Chapter 59: Am I Fit for Critique?
“Am I fit for critique?”
The three students perked up at those words.
Already highly intrigued by the situation, they naturally wouldn’t pass up this opportunity.
They quickly put down their textbooks or bags and gathered around.
The bespectacled young man’s eyes locked onto Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, who were warming up in front of him.
Not that he had small eyes.
It was just… he absolutely couldn’t accept it!
These two high school students were being treated like his teachers!
Especially when he saw Teacher Gao speaking to Lin Tian with such deferential respect usually reserved for seniors.
His confusion and jealousy skyrocketed!
“…”
“Teacher, are we staying behind so we can learn?” one of the students asked unhappily.
The ones who voluntarily stayed after class for individual instruction from Teacher Gao were already among the more driven music students.
Now, they were being asked to witness two high school students receiving one-on-one teaching…
How could they be comfortable?!
Clearly, they were being used as a comparison!
“How could we?! ” exclaimed Gao Zhen Yang, taken aback by his foolish students.
“You seriously think you can learn from this?”
Do you honestly think you can learn from watching musicians perform? That’s not even on the same level.
“…”
The trio couldn’t respond.
Soon—
Lin Tian began playing on the piano.
Melodious notes filled the classroom.
Quickly after, the girl started pulling her bow.
Effortless tunes flowed through the air.
The three students froze at that familiar melody.
The song they were performing was the recent viral hit, The Can-Can on TikTok.
As music students, they had probably heard it a million times.
The piece wasn’t the hardest but wasn’t exactly easy either.
Especially the parts where the tempo changes. It could get very engaging. If played solo, maybe not too bad, but with two instruments together—
This really tests one’s fundamentals and chemistry!
If handled poorly, it’s easy for one to go off-key or miss a beat.
Before long, the piece entered its main portion.
With the cello and piano intertwining…
They picked up the pace!
Lin Tian’s fingers sped up, while the girl’s cello soared through the climax.
“~”
Perfect rhythm!
The students were stunned.
As soon as the climax hit—
the disparity was clear!
Their execution was flawless; that was only the beginning.
Their terrifying stability and coherence…
Each seemed to have a full grasp of the emotion they needed to convey.
During the climax, the way these two instruments—cello and piano—handled complex melodies, how they combined and complemented each other, how they utilized the cello’s depth and the piano’s brilliance—they managed all of this flawlessly.
This was textbook!
Having studied music for years, the students understood the depths of what they were witnessing.
The feeling in the pit of their stomachs intensified.
“This song has only been out for a few days, right?”
The girl muttered, unable to contain herself.
“They managed to master it to this level. Even the original composers, Moonlight and Cat, might struggle to do better.”
“Dude, are these even high schoolers?!”
Another lad couldn’t resist cursing.
“.”
The bespectacled guy was left speechless.
Among them, he had the highest grades.
He had gotten into the school on a scholarship and often had tags like “talented” and “promising” attached to him.
But seeing their performance—
the overwhelming shock and sense of powerlessness consumed him.
Especially from that female cellist.
Her play was flawless—not just on the sheet music, but in tone control, dynamics, and rhythmic stability—a virtual impossibility to criticize.
Some might even say she’s scripted!
She was on par with professional musicians.
Beyond this point, the bespectacled kid couldn’t keep up.
His limits were reached. He knew their performance was good, but beyond that—unfathomable to him.
If he could analyze everything, would he still be in college himself?
“.”
Gazing at the stupefied students, Gao ZhenYang felt a mix of emotions.
Sometimes, young folks need a reality check.
When he first saw Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu on Douyin playing “Ode to Love,” he felt the same way.
There’s always someone better out there.
Pretending to be a prodigy is nothing when faced with true talent.
All those who claim to be gifted will eventually come to terms with reality.
Sometimes, an early dose of reality isn’t the worst thing.
The first piece concluded.
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu stopped playing and looked to Gao Zhen Yang expectantly.
“Teacher, how was it?”
Gao Zhen Yang didn’t rush to answer them, instead turning to his students.
Knowing their personality, he quipped:
“Gao Li, what do you think?”
The bespectacled kid choked up.
Being shot down moments ago and now being asked for an opinion made him feel stabbed.
“Lovely. The performance was—really, really amazing.”
Gao Li ground his teeth and replied with honest sincerity.
In truth, he wanted to say,
“Am I fit to critique?”
Just like asking if you can judge a musician’s performance.
No wonder you’re called “Teacher,” huh?
Seeing Gao Li’s earnest expression, Gao Zhen Yang decided he’ve had enough.
Turning to Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, he continued:
“Indeed, impressive. The composition’s great, and you two are in perfect sync emotionally. If you maintain this, next week’s performance is certain.”
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu exchanged glances and visibly relaxed.
“But—don’t get ahead of yourselves,” Gao Zhen Yang warned.
“I’ve only heard one piece from you two. Maybe you’ve been practicing this one a lot, but I don’t know your proficiency with other songs. This doesn’t fully prove you meet the standards.”
“Also, performing live is different from now. You’ll need to play 3-6 pieces straight through, which tests your stamina, focus, and stress management. I’ve seen many students who nailed it during practice then faltered when the heat was on.”
After setting up so much tension,
Gao Zhen Yang’s next words hit the mark—
“Here are some pieces. They’re not hard. Playing them by sight should be no trouble. Just run through them a couple times.”
Pulling a stack of sheet music from his bag, Gao Zhen Yang distributed them.
Seeing seven pieces, Lin Tian’s spirits lifted.
Even the cello and piano parts were separate.
Clearly, this was a special treat Gao Zhen Yang prepared for them today.
“Give it a try all at once. Take a break if you can’t handle it.”
(End of Chapter 59)
