Chapter 62
—
“So, to summarize.”
Among the students, the Wendelin siblings, who showed decent skills, were selected for the advanced class.
However, they seemed to think they were receiving special treatment and started acting arrogantly.
Ignoring other students was just the beginning.
Apparently, they were even refusing to listen to Erdi.
No, but shouldn’t they at least listen to their professor?
Is it because they are proud of being acknowledged by Victor and me?
But that’s wrong.
The more ripe the grain, the more it bows its head.
Are they trying to flaunt their lack of experience in farming?
Though, to be fair, I’ve never dirtied my hands with soil either, but I know at least this basic truth.
Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t end here.
According to Erdi, after observing the academy as I instructed, there were indeed a few students who felt they were being discriminated against.
It was a minority, but still.
It’s not as if we failed to properly explain the advanced class system.
Surely, everyone understood.
Moreover, the skill test itself was conducted openly in front of everyone.
With the abilities displayed by the three students, it should have been more than enough to convince everyone.
Wasn’t the academy supposed to be a place where anyone could achieve great positions as long as their skills were recognized?
When I first met Oscar in the North, he told me something.
He was the second son of a baron but served as the student representative.
I couldn’t have misunderstood.
Yet, if complaints are arising, it must be because of the Wendelin siblings’ attitude.
They walk around with their shoulders high as if they’ve accomplished something, sneering at the other students.
It’s no wonder strange rumors, like “Aren’t they close with the professor?” are starting to spread.
They probably think I’m giving them special treatment.
Their arrogance is causing this mess.
It needs to be corrected.
How?
Simple.
“Exactly one month from now, we will conduct another skill test.”
Standing on the stage in the lecture hall, I made this announcement.
“The theme is, as before, free choice. The evaluation criteria will consist of three aspects.”
First, technical proficiency.
This includes accuracy and rhythm.
Additionally, I plan to focus on finger movements and pedaling techniques.
Second, musical expressiveness.
Whether they can bring out the atmosphere of the piece.
I’ll observe the level of dynamics and phrasing and evaluate how well they interpret articulations like staccato and legato.
Lastly, emotional delivery.
While the first two are technical, this one can be considered stage manners.
Posture and facial expressions will also be included here.
Since performing on stage involves visual elements as much as auditory ones, this is crucial.
If someone excels overwhelmingly in even one of these three aspects, they will be admitted to the advanced class.
Even if nothing stands out particularly, as long as they show balanced expression, they will also be accepted.
Naturally, there is a standard.
Those who don’t meet it will have to start again from the basics.
“Over the next month, Professor Kosolin and I will be teaching all of you. However, merely following the lectures won’t improve your skills. The results will depend on each individual’s practice.”
We invested a substantial amount to provide every student with an affordable piano.
For some reason, there’s a rumour going around that we distributed grand pianos, but that’s not true.
Even I can’t afford that level of expenditure.
Anyway.
The dormitories are all single rooms.
With proper soundproofing, practicing during free time shouldn’t be difficult.
“Any questions?”
“Uh…”
A male student sitting in the front row raised his hand.
“Then, what happens to the three who are already in the advanced class?”
“Good question. They will not take the retest. However, until we select the advanced class members again, they will attend the basic class lectures with the rest of you.”
There’s no need to re-evaluate their skills.
With their current abilities, they should easily pass the second test a month from now.
They’ve already been highly rated once, so even if they perform the same as before, they’ll pass.
I have no intention of making them go through the process twice.
It’s unnecessary work.
More importantly, it would be unfair.
However, until the advanced class resumes, they will review the basics along with the other students.
It’s a compromise, but it’s not an unreasonable plan.
It’s also intended to help the Wendelin siblings regain their initial humility.
Revisiting the fundamentals is an established practice in musical training.
In fact, many seasoned performers set aside periods to revisit and study simple techniques they learned long ago.
Such processes are periodically necessary.
Otherwise, the carefully built tower of skills could collapse.
To improve one’s skills, taking time to reflect is crucial.
Though the Wendelin siblings didn’t look too happy about it, they reluctantly accepted after I explained everything in detail.
If, after all this, they still act arrogantly without knowing their place?
Let’s just move on for now.
I have another plan for that aspect.
“Professor? I also have a question!”
At that moment, a female student sitting in the middle raised her hand.
‘Selena, of course.’
Her appearance isn’t particularly distinctive, but since she’s always following me around, I’ve memorized even her plain features by now.
“So, what exactly do we learn in the advanced class?”
Another good question.
“Let me explain simply. From now on, you will learn basic techniques and the ability to interpret music through the foundational courses.”
This part should already be familiar to them.
“In the advanced class, naturally, we will teach more sophisticated techniques. For example, how to control the pedals and keys with precision. How to tackle difficult sections efficiently with unconventional fingerings. Expanded chords and advanced arpeggios. Depth and expressiveness in performance, and more…”
Oops.
It felt like I was talking too much, so I stopped halfway.
They should have understood by now.
There are other parts of the curriculum, such as understanding chord progressions or practicing improvisation to improve creativity and physical sensitivity.
But they’ll naturally come to know these once they join the advanced class.
Selena lowered her hand and nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
Come to think of it, I forgot something important.
“Joining the advanced class doesn’t mean receiving special treatment. It only gives you the privilege of advancing to the next level faster than others. I understand there are students who find this unfair. However,”
Everyone held their breath, waiting for my next words.
“I believe that those who work hard and prove their abilities should always receive appropriate rewards. The opportunity is open to all of you. Please do your best.”
Of course, just because the advanced class exists doesn’t mean I intend to neglect the rest of the students.
This is about distinguishing ability, not favouritism toward individuals.
In any case, Erdi is responsible for that group.
I’m in charge of the foundational lectures.
If they really want to attend my class, they might as well completely fail the test.
Who knows?
Maybe I’d say, ‘You’re hopeless,’ and give them one-on-one tutoring.
Anyway.
The way everyone stared determinedly at the piano on stage suggested my speech had worked.
It didn’t look like anyone planned to deliberately mess up.
Of course not.
Being acknowledged for their music is an irreplaceable joy for performers.
Now that’s settled.
***
For the next month, I continued lectures on the fundamentals.
Theory class and practice class.
“When sitting in a chair, it’s good to straighten your back and keep your posture upright.
Of course, as you get immersed in emotion, it may falter, but for now, try to stay conscious of it while playing.”
First, their posture.
While many great performers don’t strictly follow correct posture,
it’s only possible because they’ve surpassed the basics and rules.
At the beginner level, it’s crucial to learn a posture suited to one’s body.
Afterward, pay attention to the angle of your arms, wrists, and fingers, and place them neatly on the keys.
This is the first step in playing.
“From there, practice with the sheet music I handed out earlier. If you have questions, feel free to ask anytime.”
“Professor.”
Thinking someone might be eager for my help, I turned around to see Victor.
Why is this man here?
Shouldn’t he be in the middle of his own lecture?
“Could I have a moment?”
“Sure.”
I followed him to a secluded corner.
“It’s about Dirk.”
“Dirk Wendelin?”
“He’s been extremely uncooperative. His younger sister, Beatrice, is doing relatively well, but Dirk refuses to attend the classes altogether. I thought you should know.”
If Victor personally came to report this, it must be serious.
He didn’t show it in front of me, but he must be completely fed up with reviewing the basics.
I can understand the sentiment.
But ultimately, he’s ruining his own future.
He’s already as good as guaranteed a spot in the advanced class, and I even declared he wouldn’t need to retake the test.
If he follows along now, he could be playing with far better technique a month from now.
And yet, why refuse to attend class?
“Did he expect something special and feel dissatisfied when the material turned out to be ordinary?”
If not, maybe he hates being treated like everyone else.
Then why enroll in the academy at all?
I’ve done everything I can for him.
There’s always someone like that—people who treat the sacred institution of learning as a platform for self-aggrandizement.
“If he keeps being stubborn, doesn’t he realize other students will surpass him eventually?”
“I think so too. Nothing is more important than the fundamentals.”
Victor would know better than anyone.
He told me that after hearing my music for the first time, he went back and relearned the piano from scratch.
That kind of passion is what gets someone scouted by the academy’s main campus.
Dirk, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.
He sees the trees but not the forest.
I tried to help him regain his humility through basic lessons, but do I need to take a firmer approach?
Of course, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.
Strictly speaking, I was the one who created this situation.
I’ll have to look into it more carefully.
“Let’s switch lectures for a day and see.”
—
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