New Sound

Chapter 14: Music Battle

«Featured Arrangement»
「Rylynn」
By: Andy McKee

Nashry's PoV

Unang natapos ang mga kalahok sa electric guitar category. The contestants were given a background track and they tasked to play along with it. That kind of guitar battle is hard, because that will test how much you know about the guitar scales, and how well can you improvise. Lesson namin ang iskala ngayon sa music major namin, kaya medyo alam ko kung gaano s'ya kahirap.

No one stands out for me, so far, even Hiroi's performance. Hindi ko alam kung wala lang talaga akong bet sakanilang dalawa o dahil ginugulo parin ako ng thoughts tungkol sa lalaki kanina at hindi ako masyadong makapag-focus.

Paanong hindi ako mababagabag.

That man...

... is seating on one of the judges seats.

Hindi ko nga tuloy halos maialis ang tingin ko sakanya. Tinitignan, kung anong migiging reaksyon n'ya, pati na kung paano s'ya magsasalita, at magbibigay ng comment sa mga nagpe-perform.

Noong una ko s'yang nakita, nakakatakot s'ya. 'Yun din ba ang dapat kong i-expect ngayon?

Okay, fine. No one stood out from the contestants, because my attention was distracted by this man. Inaamin ko na. Hindi kase talaga ako makapag-focus, dahil sa lalaking 'to. Wala rin namang nakwento si Damond sa'kin na kakilala n'ya pala 'yun. I heard he's a drummer, and his name is Shin Eazer.

"The two of you has their own style and genre, so I've created separate criteria to judge each of you. You both are good" Napunta doon sa lalaki ang atensyon ng lahat.

'Yung boses n'ya... ako lang ba o... ang gentle pakinggan ng boses n'ya? That was... not what I felt noong kausap n'ya si Mr. Cactus, last time. And one more thing: he smiled upon finishing his words. Kapag tinignan mo s'ya, parang hindi s'ya 'yung lalaking nakaharap namin ni Mr. Cactus noon.

"Pero, syempre, meron paring isang umangat. Hindi naman perfect ang performance n'ya, pero, bumawi s'ya sa ibang aspects. Good job, both of you. You did very well" dugtong pa nito at ngumiti sakanilang lahat.

Matapos ang electric guitar category, maririnig ang kabi-kabilang bulungan sa audience.

"This is the real show"

"Oh, a world class guitarist"

Acoustic guitar category na nga pala.

That man I was intently observing fell silent and turned his head on the stage like the others did where a guy was standing on the stage holding a black nylon-stringed guitar with a banjo capo on the 5th fret, covering only the top four strings of the guitar. "Yuki Hikumi. 11 - Beethoven. I will be performing Rylynn by Andy McKee" he said on the mic then step backward.

"Rylynn..." Only that man knows the piece. The other judges did not. Majority of the audience didn't as well.

So did I.

Yuki started playing. The melody was slow and soft. He was playing in a nylon stringed guitar, so it sounds extra soft.

That man did not even bother taking his seat. He just remained standing, while watching Yuki performed.