 14 or 15 years old.

“Um...my dad told me to bring you some food?” The girl’s voice was hoarse from fear. In her hands, she held a tray with two bowls of soup and buns.

“Ah, thanks. We were getting hungry,” Aizou said with a smile as he accepted the tray. The girl smiled, the tension releasing from her shoulders.

“Thanks for helping my father, by the way.”

“We were just in the right place at the right time! But it’s not safe to be out at night.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him that, but I’m sure he’s learned his lesson.”

“Do demons come out like that every night? It’s troubling, isn’t it?”

“Ehh...yeah...when the previous king became the ruler, the guards would exterminate all of the demons, and thanks to them, the demons never came into the city. But when the princess went into power, she had them shut in the castle...”

“Does that mean she's not doing anything for you anymore?" Aizou asked, and the girl lowered her gaze and shook her head.

“The people of the town had been complaining to the castle about their plight, but they were not being listened to,” she said, her face clouded.

It seems that the harm caused by demons has become so bad over the years that most of the craftsmen and merchants have abandoned the city and left. Since demons frequently appear on the streets and attack wagons, food and other supplies must have become hard to come by.

“So that’s why the market was deserted,” Yujiro commented, walking up behind Aizou. The girl took a surprised step back, and he continued. “Is there no one who can say anything against the incompetent princess?” It was a small country, but surely there were nobles or ministers.

“The princess is not incompetent! She was intelligent, kind-hearted, and thought of the people first." The girl’s face flushed as she spoke angrily.

“Then why doesn't that intelligent and kind-hearted princess do something about the people who are suffering from the evil of demons and things to the extent that they abandon the city and flee?”

“T-that's...!" She choked on her words and looked down dejectedly. "I...I don't know...but the princess has changed since the death of her father, His Majesty the King..." She said in a small voice, "I'm sorry," she turned back down the hallway, bowing her head.

The residents always seemed to clam up when talking about the princess. Yujiro looked away as Aizou slammed the door shut.

“You can stand to be a bit more tactful when you speak,” Aizou scolded.

Ignoring his light glare, Yujiro turned to the table. A draft had entered the room and the window was rattling. He pulled out a rocking chair and sat down with a small thud.

Aizuo came over and put a tray with soup and bread for two on it on the table.

“But it’s true. There’s nothing wrong with being honest,” Yujiro said blandly. “Besides, it’s not like anyone’s going to do anything about it.”

If all you do is lament and complain to someone about your plight, nothing will change. If you want to change things, you have to take action yourself.

“Not everyone is brave..." Aizou said, sitting down in a chair and sipping his bowl of soup. The soup was made up of only vegetable scraps and a little dried meat. But even this soup is probably the best hospitality the people of this town could offer.

(Still, it’s none of my business...)

It was up to the residents of the city to think about it. As Aizou said, not everyone is brave. It was one of the options to give up and say, "There is nothing we can do about it. We are just travelers staying in this city for a while. As long as we get what we are looking for, that is all that matters. When we have no more use for it, we will leave for somewhere else and will not visit this city again.”

Yujiro took a bite of the bun and frowned. “Ew.”

“Shut up and eat it. It was prepared for you.”

Yujiro put the bread back on the plate and leaned against the table. Aizou was probably concerned about the girl and didn’t want to leave any food behind.

“...You’re too soft-hearted.”

“What?” Aizou set his spoon down.

“I just think if you don’t keep your hero-complex to a minimum, you’ll end up regretting it when you run into trouble.”

There were many people who try to live their lives in a way that was easy and to the point. The most important thing to remember is that you can't just take a chance on a new product or service. One has to remember is that you can't just take a look at the pictures and say, "I’m one of those people, I’m not a good person.”

“I don't have any noble ideas about doing things for other people. Leave me alone...and besides that...I'm not soft-hearted."

“So you’re just naive?” Yujiro teased, but to his surprise, Aizou’s frown only tugged down more.

“Ahh, you say way too many unnecessary things!”

(That’s probably true.)

He laughed a bit and glanced at the candle on the table.

The candlelight flickered in his eyes. It was probably an unnecessary meddling. After all, it was someone else's business. For selfish people, a partner like him seemed convenient.

That was why they often take advantage of him. He felt a bit uneasy about that.

It would be hard to live that way.

🎤

After it was officially decided to stage the play, and after meeting with the people involved and the costars, the readings began immediately the following week.

In a large conference room with long desks and chairs, all the performers and the director, Okido Mitsuo, were seated.

Aizou took his seat with his prepared script and pen case, and casually looked around. The actors were all looking over their scripts in silence.

(Okido-sensei is a famous director, isn’t he?)

He was not familiar with the stage and did not know its name. But when he saw the stage, which was directed by Okido Mitsuo, as it was being distributed, he saw that it was indeed an amazing production that he got absorbed in watching from beginning to end.

Okido, sitting at the desk in front of him, was a man in his fifties, wearing a jacket. He had a somber air about him, and the fan he held in his hand opened a little as if restless and then snapped shut immediately. Sitting next to him was Ikezaki Anri, a dance and singing instructor. She was in her early thirties and was chatting happily with the scriptwriter sitting next to her.

When the time came and everyone was present, the reading began. The other actors sat in their chairs and read their lines at a brisk speed. Yujiro, who sat next to him, had his script open but was barely looking at it. He probably already had the lines in his head.

(Isn’t that...kind of reckless?)

Aizou felt impatient as he followed the lines written in the script with his eyes. His hand was cramping from how tightly he held the pen in his hand. Yujiro and the other actors had already created their roles, but he was mostly just reading the lines.

(I didn’t hear anything about that, though..?)

It’d only been a week since they got their script, and today they were just reading their lines.

That's what he had heard, so he even went through the script a few times and drew lines on his lines. Naturally, he had no idea how to prepare for a role. He didn't even know how to do it, and he hadn’t been taught how to do it.

It was totally different from what he had heard. Aizou kept his eyes down on the script and put his hand over his lips, which were getting dry.

Yujiro, who was sitting next to Aizou, glanced at him. But he didn't say anything.

(Crap, I’m the only one who hasn’t really done anything...)

The voice that read the dialogue became quieter as he lost his confidence. He couldn’t follow the dialogue from halfway through, like everyone else was.

He couldn't even tell where he was reading anymore. Suddenly, the voices cut off and the room fell silent. As Aizou stared blankly at the script in his hand, he felt a small kick on his leg. Yujiro was still holding the pen and staring ahead with a cool expression on his face.

“Ouch...uh, what?” Aizou blurted out, glancing at his script.

(Oh no! It’s my turn, it’s my turn!)

That's why everyone was staring at them. Aizou frantically turned the page and then honestly confessed, "I lost track of where I was at with that...”

The actors began to giggle, and Aizou, caught up in the relaxed atmosphere, almost laughed too.

“Enough!” A yell echoed through the meeting room, and the laughter instantly disappeared. Aizou was also startled and looked ahead. Okido folded his arms in irritation, glaring at them.

He continued. "I don't know if it’s because they’re high school idols or what, but are they all such amateurs? They didn't learn their lines, and on top of that, they read their lines in a deadpan manner. We're not doing a cultural festival show!" His anger echoed throughout the meeting room, the others remained silent with stiff expressions.

It was not an atmosphere where Aizou could say anything. Even a young staff member, tray of drinks in hand, was frozen at the entrance.

“You come in here in a lighthearted mood, and you’re laughing that you lost where you are?! Your role is not a standing mob! No, no! You’re the lead!” Okido tapped on the script, raising his voice. “You can't even do a good job, but being loved and praised makes you feel good about yourself, doesn't it? How can you accept a role when you can't even do it? Do you honestly think you can take my stage?”

“...I’m sorry, sir,” Aizou barely managed to choke out. He stood up and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry sir,” the director mocked, “can the audience even hear your lines with that kind of voice? You say I’m sorry, sir!”

“I’m sorry, sir!” Aizou repeated loudly, his head lowered.

“Hey, someone get me a better actor than this guy! I can’t stand to have such a worthless shit standing on my stage!”

(Did I...really deserve to be told off that badly?)

He stared down, the script crumpling in his grasp.

It was his own fault that he hadn't been able to prepare for the role and that he hadn't learned the lines yet. However, he was told that since today was the first day of rehearsals, they would only be reading the script to each other. Besides, he had already told them during the selection process that he had no acting experience. And he thought we were told that they would be given guidance on that basis. That's what Manager Uchida said.

(But this...is another story altogether..!)

However, Yujiro and the other actors had prepared for their roles. They knew what they had to do without being told. He could only say that he was not aware of this. As he remained silent, biting his lower lip roughly, he heard a sudden slam.

Aizou’s head snapped up at the noise, surprised to see his partner standing up.

(Eh, Yujiro..?)

Aizou, as well as the other actors looked at Yujiro as in shock. It is obvious at a glance that he was pissed off. His eyes are completely fixed ahead.

When Yujiro was really angry, he was breathtakingly powerful. It was like he has a different kind of power in his eyes.

Even Okido, who had been yelling at him loudly, fell silent for a moment, as if he had been overwhelmed.

“No one was instructed to memorize the entire script today. There were others who didn't remember, right? I don't think it is only Aizou who is not ready for the role." His voice was lower in tone than usual.

Aizou tried to interrupt him. “H-hey-”

He reached out to gently grab Yujiro’s wrist, but he yanked away from him, as if he were in the way.

“I believe you were told ahead of time that we had no experience on the stage. They knew that, and that's why we were chosen for the job. We can work out our lack of acting ability in rehearsals. Isn't it your job to guide us and make the most of our performance?”

“Just who do you think you’re talking to like that?!” Okido snapped, red faced and his hands clenched into fists.

“You.” Yujiro replied.

“So this is LIPxLIP. One is a total amateur and the other is a cocky little brat!”

“You’ve been yelling for a while now. If you’re really a director, you’d use your title and give us better guidance.”

“You wanna say that again, boy?!” Okido stood up, snarling in a way that stunned everyone in the room.

(This is getting really bad...if we make him any more angry, it’ll cause a lot of problems!)

“It was my fault for not being prepared, next time I’ll do better!”

“You two, just get out of here! You don’t need to come back!” As if to enunciate his point, Okido slammed his fan on the desk. “I can’t have people like you on my stage!”

Yujiro glared at Okido and grabbed his bag.

“Excuse me then.” He said curtly, and left.

“Wha- hey!” Aizou ran after his partner.

No one else was in the hallway when Aizou left the room. The fluorescent lights were on, and Yujiro stormed down the hall, his pace quicker than usual. Aizou rushed to catch up with him.

“Wait!” Aizou grabbed his arm.

Yujiro stopped but didn’t look at him. His head was tilted in another direction, eyebrows furrowed in clear anger.

Aizou let out a sigh and slowly removed his hand. “...I’m...sorry,” he said, his voice lowered.

Yujiro finally looked at him, but he didn’t meet his eyes. “...Why are you apologizing?”

“If I had done it properly, then I wouldn’t have pissed off the director like that...and it looked like I made you uncomfortable too.”

“It’s their fault. Why are you putting up with something that doesn’t deserve to be said?”

“Yeah, but...it can’t be helped if I make him angry. It troubles the president too.”

“If that’s what you think, then go back by yourself.” Yujiro said firmly, and walked to the side entrance of the building.

“Yujiro!” Aizou called out to him, but he didn’t look back. “Dammit...what am I going to do..?" Aizou sighed as he puts his hand to his forehead.

Now that this happened, he’d have to go back to the office and report it to the president and manager.

Thinking about it, he started feeling nauseous.

💮

When Aizou called Manager Uchida, he quickly explained what happened and asked her to pick him up by car immediately. They also picked up Yujiro, who was about to walk home on the way back.

When he was called into the president’s office, he explained what happened again. He felt responsible for the whole ordeal, so he did all of the talking.

“I’m sorry...” Aizou bowed to the president.

“It’s not your fault, Aizou. He’s always a bit problematic at first. I should have known this was going to happen, it’s my fault for not warning you.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Let’s sit down and talk,” she sighed. They moved to the couch in the office and sat down. Manager Uchida put some cups on the table- coffee for the president and Aizou, and chocolate milk for Yujiro.

After taking sips of their drinks, they began to calm down a bit.

“So...” The president began, “the two leading actors for this play are the only ones who we han't been able to decide on for a long time..."

Aizou, who was about to bring a cup of coffee to his mouth, let out a soft "eh".

The president put a few fingers on her forehead. “You see, Okido-san is a strict man, and it seems that he couldn't find any actors who fit his image in the audition. Besides, this time it's a musical, so we'll need some experience in singing and dancing. That's why they came to us on such short notice. I guess I should have told you about that beforehand...I’m really sorry.” She bowed her head.

(What, so that’s...)

He had thought the offer was a bit sudden. Because Okido is a very particular man, there was no way that he would be able to find an actor who can meet his requirements so easily. Besides, not many people can keep up with his guidance. The attitude of Okido, a hard-headed man, can be described as unmannered. If he had continued to tell him what to do, Aizou would have lost his patience as well.

The only reason he hadn’t was because his even more ill-tempered partner had snapped first. He was the type of person who refused to tolerate anything unreasonable, which was why he snapped. Even now, Yujiro stared ahead, lips pressed together.

“You two can dance and sing, but you don’t have the stage experience. That’s why I recommended you two, because they said they could help you. We knew it would be a challenge, but we believed you’d overcome it...that being said...was today your first official reading?”

“It was for us...”

He was sure the others had received their scripts earlier and had had time to read them and prepare for their roles. Out of the two, it was just his partner who had prepared properly for his role.

“I think he must have been in a big hurry because he couldn't decide who would play the leading role in the play. It's not your fault, so don't worry about it. Because I confirmed it with the director in advance, and he has given his consent.“

(Does that mean...that I was scolded for nothing?)

In that case, there was no need to believe he was the one in the wrong. He leaned forward, putting a hand to his head. If he had known that he was in such a situation, he wouldn’t have put up with it in silence.

Beside him, Yujiro only pouted, as if he’d known all along.

(Well, if this ever happens again, I’ll lose my temper before Yujiro does!)

Unlike his partner, who boiled over as quickly as an electric kettle, Aizou’s anger often subsided with a bit of time to think.

“President, let’s drop this job! There’s no need for you to apologize! They can’t expect you to just take that in silence! There’s no need to bring them into this, just say the word, if you say fight, then we’ll fight!” There was flames of anger in Manager Uchida’s eyes.

Aizou almost fell back.

(Manager, your face is terrifying!)

“Calm down, I understand how you feel...” The president then glanced at the two boys on the couch. “It’s up to you two whether or not you want to continue this or not.”

“But...I don’t think the director wants us...”

“I don't think you need to worry about that. If you want to continue, he will agree, even if reluctantly. We have the theater and the performance dates are already set. It's their problem if you leave. You can dance and sing, you are well known and popular, and you are the talk of the town! Do you think it will be easy to find two people like that?"

Popular idols and famous actors naturally have full schedules. When it comes to stage productions, they spend two months or more in rehearsals.

There is no way they could be able to find the time to do so anytime soon. Although they were not free and have other jobs, they manage to make time for them because they were still in high school and their manager and president have reduced our workload so that it was not too much of a burden.

They also have a national tour coming up in the spring, and they have to prepare for that. At this rate, they would probably miss some school days.

"We don't have time to recruit and audition now. We have to make posters, and the ticket sales are coming up. If we had to find someone else, we won't make it in time. So, if you guys don't come back, we'll be in a lot of trouble,” Tamura said with a smile.

“He’s just gonna yell at our boys again! That arrogant director..!” Manager Uchida groaned.

“True, but Okido-san is a talented and capable person.  And he's trained several top-notch stage actors. I think it would be a step up for us if we could get proper guidance.”

“I disagree! Even if you want to do a stage production, there are better directors out there! I'll go out and find as many as I can!”

“It’s true, this won’t be the last opportunity we have, and if they don’t bow down, then we won’t ask them to let us do it again. I won’t object if they say yes, but I’ll make sure they can’t say no either.” The president smiled at the boys. “So what are you going to do?”

(Well, the script was interesting...)

It was a role Aizou wanted to do. He may have some lingering regrets, but he supposed it can't be helped after all this time. Okido’s impression of him must have been terrible. Even if he asked him to let him try it again, he didn't think he could give a performance that he would like.

He would just end up cursing him again. Manager Uchida was right, this would not be the only chance. It would be better for me to study the basics of acting and be prepared by then.

Just as Aizou was about to give up, Yujiro, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.

“I’m not going to stop.”

Manager Uchida and Tamura looked surprised. They, as well as Aizou, thought that he was going to reject it.

Seeing their stares, Yujiro elaborated. “We haven’t shown the director what we can do yet.”

(Eh...are you...serious..?)

💮

“I’m really sorry!” Aizou bowed his head to Okido, who was sitting in his seat.

In the room they were in yesterday, Okido and some staff members were the only ones in there- some actors too, it sounded like, since there were vocal lessons going on inside.

Okido glared at Yujiro, crossing his arms. “Aren’t you going to apologize too?”

Yujiro scowled but didn’t utter a word. Aizou gave his wrist a small, impatient tug, but Yujiro turned his head away, as if he had no intention of apologizing.

The president stepped forward with a small smile on her face, with Manager Uchida following close behind her.

“Okido-san, I am terribly sorry for the trouble I have caused you. I sincerely apologize for any discomfort I may have caused you. The two of them are deeply sorry and would love to be on the stage with Okido-san, who we all respect and admire very much. Please, we hope that you will understand our enthusiasm and give them another opportunity to perform on your stage.”

“Tamura-san, I trusted you two when you recommended them to me. But we can’t have them coming in here unmotivated. The stage is not for fun,” Okido said calmly. Even he seemed to have a thing for Tamura.

“Yes, I think you are right about that. They fully understand that, but since it is their first time on stage, their motivation and enthusiasm have been a bit lacking...they may still be inexperienced in some areas, but with your guidance, I am confident that they will make a success of the performance. I am sure that with your guidance, we will succeed on stage. Therefore, I would like to ask you to guide them patiently.”

“If that’s what you believe, Tamura-san, I’ll trust you...and you guys will do it too, won’t you?”

“Yes. Yujiro and I will do our best!” Aizou bowed his head again and put his hand on the back of Yujiro’s head, forcing him to bow too.

Yujiro stumbled slightly and sulked.

“They both agree.” Tamura said.

💮

(As expected, the president is amazing...)

Thanks to Tamura, they were able to avoid being dropped from the play, and they were supposed to go to rehearsals tomorrow.

They were also given the opportunity to work with the actors in the production of the film. Today, they only observed the other actors rehearsing.

Yujiro did not say a word during the rehearsal. He was unmotivated only in front of Okido, and his expression became serious when he was observing the rehearsal. Once he returned to the office and finished his meeting, the day's work was already over. Since there were no lessons today, all Aizou had to do after this was to go home.

As he left the building, the sky was dusk.

Yujiro walked past Aizou, who was standing in front of the automatic door.

“Bye.” Was all he said, though there was no sign of a car that was going to pick him up. He must be walking home alone- or stopping somewhere first.

Aizou sighed and brushed his bangs back.

(Really, I never know what goes on in his mind...)

On his way home, Aizou stopped by the coffee shop where Koudai worked part-time. He took a seat in the back and opened a magazine he had bought at a bookstore while waiting for the coffee he ordered to be brought to him.

The headline read, “The Alien Next to You!”. It caught his attention, and he flipped through the pages.

He heard the small clink of his coffee cup being set down and glanced up.

“Thanks, Yamamoto-senpai,” he said as he grabbed his cup.

“That magazine. It’s really interesting, isn’t it?” Koudai said, peeking at the magazine from the side.

“Yamamoto-senpai, have you ever encountered an alien?” Aizou asked seriously.

Koudai blinked and pushed his glasses up, making them glint in the light. “I haven’t, but I’ve taken pictures of UFOs.”

“Eh! Seriously, where?!” Aizou asked, shocked. Koudai only smiled at him.

"This is a miraculous picture taken on the rooftop of the school. It's in the newspaper club room, so I'll show it to you if you drop by next time.”

Aizou chuckled as he sipped his coffee.

Akechi Saku was Yujiro and Aizou’s class teacher and taught literature. For some reason, he always wore a white coat and has candy in his pocket. He was an eccentric teacher who, despite being a teacher, seems to walk around with a lollipop in his mouth. He was also the club advisor for the newspaper club.

“So Shibasaki-kun, why are you researching aliens? Is it for work?”

“No, no. I just thought it would be useful for...something.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“Yamamoto-senpai, what time do you get off?” Aizou suddenly asked. Koudai looked at the clock on the wall.

“I have about two hours until closing time, and I’ll be here until then. Please take your time, there’s not many people out now.”

“Thank you. This place is a good place to relax without worrying about other people watching you.”

“And you stop by when you wanna see those pictures.”

“I will...ah, but it’ll have to be after I finish a job. I won’t be at school much, but I look forward to seeing them after.”

Koudai nodded and went back to the counter.

Aizou put the magazine away and took out his script.

(For now, I have to do what I can for tomorow...)

He took a pen out of his pen case and began reading the script.

About an hour later, the door to the store opens with a lively "Koudai~!”

The door of the store opened with a bright and cheerful voice.

Aizou, who had been concentrating on his work, suddenly looked up as if he had been snapped back to reality. Before he knew it, it was raining outside the store.

The high school boy shook his umbrella and Aizou frowned. That was just great, he’d run into the last person he wanted to see.

“Shibaken, I thought you were going to the shrine today?” Koudai said.

“It started raining on the way home, so I’m just taking shelter. I want a drink too. Coffee’s fine- no milk or sugar.”

For some reason, he walked over to where Aizou was. He threw his bag down on the seat and sat across from him.

“Go away...” Aizou grumbled.

This guy is the same age as Koudai and a good friend of his, so it's no surprise he's been hanging out at the store. It was an accident that he didn't notice it.

“Oh?” Ken glanced at the script that was sprawled out in front of Aizou, and then the magazine with the alien on it. “Are you going to be playing as an alien?”

“Ha?! Of course not!” Aizou had initially decided to ignore him, but he ended up reacting to his stupid question anyway.

“Ehh, really? It would suit you, wouldn’t it?”

(This guy..!!)

Aizou angrily chugged the rest of his cold coffee down and slammed it down. He paid the bill and quickly left, calling out a “thanks for the drink!” as he stepped out into the heavy rain.

Within seconds, he was already as soaked as if he’d jumped into a pool.

(I...didn’t bring an umbrella...)

Aizou hung his head, dejected. The weather forecast didn’t say anything about such a downpour.

The store door opened and something poked through. When he turned, he saw it was an umbrella. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His brother slammed the door shut behind him.

“Koudai~ I’m sorry but I lost my umbrella, so please drop me off at the station on the way home~”

“We have spare ones here, if you’re fine with floral pattern.”

“Well, that’ fine~ I’ll just return it next time.”

Aizou could faintly hear the conversation from outside the shop. He squeezed the handle of the umbrella tightly.

(...What’s with that...)

[tmbgareok]

I assume you know about the existence of this, as you must have negotiated the rights to it (20 years ago) , but I had entirely forgotten about it until I found it on my computer this evening. 

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation issues an educational singing book each year called the Sing! book. These books would feature a mixture of traditional Australiana, popular songs from various decades, and selections of world music. Along with lead sheets for each tune, the books also came with cassette tapes/CDs that featured both sung and instrumental versions of each song. None of the original recordings were ever used - the tracks on the tapes were always re-recordings done by the ABC. This particular rendition of TMBG's "Why Does The Sun Shine" features obviously canned drums from an early 2000s stock library and a hilarious Australian accent on the lead vocal.

In 2004, the Sing! book featured not just one, but TWO songs popularised by They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul Not Constantinople" and "Why Does The Sun Shine?". Nether of these songs are originally written by TMBG, but the recordings are both pretty clearly replicating the distinctive TMBG arrangements of those songs. (interestingly they wouldn't have a TMBG original until a few years later when they included "I Am Not Your Broom".) Why so much TMBG? Might have had something to do with them being top of the triple J hottest 100 in 1998 with "Doctor Worm".

[s-division]

THE WAVE is the debut album of k-rock group S-DIVISION. the albums was released by INFINITY STAGE ENTERTAINMENT on AUGUST 13, 2017. the album is described as being experimental, blurring the lines between pop, rock, and punk. despite this, or perhaps because of it, the album performed remarkably well, becoming one of the most successful debuts ISE has ever seen to date. the title track FREEDOM has become essential listening to many k-pop fans, and the success of the album promised a bright future for the band.

⸻ PHYSICAL ALBUMS !

THE TIDE

includes; regular music disc, regular concept photo book (10 pages), two random photocards, one group poster, one sticker pack (two sheets).

THE FLOOD

includes; limited music disc, limited concept photo book (20 pages), two random photocards, one group poster, one random individual poster, one random duo polaroid, sticker pack (two sheets).

⸻ TRACKLIST !

01. FREEDOM

02. TIED UP

03. CLAP

04. ATTENTION

05. GRAVITY

06. TEST ME

07. YOUR NAME

08. GO ALL

09. MARCH

10. ONE OF A KIND

⸻ STYLING !

⸻ ERA NOTES !

S-DIVISION received a lot of attention from netizens pre-debut, making them the most popular group at debut that ISE has ever had until 2023. notably, S-DIVISION garnered a lot of INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, with over sixty percent of fans being non-korean. the album outsold SUG★Rs first-day sales by over 100,000 units, selling close to 700.000 copies on release. the boys of S-DIVISION have on several occasions commented that they are big fans of SUG★R and have expressed interest in one day collaborating with them. while all members worked on writing for their debut, ATLAS and JASPER wrote the most, being the only two members with writing credits on all of the album's songs. aside from the single FREEDOM, the songs CLAP, TEST ME, and GO ALL had music videos, being released over the course of four weeks. S-DIVISIONs promotional period was cut short from six weeks to four weeks, as ISE had them prepare for the ASIA TOUR. soon after this tour ended, the promotional period for the mini album YOURS/MINE started. ATLAS has stated that many of the songs are based on the group's time as trainees and their friendship. drummer DAE is only credited for vocals on one song on the album: TEST ME. during this era LEO quickly became a fan favorite for his funny behavior during music shows and interviews. many fans commented on their disappointment when DAE barely spoke during interviews. later, DAE would jokingly comment that he wasn't allowed to speak by their leader, MAX, but many fans suspected DAE is simply shy. the most iconic moment of this era was when ATLAS kissed LEO on the mouth during the GOODBYE STAGE. ISE was quick to release a press statement after this performance, stating that it was simply a show of friendship made in the heat of the moment. people online quickly started speculating about the relationship between the two boys. overall, the behavior of the boys during this era quickly earned them DATING RUMORS, with many fans shipping ATLAS especially with various members.

⸻ PHOTOCARDS !

go HERE to see which photocards you pulled!

[lvcky0ne]

hot topic! is the first english single album by lucky. it was released on november 25, 2023 by the lucky one, a subsidiary of rainbow entertainment. the album features sunnie and hiro as a sub-unit on 4 self-written tracks, hot topic! being the title track. it is available both physically and digitally.

sunnie and hiro promoted the album for 2 weeks in the united states. the album peaked at 29 on the billboard global hot 200, with hot topic! peaking at 78 and fetish peaking at 19 on the billboard hot 100. the album also charted in south korea, brazil, malaysia, canada, spain, and the uk. it reached gold certification in brazil and the us and silver certification in the uk. due to not promoting in korea, it received no music show wins.

｡:°ஐ   i. the tracklist !

✧.   hot topic! ( title track )

✧.   sunnie b-side ; dancing with our hands tied

✧.   hiro b-side ; fetish ft. gucci mane

✧.   duo b-side ; not a pop song

｡:°ஐ ii. buy the album !

✧.   hot version

. cd, photobook ( 60 p ), photocards ( 8ver. 2ea ), sticker sheet ( 1ver. 1ea ), unit film strip ( 4ver. 1ea ), mini-poster ( 2ver. 1ea )

. pre-orders only ; poster ( 2ver. 1ea ), polaroid card ( 6ver. 1ea )

✧.   cool version

. cd, photobook ( 60 p ), photocards ( 8ver. 2ea ), sticker sheet ( 1ver. 1ea ), unit film strip ( 4ver. 1ea ), mini-poster ( 2ver. 1ea )

. pre-orders only ; poster ( 2ver. 1ea ), polaroid card ( 6ver. 1ea )

✧. get your photocards here !

｡:°ஐ iii. the styling !

｡:°ஐ iv. the reception !

｡:°ஐ v. the notes !

✧   4luvs loved this concept for the pair and their unapologetic lyrics aimed at the haters they've had their whole career

✧   some fans weren’t fond of the song itself with its club beat sound, while others praised it

✧   this album got much more acclaim among international fans, possibly because of it being entirely in english

✧   while the title track was popular, the song that gained the most traction was fetish

✧   hiro received praise for her vocal ability which rarely gets showcased in other songs by the group

✧   the song also received notability from the collaboration with a major american rap artist, even gaining popularity among mainstream western listeners

✧   while many loved the song, hiro still received backlash for the sexual nature of the title and lyrics

✧   the pair also received praise for having writing credits on every song

✧   the majority of the promotion for this album took place in america, performing on shows including good morning america, the kelly clarkson show, and the tonight show with jimmy fallon

✧   the girls shined in the interview portions of these shows, showing off the english skills that they worked hard to prepare

✧   american audiences noted their unapologetic and confident nature when it came to their attitudes and music

✧   sunnie said the title track was first her idea, citing that her inspiration came from the fact that much of their group’s success had been built on infamy and what people online or the media had to say about them

✧   they also appeared on wired’s most searched questions interview 

✧   overall, this era brought new opportunities and experiences for the pair as well as a chance to show off their talents and self-expression with largely untethered creative freedom

✧   it is not the most popular among their albums, but it is definitely a notable one, opening up brand new avenues for the group and fans alike

[gone2soon-rip]

RUDOLPH ISLEY (1939-Died October 11th 2023,at 84). American singer-songwriter and one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers,consisting of Rudolph,his brothers O'Kelly "Kelly" Isley Jr. and Ronald Isley in the late 1950s. With a career spanning over six decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".

Together with a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to New York City in the late 1950s, the group had their first successes during these early years, and rose to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout", written by the three brothers, which became their first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, and sold over a million copies. In the 1960s, the group recorded songs for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", before recording and releasing the Grammy Award-winning hit "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records.

The inclusion of younger brothers Ernie Isley (lead guitar, drums) and Marvin Isley (bass guitar), and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards, synthesizers), in 1973 turned the original vocal trio into a complete band and led to the group's reaching the height of their success. For the next full decade, they recorded a string of top-selling albums including 3 + 3, Between the Sheets, and The Heat Is On, with the latter peaking at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The six-member band splintered in 1984, with Ernie, Marvin, and Chris Jasper forming the short-lived spinoff group Isley-Jasper-Isley. The oldest member, O'Kelly, died in 1986. Afterwards Rudolph and Ronald released a pair of albums as a duo before Rudolph retired to a life in the Christian ministry in 1989. After multiple lineup changes, the remaining duo of Ronald and Ernie achieved mainstream success with the albums Mission to Please (1996), Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003). Eternal spawned the top 20 hit "Contagious". As of 2023, the Isley Brothers continue to perform under the lineup of Ronald and Ernie.

The Isley Brothers have sold over 18 million units in the United States alone With their first major hit charting in 1959 ("Shout"), and their last one in 2001 ("Contagious"), they are among the few groups ever to have hit the Billboard Hot 100 with new music in six different decades. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40 and thirteen of those albums have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the RIAA. The brothers have been honored by several musical institutions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted them in 1992. Five years later, they were added to Hollywood's Rockwalk, and in 2003 they were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.Rudolph Isley - Wikipedia

[praisethelamps]

Does anyone know a good place to find vocal scores??? I can so easily find sheet music and tabs for popular songs, either for the original arrangement or for musical covers (like, piano covers, for example) but have a SUPER hard time finding vocal scores??

I've been able to work with a piano cover before, but it's kind of a hassle, and I feel like I should be able to find a vocal score just as easily, but I can't. I would imagine there should be just as big of a need for them, or at least close to as much of one, so I think there must be some other search term for them that idk, or some specific site(s) I should be using??

I keep looking for them so I can make UTAU covers of songs that don't already have a UST available, or that I want to make my own UST of for whatever reason (I like messing with arrangements of songs and stuff), but I haven't been able to :/

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: Composer, pianist, and pedagogue Ignaz Moscheles (1794 - 1870) dies in Leipzig. Although Moscheles is far from a household name today -- even in many "classical" music circles -- he played a number of important roles in the course of 19th Century musical history, and he is certainly one of the most important "forgotten" 19th Century figures. Student of Muzio Clementi (1752 - 1832)... good friend (and sometimes competitor) to prominent virtuoso pianists Johann Baptist Cramer (1771 - 1858), Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 - 1837), and Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785 - 1849)... trusted helper to Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), who was so impressed with the young man's abilities that he actually entrusted him with the preparation of the piano-vocal version of his only opera, "Fidelio"... music teacher to Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) and Arthur Sullivan (1842 - 1900)... close colleague to Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) and Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)... Moscheles knew everyone, and everyone knew Moscheles... PICTURED: An original c. 1828 copy of sheet music for one of Moscheles's virtuoso piano solos -- in this case, a four-hand two-piano arrangement of a popular song, which he dedicated to Cramer. Moscheles has also signed this copy on the front cover. This was known as a "control mark," and it was actually a somewhat common device deployed by composers at the end of the 18th Century and in the early 19th Century (i.e., in the days before a functional international copyright system came into existence) in an effort to help ensure that printed copies in circulation were authentic, and not pirated. The first photo in this series is interesting in that it illustrates a very early metronomic tempo marking: "[eighth note symbol] = 66 Maelzel's Metronome." As this rather unusual terminology suggests, in 1828, the metronome itself was still a new and novel device; Johann Maelzel (1772 - 1838) had only patented the first modern metronome 12 years earlier, in 1816.

The last photo in this photo set also contains another interesting note -- an instruction reassuring the player that they should feel free to disregard any notes indicated in the score that are "found beyond the compass of [their] instrument.”

By 1828, the keyboard element of the grand piano as we know it today had *largely* come into being -- at least in very broad strokes. (Substantial further refinements were still to come, of course, especially regarding the construction of the soundboard and the action.) But just a generation earlier, the pianoforte was still very much an evolving instrument, and the harpischord was still quite popular; hence Moscheles’s keen awareness that many of the keyboard instruments sitting in middle-class parlors across Europe would be earlier models that didn't have all of the latest bells and whistles (or keys) as the cutting-edge models for which Moscheles was composing his music. This instruction is a direct nod to that practical reality.

[sys128]

Senioritis, Productivity with Music, and Ignorance is Bliss

I have been warned of something that is inevitable to form in some student as they enter their last year of high school. I had a teacher call it “senioritis.” (Looking it up, it does seem to be a common term to describe it.) This is characterized by the lack of motivation to do school work once they are nearing the end of high school. From looking this up, they say it extends to college, and even post-graduates! So, us teens are not alone in these situations. I think I am starting to feel a little bit of this myself. At this point, I have already been accepted into college and only have one class to pass, which even then gives easy points, and then I can just move on from high school. Though, there is a rising worry about how my grades will end up being affected if I do start slacking off more than I should.

I believe that taking breaks from work can be a great thing, just so long as it is done in moderation. The problem for me is that once I am on a break, it never seems to end. That, I have found, is probably the worst thing about my productivity: my proneness to extended breaks. When it comes to senioritis, that makes me more of a vulnerable person to target. The only way to defend myself that’s been tried and worked is putting on music.

Music works like magic! If I got stuff playing the background, then I get a lot more done that I could before. There is a strange part to it though, but I think I got that figured out too. What I have noticed is that I get less distracted with certain types of music. I have found a couple of aspects that increase my productivity when I have it playing.

The music has to have little to no vocals. Period. I say little because it can just be short samples like “Hoo!” and “Yeah!” That’s fine, but if there is enough to form a necessary lyrics sheet about it, that is when I call it.

The theme of the mix the music is a part of has to fit in at least decently with the rest of the mix. Some genres are able to do this quite well while others do not. I have found that things like pop are horrible at this, especially because many of the prominent artists have their own singing styles (which also means lyrics. Aaah!!!!!), and sometimes their own ways of making beats. I think it’s mostly their singing though. Since they are extremely popular, you would be BOUND to recognize at least one voice.

I must not recognize who wrote the song, how long it is, or its composition. At all. Despite my attempts to minimize my memory of it, I still did manage to commit some of the songs I have heard to memory, and end up picking out the samples that they used the next time I listened to it. This doesn’t create much distraction, but to have this minimized would be a good practice for me.

For some bonus points, the music also may not be attached to any specific person that was directly involved in the creation of the content or similar content. If you REALLY wanna be hardcore about, you could attempt to remove the idea that people even made that content to begin with, like leaving the content on its own, as if it just materialized one day. I have found that this keeps the magic in things that I enjoy. This stems from what we call “childhood magic,” where mystery seemed to make things more fun and enjoyable. I think this was because ignorance was bliss. This was also probably the reason why childhood was simpler than adulthood is now, but that is beside the point.

This one is also more of a personal preference, but I also want some integral part of the song itself to bring a sense of calmness or peace. Ambience is VERY good, PERFECT even, at bringing this experience. It is able to paint a therapeutic atmosphere for me. Sometimes I will be somewhere in space or in the middle of the ocean. And depending on what else happens in there, someone might be coming out of the water and start spinning around. You know, kind of psychedelic shit. However, that is just listening to the music on its own. I have to do some work here. I have to be engaged in what I am doing.

A lot of these would likely be done consciously at first, but I think it would be best to do these practices for some of the things you enjoy subconsciously. Being aware of the absence of involvement in that thing’s community may bring feelings of isolation. With practice though, it will turn out fine.

Is there a genre of music that I have shown success in by increasing productivity and keeping that sort of “magic” or “mystery” that came from it? Turns out, yes I have! I have successfully done this with Ambient Drum and Bass and sometimes Intelligent Dance Music (especially by Aphex Twin), but more the Ambient Drum and Bass. I like how the music itself is very unchanging and samey. While this is a disadvantage for many listeners, this is actually GREAT for me! It just creates less distractions while I work if it feels like a song is two hours long, but in reality is actually 20 songs. As far as ignorance goes, the only pseudonym that I know from that genre right now is “4AM Breaks” because that is where I get most of the music from, but I plan to try to keep it that way. This is not because I wish to attack any of the artists behind the music… well, whoever they are. In fact, I think they are quite talented. All of them! I just believe that not knowing who made them is just a part of me enjoying the genre.

On the topic of ignoring things leading to happiness, I have also applied a little bit of this to nostalgic aesthetics. I watched a video a while back about an aesthetic in packaging that I seemed to like whenever I was browsing Walmart, especially with cleaning products. They seemed to take me back to when I was in my old town, also exploring Walmart. It also did a nice job at taking me back to my old apartment from before I moved towns. Turns out this aesthetic was called Frutiger Aero/Metro. The only names I can attach to the aesthetic is one, drmr being the guy behind the Wii’s Homebrew theme, and two + three, two friends that just so happen to also like the aesthetic a lot. Just so long as I am not involved in any of the drama that comes from aesthetics, I think the same magic can be felt from when I first experienced it. An interesting side effect that I found is that most people’s views on music that fit the aesthetic are different from mine. There is a wiki page, (below) that lists a lot of music that their community has felt that fit the aesthetic well. I did not agree with a lot of the picks. I find that Trance / Dance music of the time would fit more with the aesthetic, but that’s fine. We all don’t have to experience aesthetics the same way. Fascinatingly, I have also attached the Ambient Drum and Bass thing to it too, which only makes my idea more independent.

So where was I at the beginning of this ramble? … Oh right, senioritis. I guess my initial point is that if I get myself to do it, I can easily rely on Ambient Drum and Bass to get what I need done! I found that this method has worked when working on YouTube stuff before, so I do hope this also works with this stuff.

[appears]

10th Anniversary

Ayumi Hamasaki: A Classical (2013.01.08)

Aside from the predominantly house and electronic-based remixes that comprise the bulk of Ayumi Hamasaki’s remixography, there's an acoustic orchestral side, beginning with the Acoustic Orchestra albums that fell under the ayu-mi-x banner, and which eventually morphed into full orchestral re-imaginings, as in MY STORY Classical (2005), A Classical (2013), LOVE CLASSICS (2015), and Winter diary ~A7 Classical~ (2015).

A Classical was released during Ayumi's 15th anniversary celebrations, and in the third of five consecutive months of releases. Seven of the songs were chosen by her TeamAyu fan club members and rearranged by Kousuke Yamashita. I'm assuming all of the legacy tracks were chosen by fans, while the recently-released "You & Me," "Song 4 u," and "Missing" off of the LOVE EP released two months prior was selected by Ayu's actual team. Most of the songs chosen here work really well, in particular the ballads "SEASONS," "Days," and "Voyage," which were practically tailor-made for sweeping strings. The opener "M" has the best arrangement on here -- there's just something so perfect about this song that it works in almost any context that it's put into. That being said, I don't think it's as good as the arrangement on ayu-mi-x IV version Acoustic Orchestra (2002), which is still my favorite of the two. You can also compare some of these to other arrangements, like Akimitsu Honma's version of "BLUE BIRD" on ayu-mi-x 7 -version Acoustic Orchestra- (2011), and Ken Shima's arrangement of "Voyage" on the No way to say (2003) single.

Suffice to say, for some of these, like "SEASONS," for which we have other orchestral versions (on the SEASONS single and a slightly different version on ayu-mi-x III), over-kill is an understatement, while tracks like "You & Me" just sound awkward and unsuited to the gentle pace. "Love song" is interesting, too, as I'm not sure that it totally works, but I love that it's a song we've never heard with this kind of arrangement before. All that being said, it's still a serviceable collection, and the recordings sound particularly good here. Some of the earlier acoustic orchestra versions can sound a bit bare or synthetically created, while the music for this album was recorded with a live orchestra, making for a more dramatic and immersive experience (all the brass makes a really big difference). In fact, it would be great to have the bare instrumentals for these.

This album comes with an OBI, a fold-out sheet with credits listing the instrumentalists on each track, a promo sheet with details of the anniversary releases, and two separate sheets: a sheet of lyrics, and a fold-out poster of the album cover art. The cover art was drawn by Takashi Murakami, and is a pencil rendering of the cover of Ayu's LOVE EP. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this approach and think that it's both repetitive and unimaginative. It's really impressive to hand-draw something this realistic-looking, but it also comes off looking a bit like it was run through Photoshop. I feel the same way about the cover art of LOVE CLASSICS, which is another piece of fan-art based on the cover of the Zutto... single, but also looks like a Photoshop filter. You can consider these jackets like soft “remixes” of the originals, just like the musical content of the CD, so your ability to be moved by that idea is a matter of opinion.

Regardless, this album is overall solid, if perhaps unnecessary. I don't think any of these versions are any better than other orchestral arrangements that we've gotten in the past, aside from the added bonus of having an actual live orchestra, which is the definite reason to hear this. The instrumentals are quite accomplished: sweeping, romantic, and altogether lovely. The vocals of course vary depending on when they were recorded. It's easy to choose some of Ayu's most well-known ballads for these arrangements, in terms of popularity and adaptability, but I would love to hear orchestral versions of album cuts that we haven't gotten before like "Heartplace," "Over,” "Dolls," "JEWEL," or "rainy day." I guess I'll keep dreaming for now.

Catalog Number: AVCD-38689

[gleeboot]

basics.

character name – blaine anderson. gender & pronouns – cis man, he/him. age & birthday – 21, april 6. orientation – gay. hometown – cincinatti, ohio.

academics.

school – william mckinley university. class standing  – junior (class of 2024). program of study – musical theatre. glee club – new directions. activities & involvement  – lacrosse, junior class president, peer tutor.

here’s what you missed.

you take pride in your status as one of wmu’s brightest: popular, in charge, the best. you’ve made the dean’s list every semester since you stepped on campus. you’re the best attacker the lacrosse team has seen in years. you were elected junior class president in a landslide victory. and you’re totally the type to get tapped to join a secret society before graduation. to top it all off, you’re a fantastic host; you throw legendary parties in the one-bedroom townhouse your parents bought for you to live in off-campus throughout undergrad. there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind you’re a superhero of sorts. at least on the surface.

there’s a lot of pressure living up to your older brother’s success as the face of the fastest growing international credit rating website, freecreditratingtoday.com. he’s thriving in los angeles and you’re hoping to do the same in new york after you graduate. a paranoid little voice in your head sometimes wonders if you played it safe by staying in ohio to get your degree before pursuing your big broadway dreams. but the rational side of you knows there’s no shame in honing your craft through educational theatre or experiencing college firsthand. no matter what cooper says.

you already had quite the following from your performances at open mic nights at the lima bean when the new directions asked you to join them. it took little convincing, after all, you were the lead soloist of the glee club back in private school. plus, you never back down from a competition, friendly or otherwise. few things are as life-giving as watching vocal adrenaline seethe in the audience or cower in the wings during one of your rousing renditions of 80s pop rock classics and the hits of today. this year, that regionals trophy is yours. you’ve earned it.  

aesthetic.

center stage beneath a spotlight, uncorked champagne, the warmth of a mug in the palm of your hand, a bowtie unraveled, scribbles in the margins of sheet music, a hero’s cape tied ’round your neck, a pair of boxing gloves abandoned in the corner, coiffed curls that smell of fresh berries.

ooc.

face claim – anthony keyvan. availability – taken by ry.

[davidomusicnaijavibe]

Popular music Genres

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This is a listing of some of the world's popular music genre and their own definitions.

African People - Music kept to be typical on the nation or cultural group, known to just about all segments of it's society, and rescued usually by verbal tradition.

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Afro jazz - Refers to jazz music which has ended up heavily influenced just by African music. That music took portions of marabi, swing together with American jazz and additionally synthesized this to a unique fusion. The main band to really accomplish that synthesis was that South African group of musicians Jazz Maniacs.

Afro-beat - Is a blend of Yoruba music, jazz, Highlife, and funk rhythms, fused using African percussion in addition to vocal styles, popularized in Africa inside 1970s.

Afro-Pop : Afropop or Afro Pop is a words sometimes used to consult contemporary African take music. The term fails to refer to a specific trend or sound, nevertheless is used as a standard term to describe Camera popular music.

Apala - Originally produced the Yoruba most people of Nigeria. It can be a percussion-based style that will developed in the missed 1930s, when it was eventually used to wake worshippers after fasting in the Islamic holy 30 days of Ramadan.

Assiko - is a well-known dance from the Southern of Cameroon. This band is usually influenced by a singer followed with a guitar, and then a percussionnist playing this pulsating rhythm with Assiko with sheet metal knives and forks on an empty product.

Batuque - can be a music and move genre from Cape Verde.

Bend Skin color - is a types of urban Cameroonian preferred music. Kouchoum Mbada is the most well-known group associated with the sort.

Benga - Can be a musical genre involving Kenyan popular new music. It evolved relating to the late 1940s along with late 1960s, with Kenya's capital town of Nairobi.

Biguine - is a type of music that came from Martinique in the nineteenth century. By pairing the traditional bele beats with the polka, your black musicians associated with Martinique created a biguine, which consists three distinct designs, the biguine de salon, the biguine de bal along with the biguines de repent.

Bikutsi - is mostly a musical genre with Cameroon. It produced from the traditional brands of the Beti, and Ewondo, people, which live around the location of Yaounde.

Bongo Flava - there are a mix of rap, hiphop, and R&B for beginners but these brands don't do it rights. It's rap, reggae and R&B Tanzanian style: a big shedding pot of preferences, history, culture together with identity.

Cadence -- is a particular number of intervals or chords that ends some sort of phrase, section, and also piece of music.

Calypso - is a form of Afro-Caribbean music which often originated in Trinidad with about the start of the twentieth century. The beginnings of the genre set in the arrival from African slaves, that, not being permitted to speak with each other, conveyed through song.

Chaabi - is a famous music of Morocco, very similar to the Algerian Rai.

Chimurenga : is a Zimbabwean widely used music genre coined by and popularised by Thomas Mapfumo. Chimurenga is a Shona language word with regard to struggle.

Chouval Bwa - features percussion, bamboo flute, accordion, and wax-paper/comb-type kazoo. The music has come from among rural Martinicans.

Christian Rap -- is a form of rep which uses Religious themes to express that songwriter's faith.

Coladeira - is a version of music in Cape Verde. Its issue ascends to funacola which is a mixture of funanáa and coladera. Well-known coladera musicians comes with Antoninho Travadinha.

Current Christian - can be described as genre of well-known music which is lyrically focused on matters occupied with the Christian confidence.

Country - is often a blend of popular musical technology forms originally obtained in the Southern Nation and the Appalachian Mountain tops. It has roots within traditional folk audio, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, hokum, and old-time popular music and evolved immediately in the 1920s.

Move Hall - can be a type of Jamaican preferred music which engineered in the late 1970s, with exponents which include Yellowman and Shabba Ranks. It is also termed bashment. The form is characterized by some deejay singing and additionally toasting (or rapping) over raw in addition to danceable music riddims.

Disco - is mostly a genre of dance-oriented pop music that's popularized in show up clubs in the mid-1970s.

Folk - with the most basic sense in the term, is new music by and for any common people.

Freestyle - is a type of electronic music that's heavily influenced as a result of Latin American traditions.

Fuji - can be described as popular Nigerian play genre. It came into being from the improvisation Ajisari/were music tradition, the industry kind of Muslim beats performed to wake up believers before start during the Ramadan going on a fast season.

Funana : is a mixed Colonial and African audio and dance because of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is said that the reduced part of the body move is African, and also the upper part Colonial.

Funk - can be an American musical fashion that originated in this mid- to late-1960s when African American artists blended soul popular music, soul jazz along with R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new variety of music.

Gangsta gangster rap - is a subgenre of hip-hop new music which developed through the late 1980s. 'Gangsta' is a variation relating to the spelling of 'gangster'. After the popularity with Dr . Dre's Your Chronic in 1992, gangsta rap grew to be the most commercially financially rewarding subgenre of hip-hop.

Genge - is often a genre of rap music that possessed its beginnings around Nairobi, Kenya. A name was coined and popularized simply by Kenyan rapper Nonini who started off for Calif Records. This is the style that comes with hip hop, dancehall together with traditional African beats styles. It is regularly sung in Sheng(slung), Swahili or nearby dialects.

Gnawa -- is a mixture of Africa, Berber, and Persia religious songs and additionally rhythms. It unites music and acrobatic dancing. The audio is both your prayer and a gathering of life.

Gospel - is a music genre characterized by prominent vocals (often by means of strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of an religious nature, really Christian.

Highlife : is a musical category that originated in Ghana and spread to help Sierra Leone in addition to Nigeria in the 1920s and other West Photography equipment countries.

Hip-Hop -- is a style of famous music, typically including a rhythmic, rhyming vocal style termed rapping (also identified as emceeing) over backing up beats and uncovering performed on a turntable by a DJ.

Property - is a type electronic dance popular music that was developed by creep club DJs inside Chicago in the ahead of time to mid-1980s. Dwelling music is highly influenced by aspects the late 1970s soul- and funk-infused dance music variety of disco.

Indie : is a term useful to describe genres, views, subcultures, styles and also other cultural attributes with music, characterized by ones own independence from serious commercial record product labels and their autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to taking and publishing.

A key component - An a key component is, in contrast to a good song, a audio composition or producing without lyrics or even any other sort of oral music; all of the new music is produced by musical technology instruments.

Isicathamiya -- is an a cappella singing style which originated from the Southern area African Zulus.

Jazz - is an primary American musical talent which originated in the beginning of the 20th millennium in African American towns in the Southern United states of america out of a confluence of African along with European music cultures.

Jit - can be a style of popular Zimbabwean dance music. The idea features a swift habit played on percussion and accompanied by a nylon string guitar.

Juju - is mostly a style of Nigerian widely used music, derived from standard Yoruba percussion. That evolved in the 1920s in urban irons across the countries. The pioneer jùjú recordings have been by Tunde Queen and Ojoge Daniel from the 1920s.

Kizomba - is one of the most favored genres of transfer and music coming from Angola. Sung typically in Portuguese, it can be a genre of beats with a romantic move mixed with African tempo.

Kwaito - can be described as music genre this emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa within the early 1990s. It can be based on house audio beats, but generally at a slower beat and containing melodic and percussive Cameras samples which are looped, deep basslines and frequently vocals, generally men, shouted or chanted rather than sung or simply rapped.

Kwela : is a happy, quite often pennywhistle based, streets music from northern Africa with jazzy underpinnings. It improved from the marabi tone and brought Towards the south African music to help you international prominence inside the 1950s.

Lingala -- Soukous (also named Soukous or Congo, and previously since African rumba) is often a musical genre of which originated in the two adjoining countries of Belgian Congo and The language Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s

Makossa - can be a type of music that's most popular in cities in Cameroon. It's similar to soukous, with the exception it includes strong bass sound rhythm and a well known horn section. The application originated from a type of Duala dance called kossa, with significant has impact on from jazz, ambasse bey, Latin popular music, highlife and rumba.

Malouf - an music imported so that you can Tunisia from Andalusia after the Spanish conquest in the 15th one hundred year.

Mapouka - additionally known under the identity of Macouka, is mostly a traditional dance in the south-east of the Pale yellow Coast in the area involving Dabou, sometimes implemented during religious events.

Maringa - can be described as West African play genre. It advanced among the Kru persons of Sierra Leone and Liberia, whom used Portuguese instruments brought by ocean adventurers, combining local songs and rhythms along with Trinidadian calypso.

Marrabenta - is a model of Mozambican dance new music. It was developed within Maputo, the capital area of Mozambique, earlier known as Laurenco Marques.

Mazurka - is a Gloss folk dance around triple meter which includes a lively tempo, that contain a heavy accent in the third or minute beat. It is always seen to have either a triplet, trill, dotted 8th note pair, and ordinary eighth take note pair before a few quarter notes.

Mbalax - is the domestic popular dance beats of Senegal. Sanctioned fusion of well-known dance musics with the West such as jazz, soul, Latin, together with rock blended by using sabar, the traditional drumming and dance audio of Senegal.

Mbaqanga - is a type of South African popular music with rural Zulu roots that is constantly on the influence musicians around the globe today. The type was originated in earlier 1960s.

Mbube : is a form of To the south African vocal new music, made famous by way of the South African set Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The word mbube suggests "lion" in Zulu

Merengue - is often a type of lively, pleased music and move that comes from your Dominican Republic

Morna - is a type of Cape Verdean music, related to Colonial fado, Brazilian modinha, Argentinian tango, and additionally Angolan lament.

Museve - is a preferred Zimbabwe music variety. Artists include Simon Chimbetu and Alick Macheso

Oldies -- term commonly used to explain a radio framework that usually concentrates on Prime 40 music through the '50s, '60s in addition to '70s. Oldies can even be from R&B, soda and rock beats genres.

Pop : is an ample along with imprecise category of current music not classified by artistic issues to consider but by her potential audience and also prospective market.

Quadrille - is a old dance performed by way of four couples within a square formation, some sort of precursor to classic square dancing. It is additionally a style of audio.

R&B - can be a popular music sort combining jazz, gospel, and blues impacts, first performed just by African American artists.

Rai - is a version of folk music, started in Oran, Algeria out of Bedouin shepherds, blended with Spanish, French, Camera and Arabic music forms, which goes back to the 1930s and has now been primarily grown by women inside culture.

Ragga -- is a sub-genre associated with dancehall music or even reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists of electronic digital music; sampling regularly serves a leading role in raggamuffin music as well.

Rep - is the rhythmic singing delivery from rhymes and wordplay, one of the elements of hiphop music and lifestyle.

Rara - is mostly a form of festival popular music used for street processions, typically during Easter Week.

Reggae : is a music category first developed inside Jamaica in the tardy 1960s. A particular new music style that all began following on the progress of ska together with rocksteady. Reggae is dependent on a rhythm trend characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, called the skank.

Reggaeton - is a type of urban music which unfortunately became popular with Latina American youth over the early 1990s. While it began with Panama, Reggaeton combines Jamaican music showing of reggae and additionally dancehall with people of Latin The united states, such as bomba, plena, merengue, and bachata as well as that of reggae and Electronica.

Small gravel - is a variety of popular music which has a prominent vocal beat accompanied by guitar, percussion, and bass. Several styles of rock beats also use keys instruments such as body, piano, synthesizers.

Rumba - is a category of music rhythms in addition to dance styles that will originated in Africa along with were introduced to be able to Cuba and the " new world " by African slaves.

Salegy - can be described as popular type of Afropop styles exported with Madagascar. This Sub-Saharan African folk audio dance originated along with the Malagasy language with Madagascar, Southern Photography equipment.

Salsa - is often a diverse and mainly Spanish Caribbean type that is popular all over Latin America together with among Latinos in foreign countries.

Samba - is among the most most popular forms of popular music in Brazil. It happens to be widely viewed as Brazil's national musical form.

Sega - is really an evolved combination of conventional Music of Seychelles, Mauritian and Réunionnais music with Western european dance music enjoy polka and quadrilles.

Seggae - can be a music genre devised in the mid 1980s by the Mauritian Rasta singer, Joseph Reginald Topize who was from time to time known as Kaya, after having a song title as a result of Bob Marley. Seggae is a fusion involving sega from the tropical island country, Mauritius, and additionally reggae.

Semba -- is a traditional version of music from the Southern-African country of Angola. Semba is the precursor to a variety of new music styles originated from Cameras, of which three of the very famous are Samba (from Brazil), Kizomba (Angolan style of beats derived directly because of Zouk music) in addition to Kuduro (or Kuduru, energetic, fast-paced Angolan Techno music, to speak).

Shona New music - is the audio of the Shona families of Zimbabwe. There are plenty of different types of traditional Shona music including mbira, singing, hosho along with drumming. Very often, the following music will be in conjunction with dancing, and response by the audience.

Ska - is a popular music genre that arose in Jamaica in the later part of the 1950s and has been a precursor to help rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined factors of Caribbean mento together with calypso with North american jazz and cycle and blues.

Impede Jam - is normally a song with the R&B-influenced melody. Poor jams are commonly R&B ballads or just downtempo songs. The term is usually most commonly reserved meant for soft-sounding songs using heavily emotional or simply romantic lyrical subject material.

Soca - is mostly a form of dance new music that originated in Trinidad from calypso. This combines the melodic lilting sound associated with calypso with insistent (usually electronic with recent music) percussion.

Soukous - can be described as musical genre which originated in the two adjoining countries of Belgian Congo and The french language Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has accomplished popularity throughout The african continent.

Soul - is often a music genre this combines rhythm and additionally blues and gospel music, originating in the country.

Taarab - can be a music genre famous in Tanzania. It truly is influenced by beats from the cultures using a historical presence within East Africa, which include music from Eastern Asia, Sub-Saharan Photography equipment, North Africa, the center East and The eu. Taarab rose to help you prominence in 1928 with the rise with the genre's first legend, Siti binti Saad.

Tango - is mostly a style of music of which originated among Eu immigrant populations from Argentina and Uruguay. It is traditionally played out by a sextet, termed the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, doublebass, in addition to two bandoneons.

Waka - is a widely used Islamic-oriented Yoruba audio genre. It was pioneered and made well-known by Alhaja Batile Alake from Ijebu, who took a genre into the well-known Nigerian music simply by playing it in concerts and people; also, she had been the first waka performer to record a great album.

Wassoulou : is a genre with West African preferred music, named following your region of Wassoulou. It is performed primarily by women, applying lyrics that home address women's issues concerning childbearing, fertility along with polygamy.