I arrived at the practice room for my major class, and Shin Yu-ra was already there waiting for me.
Apparently, her teaching method is strictly one-on-one. The schedule is divided into 30-minute sessions for each student.
In any case, Shin Yu-ra greeted me warmly with a bright smile as I entered the practice room.
Indeed, seeing that smile brings a lot of thoughts to mind.
She is currently a renowned producer and temporary teacher, but she originally debuted as a singer in her teenage years, just like Baek Ye-rin. During her prime, she contributed significantly to Flow Entertainment with her exceptional dancing and singing abilities.
One of her standout features that people often mention is her meticulous self-management. I wasn’t surprised to see her smooth skin even though she’s in her late 30s. People would likely believe she’s in her early 20s.
With those thoughts in mind, I walked over and sat down in the empty seat beside her. After I sat down, Shin Yu-ra was the first to speak.
“Let’s keep things light for the first lesson.”
“Keep it light?”
“Yes. It’ll be good to share feedback on a certain track casually.”
With that, Shin Yu-ra effortlessly operated the computer. Soon, a melody played through the speakers.
Is this…?
“Go High?”
A familiar melody, like a bursting bubble, with a refreshing feel.
I vaguely remember the title and the release date.
It must have been released about three years ago, right?
The reason my memory isn’t clearer is that “Go High” wasn’t a particularly successful song.
And the reason I vaguely remember it is precisely because it didn’t take off. This song was actually personally produced by Shin Yu-ra sitting right next to me.
That’s why I had no choice but to ask before the song officially started.
“Isn’t this your track, teacher?”
“That’s right.”
“?…”
Her response, as if it were the most natural thing, left me even more confused.
Isn’t it usually the case that students get feedback on their own songs?
Why does she want feedback on her own song?
With that question in mind, I had no choice but to listen to “Go High.”
First, after hearing the song for the first time in a while, what struck me most immediately was its “maturity.”
“Go High” is a hook song that leaves a strong impression with its highlight. As expected, the highlight section is incredibly catchy, and the song’s structure is very clean overall.
Given that it was already released, it should be seen as a complete song, and it’s clear that Shin Yu-ra put a lot of effort into producing it.
In other words, from a student’s perspective, there’s really no room for critique.
“Did you like it?”
“It was good.”
“Really?”
“…”
Shin Yu-ra asked me again if I truly liked the song.
I didn’t lie.
“Go High” is undoubtedly a good song.
As the title suggests, the catchiness makes you instinctively mutter the word “Go High” during the highlight. The refreshing sound makes the listener feel invigorated.
But…
“I’m not sure if I should say this, but the overall vibe feels consistent throughout, which makes the climax’s impact seem diminished. Maybe adding changes to the intro could help?”
I thought it would make it sound better personally.
“Change the intro? For example, how?”
Shin Yu-ra looked quite intrigued.
I thought for a moment about her question.
“Go High’s” greatest strength is its catchy highlight section. Yet like most hook songs, it can feel predictable.
So, perhaps going all out at the beginning could be an interesting approach.
“How about revealing the highlight section right from the start? You could give a teaser before the lyrics start, but not too clearly—maybe with a distorted sound like old radio broadcasts or a whispering tone.”
I felt this song needed a strong hook from the very start.
Although the highlight is good, the process leading up to it felt too textbook.
If anything, why not impact the audience early on and hold their anticipation until the highlight section?
It was just a simple thought that came to me.
“…And anything else?”
“Hmm… the song feels a little too short.”
Most hook songs have this drawback—it’s rare for them to exceed four minutes. This is natural given the genre’s repetitive nature, which can make the song tiresome.
“Frankly, I think I’d transform the structure of the song. Maybe add a new bridge connecting the highlight to the end.”
“Hmm…”
My words made Shin Yu-ra frown as though deep in thought.
Well… I’m just a student, so how much weight can my opinion carry from her perspective?
But then again…
“What music production software do you use?”
“Me? Logic.”
“Great, then this’ll work. Show me what you have in mind.”
With that, Shin Yu-ra surprisingly vacated the seat she had been sitting in, as if giving me space to showcase my ideas.
Like she was encouraging me to display my dream.
…?
Excuse me?
*
Ryu Won scratched his head as he took the seat Shin Yu-ra had vacated.
Now completely switched positions from earlier, Ryu Won looked up at the monitor.
There, displayed, was the familiar composing software he had been using until yesterday, with “Go High’s” track laid out.
What Shin Yu-ra wanted from me here was simple enough.
She simply wanted to hear “Go High” as Ryu Won envisioned it in some form or another.
I understand her intention, but…
“Doesn’t the lesson only last 30 minutes? And there’s only 25 minutes left.”
“Don’t worry about that part. I’ll manage it. No problem.”
Damn. No matter how I look at it, this seems problematic.
Ryu Won sighed inwardly.
To put it simply, it was like this:
Take this already complete song by Shin Yu-ra and remix it in your own style on the spot!
Which teacher in the world would ask such absurd things of a high school freshman?
And yet, that very teacher is right next to me now…
With that thought, Ryu Won glanced cautiously at Shin Yu-ra.
She was still staring at him intently.
Would it even be possible to simply say, “I can’t do it”?
Just as he thought this, his hands started moving on their own.
I don’t know what she plans to gain from this process, but…
Ryu Won was honestly surprised. He didn’t expect such a successful producer to be so flexible in their thinking.
People like her usually have strong pride in their own music.
The fact that she’s seriously considering the feedback of a high schooler is impressive.
Could I ever go that far for better results?
‘There’s a lot to learn from this approach.’
Ryu Won thought deeply.
About how to transform this already-complete song.
As a fellow composer, he wanted to meet her expectations.
Meanwhile, Shin Yu-ra was watching his every move carefully.
The reason she chose “Go High” was purely out of curiosity.
She wanted to see how the song looked from this student’s perspective.
“Go High” was quite a sore point for Shin Yu-ra, being one of her songs that didn’t perform well.
And she herself was aware.
She was asking quite a lot from a student right now.
But her first impression of Ryu Won was intense.
Genius.
The feedback the boy gave at the start was fresh and useful.
That’s why she wanted to test his limits.
But then again…
‘Is he this seasoned already?’
Ryu Won tried to weave a new melody over the existing one that Shin Yu-ra had composed.
Write, erase, rewrite, erase, he kept repeating this process without hesitation.
There was no pause in the process.
If he liked something upon hearing it, he moved on swiftly. If there was even a hint of ambiguity, he discarded it immediately.
It all came from his unwavering trust in his own ears.
Gradually, starting with a blank sheet, Ryu Won began sketching out his own sound.
Ten minutes after the process began, it was done.
“Alright… This should do, I think.”
Ryu Won immediately played the newly crafted “Go High.”
Simply put, he inserted a bridge connecting the highlight section and the end, not disrupting the overall atmosphere of the song. He laid down a bass tone and fragmented the heavy drum beats.
The result was a sticky sound contrasting with the refreshing tone.
Why did Ryu Won deliberately create such a sound?
He explained it like this.
“Go High” feels slightly too short.
Thus, he adjusted the tempo of the song to slow it down.
This was the moment “Go High” was reinterpreted in Ryu Won’s style.
“…”
Shin Yu-ra listened to the renewed version of her own song in silence.
A new melody connecting the refreshing sections.
It was certainly a straightforward idea.
However, a high schooler executing this, and in merely 10 minutes crafting a sound that fits so well with the existing melody, carries a different significance.
“…It makes me crave more.”
Shin Yu-ra’s gaze towards Ryu Won darkened considerably.
It was like the eyes of a predator who had just spotted its prey right before it goes in for the kill.
Without beating around the bush, Shin Yu-ra asked directly.
“You previously said you haven’t joined any entertainment company yet, right? What about Flow Entertainment?”
“Flow Entertainment?”
“Yes. In this teacher’s eyes… no, from almost any expert’s perspective, you are a genius. Hence, I will do everything in my power to help you showcase your talent at Flow Entertainment. I’m willing to meet nearly all of your demands.”
“Are you serious?”
“Well… It might be a bit awkward to say, but teacher has a fair bit of influence at Flow Entertainment. Moreover, teacher doesn’t pull cruel pranks on students.”
A sincere declaration from Shin Yu-ra, completely without falsehood.
And to that declaration, Ryu Won responded immediately.
“I apologize.”
“So, you’ll naturally accept… Wait, what?”
“I’ll decline the offer, teacher.”
“???”
Shin Yu-ra couldn’t help but look perplexed.
Because the situation was heading in a direction entirely different from what she had imagined.
