Work Prophet
Chapter 443 - 61 An Old Object

Chapter 443: Chapter 61 An Old Object

Hao Xiaoxiao was efficient and only took two days to find the person Li Yu needed.

The man’s name was Che Haishen, a composition major at a local music academy, in his junior year.

He was about 1.75 meters tall, slightly slender, with long hair, and he looked somewhat shy.

"Hao Xiaoxiao must have told you about our requirements," Li Yu shook hands with Che Haishen, then went straight to the point, "I provide the melody, and you help me write it down. How much will that cost?"

"If it’s just about writing down the melody provided by your company, I’d say three hundred yuan per piece," Che Haishen hesitated before naming a price, "I can also help tweak it a bit, but I won’t make major changes."

Li Yu nodded, "What if we find someone to perform it, oh right, I can provide the lyrics as well, but they will need some modifications because the original lyrics are in a foreign language and may not rhyme well once translated."

Che Haishen’s brow furrowed slightly on hearing this.

Li Yu then explained, "You don’t have to worry about copyright issues; that’s all taken care of by us."

"You bought the rights from abroad?" Che Haishen’s brow relaxed a little but he quickly showed confusion again, "But if you’ve bought the rights, why don’t you have the music?"

"That’s not for you to be concerned about. I just assure you there won’t be any copyright disputes in the future. If you’re still not assured, we can include that clause in the contract," Li Yu said.

Che Haishen felt a bit embarrassed, "It’s not that I doubt your company..." he paused before continuing, "As for playing, it’s doable if the requirements aren’t too high. I can play the piano, guitar, and drums, and I know a bit of the Scottish bagpipes, but singing is not really my strength, neither is writing lyrics.

"However, I can ask my classmates to help out, though the price would have to be a bit higher. It also depends on the song. If it’s a style my classmates aren’t good at, it might not work out well."

Che Haishen spoke cautiously, skeptical about what Bratis Culture Communication Co., Ltd. could offer.

He had previously composed music for clients online and had encountered many similar individuals.

They often had no knowledge of music theory, couldn’t even make sense of sheet music, yet they were bizarrely overconfident in their own abilities, convinced that as soon as they entered the music scene, they would cause a huge sensation and soon become extremely famous.

Only students like Che Haishen, formally trained at a music academy, knew how challenging the industry really was. There were too many talented individuals, yet how many could join orchestras, find a job aligned with their expertise, let alone become overnight sensations?

The rest either ended up teaching at piano stores, or more often, they simply switched careers.

As for music lovers without formal training, Che Haishen didn’t discount the possibility of some being self-taught geniuses who managed to gain fame through talent shows or social media, but the odds were no different from winning the lottery.

Of course, these were just Che Haishen’s internal thoughts; outwardly, he remained polite. After all, Li Yu was the paying client.

Li Yu said, "Did you bring a recording pen? I’ll hum a bit for you to listen to first. I also hope you can give me some professional feedback."

"Sure, no problem," Che Haishen fumbled in his backpack and took out his Tascam DR1000MK3, switching it on.

Li Yu took a drink of water, cleared his throat, and then lightly hummed "The Stupid Farmer and His Even Stupider Goose."

Although Che Haishen was skeptical about the musical literacy of his young boss, he was very serious when it came to his work and even closed his eyes to concentrate solely on the music itself.

After listening for a moment, Che Haishen could almost be certain that Li Yu had indeed not received any professional training, as his level was that of an average person singing in a karaoke bar.

Poor breath control, going off-key, occasional voice breaks, and his pitch wasn’t very accurate either.

But as he continued to listen, Che Haishen began to discover something new.

"Is this a pop song?"

When Che Haishen mentioned pop songs, he wasn’t referring to the fruit, but rather to a musical style named ballad, commonly found in folk music. Initially a narrative song, it’s humorously called a pop song because the English word sounds similar to the fruit’s name in Chinese.

Its characteristics include a simple melody that’s easy to catch on and more likely to become popular. It is also the genre most prone to produce hit tunes.

This musical genre can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where minstrels composed in Ancient Provencal dialect on diverse topics ranging from romance to historical myths, and occasionally, they would also address social issues.

As the name implies, this genre was meant for storytelling.

Pop songs themselves are not unusual; you could say they’re ubiquitous nowadays, with rampant plagiarism and severe homogenization. However, the melody hummed by Li Yu felt quite novel.

Che Haishen had never heard a similar song before, and upon closer reflection, he sensed a unique flavor that was indescribable.

It was completely different from the current trends in the Chinese music industry, with a blend of retro and freshness, filled with life energy.

Che Haishen’s interest was piqued, and as soon as Li Yu finished humming, he couldn’t wait to ask, "You said there are lyrics to this song, right?"

"Yes, there are."

"Can you add the lyrics so I can hear them?"

Song lyrics are of course very important for a pop song, which exists to tell a story.

"The lyrics are in a foreign language," said Li Yu, "I can’t sing it in Chinese."

"Could you write them down?" Che Haishen made another request.

"That shouldn’t be a problem."

Li Yu fetched a pen and paper and took a few minutes to copy down the lyrics, then handed them to Che Haishen.

Che Haishen’s expression had become much more serious by now, as he reached out with both hands to receive the thin sheet of white paper.

But this time, he only read two lines before confusion appeared on his face, and as he read further, the perplexity deepened.

"So this song is about a farmer?"

"That’s right, and his goose as well. What do you think?" asked Li Yu.

"This subject matter... it’s quite rare," Che Haishen struggled to find the right words. "It’s just that most people feel it’s quite distant from them, and difficult to spark their interest. You know, pop songs usually describe things that are closer to people’s lives, which helps listeners resonate; love, travel, graduation, dreams, and so on..."

"Moreover," Che Haishen swallowed, "the song mocks the farmer and his goose from beginning to end, which is kind of politically incorrect. If it’s put online, I’m afraid it might get criticized."

Che Haishen was putting it mildly; he himself felt that if the lyrics were released without a single change, they might provoke such outrage that even the graves of his ancestors would be cursed by netizens.

Though being infamous is a form of fame, the price might be too high.

"Is that so," pondered Li Yu, "I was planning to create an account named ’Minstrel in the Middle Ages’ and focus on the medieval era for future compositions, presenting the society of that time through authentic songs. But since you mention controversy, I could switch to another song."