mijobooks Chapter 13: The Story of the Arrangement
Chapter 13: The Story of the Arrangement
Not long after, the parents and the school successfully finalized a cooperation agreement.
Lin Zhe, the music teacher in charge, was already highly skilled and efficient. After the agreement was finalized, he immediately took the sheet music written by Xie Anran and contacted a professional music studio to begin preparing the song arrangement.
Considering that Xie Anran is the original author of "Color Song", Lin Zhe specially made arrangements in advance and consulted with the studio, wanting Xie Anran to be present to observe the entire arrangement process and participate in the polishing and adjustment of the song.
Jiangcheng, Jiedaokou.
Xie Anran slowly jumped out of the car, with his little girl Qianqian following closely behind him. Xie Weimin was busy today and had specially asked Zhang Yun and Liu Xiaoli to bring the two children over.
"Anran, hold my hand obediently, okay? Don't run off and get lost!"
Sisi grabbed Xie Anran's hand first, her little brows furrowed, and she spoke in a mature tone, looking both serious and adorable.
Xie Anran couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly, secretly thinking to herself: "Little brat, when you say that, at least take a look at how old you are. How dare you take care of him?"
"Our Sisi is so sensible and well-behaved!"
Zhang Yun added a timely, smiling remark that left Xie Anran speechless.
"We must keep a close eye on Anran and prevent him from causing trouble." Liu Xiaoli chimed in, adding insult to injury.
Sisi immediately raised her little head, puffed out her little chest, and nodded proudly, looking both cute and earnest with an air of "I'll take care of everything."
Xie Anran opened her mouth, but completely lost her temper. It seemed that her persona of "needing to be taken care of by Qianqian" was completely welded in and could not be changed. Her mother and Liu Xiaoli had both tacitly accepted it, and even the little girl herself firmly believed it.
"Forget it, for the sake of a peaceful life, this little thing is nothing. Let the little girl lead me around." Xie Anran had an excellent mindset and quickly adjusted herself.
The group quickly arrived at the music studio downstairs. Xie Anran looked around and a hint of doubt appeared on her face.
He knew this place all too well in his past life. His parents had done business in this area in their early years, and he had passed through this neighborhood every day when he was a child. But he never knew that there was a recording studio hidden here, and that the storefront was so conspicuous and eye-catching.
A huge sign hangs on the third floor of the small building, with the words "Green Apple Music Studio" clearly visible from afar. Below the sign is an exquisite crystal-style brand logo, which is particularly eye-catching.
As the group entered the lobby of the small building, a young woman in work clothes quickly came to greet them.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Liu Xiaoli?"
"Yes, hello," Liu Xiaoli replied politely.
"Hello, I'm Zhang, the receptionist at Green Apple Studio. Teacher Lin specifically asked me to wait for you here. This way, please." The receptionist smiled warmly, gestured for them to go inside, and led the group inside.
The group took the elevator directly to the third floor, turned a corner, and pushed open a double door to finally enter the studio's reception area.
They then entered a neat corridor through a side door, and the receptionist led them to the door of the second room marked "Meeting Room," where they gently knocked. A steady "Come in" came from inside.
"Ms. Liu, Ms. Zhang, this is Zhang Songyu, the boss of our Green Apple Studio."
When Lin Zhe saw the group enter, he quickly stood up and warmly introduced them to each other.
Xie Anran looked in the direction Lin Zhe indicated. The studio owner looked exceptionally young, around thirty years old, dressed in the typical attire of an artsy professional, and possessed an outstanding temperament.
His long hair was styled perfectly in a 3/7 parting, and he wore a white shirt with simple jeans. He had a handsome appearance and exuded the professional and artistic temperament of a musician.
"Hello, Ms. Liu, Ms. Zhang." Zhang Songyu greeted the two ladies with a warm smile and took the initiative to shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Zhang. You've worked hard." Zhang Yun was very adept at dealing with people and politely exchanged pleasantries with them.
Xie Anran stood quietly to the side, watching the adults exchange pleasantries and listening silently as they discussed and coordinated their work. Qianqian, on the other hand, was very curious, her little eyes darting around as she constantly examined the furnishings of the reception room, occasionally whispering something in Xie Anran's ear.
"Anran, this uncle looks so quiet and gentle."
"Anran, what exactly is music arrangement? It sounds like it's very difficult."
Xie Anran casually brushed off the little girl's questions, his mind entirely focused on the adults' conversation. He realized that this studio owner, Zhang Songyu, was no ordinary person; he had extensive connections and considerable influence in the music industry. Just from the tone and wording of their conversation, he could sense his background, though he couldn't tell if it was genuine.
After carefully reviewing the complete score, Zhang Songyu's eyes lit up instantly, and he exclaimed sincerely, "This piece has a very mature foundation, with a well-defined tonality and rhythm, and the lyrics are also complete. Anran is truly amazing for her young age."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "In June, the city's TV station is preparing a talent competition for children's programs. This song is full of educational value, fun and positive. If the arrangement is well-polished and the response is good, it can not only be submitted for competitions and awards, but may even have the opportunity to be officially released as a dedicated album."
"What? My Anran can release an album?" Zhang Yun was stunned when she heard this. She was both surprised and delighted. This was a truly respectable and good thing, and she didn't dare to think too much about it.
"That's right." Zhang Songyu said with a very confident tone and a calm but strong expression, "The quality of the piece is excellent. With proper promotion and marketing, it may even have the opportunity to be sent to children's arts platforms in Beijing for promotion and performance."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli became more wary, feeling that the words were too easily made up and sounded more like an exaggerated gimmick. Zhang Yun, however, remained calm and composed, showing little emotion. She simply nodded imperceptibly. As adults with rich experience, they naturally wouldn't easily believe verbal promises.
Lin Zhe, standing to the side, was slightly moved by what he heard. He coughed lightly to smooth things over and steered the conversation back on track: "Let's not rush into discussing the sequel. The most important thing is to lay a solid foundation for the arrangement. How about we listen to what the original composer, An Ran, has to say? Let's respect the child's opinion and make adjustments accordingly."
"Yes, yes, let's finish the song first. We can't delay Anran's chance to perform on stage." Zhang Songyu immediately snapped out of his reverie, smiled, and turned to Xie Anran, asking softly, "Anran, do you have any ideas or requests regarding the arrangement of this song?"
Xie Anran immediately adopted a naive and bewildered child's demeanor and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "Uncle, I read in a book that composing music involves using various musical instruments to play the musical score on paper, is that right?"
"That's right, absolutely right! Anran is such a smart kid." Zhang Songyu laughed heartily upon hearing this, praising her repeatedly.
"I love the guitar and maracas the most. Just make the arrangement a bit upbeat," Xie Anran said, waving her little hand gently. She added, "It would be even better with a piano. The piano sounds so crisp and beautiful."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Songyu's smile froze for a moment, and Lin Zhe couldn't help but open his mouth slightly, his face full of surprise.
Liu Xiaoli and Zhang Yun didn't understand the intricacies of music arrangement, but judging from the expressions of the two professional musicians, they could vaguely tell that Xie Anran's casual remarks were not just childish nonsense, but rather showed a high level of professionalism.
"Old Lin, is this kid so sensitive to the timbre of musical instruments?" Zhang Songyu came back to his senses and asked in a low voice with an incredulous look on his face.
"I hadn't specifically tested it before, but... I played these instruments a few times during class, and I didn't expect him to remember them all," Lin Zhe replied with a strange expression, his heart filled with shock.
"Okay, I understand." Zhang Songyu understood. This time, he had truly encountered a little prodigy. The initial arrangement plan that their studio had finalized just happened to include these instruments. Unexpectedly, the original composer, at such a young age, had accurately determined the core instrumentation at a glance, making the subsequent arrangement work relatively easy.
Xie Anran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that the best version of this color song in his previous life was an electronic keyboard arrangement that incorporated pop elements, but now it was 94, and the availability of professional music equipment and sound sources in China was limited, so it was impossible to achieve that effect. Choosing a guitar, piano, and shakers was the most suitable and effective combination at the time.
"Anran, you can compose music too?" Xixi tugged at Xie Anran's sleeve and whispered, her eyes full of admiration.
Xie Anran gently tapped the little girl's head and said helplessly, "I can't play. I just think the music would sound better if these instruments were used."
"Oh...don't hit my head! If you hit me again, I'll get angry and ignore you!" Sisi pouted angrily.
"Okay, then I'll try knocking somewhere else next time."
"Can't you just stop hitting me?"
"Then can you stop hugging me all the time?"
"Anran, you're so mean!" Qianqian blushed and turned her head away angrily.
Xie Anran couldn't help but burst into laughter. Teasing this little girl when he had nothing to do added a lot of fun to his daily life.