Chapter 78 - Analysis of Music Practice

January 9, 2012 – Monday 7 pm – Ironstone, East Ouigab

"Home sweet home… ooOOOoohhh."

Jenna sang the last chorus of the song. The rest of the band also closed the outro shortly. This is the first time, since Tayaw left for USA last October that the band performed live in front of Tayaw. Even though he has been exchanging videos with the band for the past two months, he never really saw them perform together.

"What do you think?" Jenna asked. Tayaw sighed. The band is good. For the past two and a half months that he's away, they have grown tremendously. The song they just performed for Tayaw was their collective arrangement, and it impressed Tayaw very much. Aside from the arrangement, the technical aspect of their playing alone can earn the band gigs in ROH Factory. They are at the level of Beyond Cape Town, Qiong's band that performs regularly at ROH Factory.

Considering their age, and how short they have been training under Tayaw, their growth showed Tayaw their great potential as a band. Tayaw also noticed that the band is starting to resemble artists. Each of them has their own 'flavor' in their playing, which is something that can only be displayed by artists. It's still not apparent, but given time, Tayaw is sure that the band can hone their unique sound.

"Good. Very good." Tayaw replied, simply. Had it been any other day, he would have given a lot of feedback to the band, but today, he will not. After seeing the band's rooting artistry, Tayaw finally gained resolve in leaving the band as a performer.

"Good? That's it?" Ramil asked in confusion; he was already getting ready for Tayaw's barrage of constructive criticisms

"There are a lot of parts that need improvement, but I'll tell you all later. Seeing you guys perform tonight, I have decided…" Tayaw said, and took a deep breath. "That I'm leaving the band." Tayaw said.

This is not a decision he made on a whim. Tayaw, since he started playing in Nashville, realized that he, too, has developed his own style and sound that is vastly different with his sound in his previous life. The months of exchanging videos with the band also made Tayaw realize that they would never truly be a band, unlike how Tayaw felt with his past life's band.

The current Percussive Corrections sound much different than the one in his past life. The members are also growing into different people than the people he knew, probably thanks to his involvement. Even so, Tayaw does not consider it a bad thing. Judging from how the band is doing currently, they are faring much better than they could have been had Tayaw not gathered them.

Despite Tayaw 's decision of leaving the band, he will still train and nurture the current members of the band. This is what he owes to his friends in his previous life because they gave him the meaning he needed to live happily, even though that happiness was cut short. To pay for the happiness they gave Tayaw, he is planning on training his band, in this life, to be much better musicians than Tayaw and his friends in his previous life could ever hope to be.

Looking at the band, Tayaw knows that they are well on their way on just doing that. The current band's abilities are equal to Tayaw's band in his past life in their mid-20s. With Tayaw training them this time, the band, by the time they graduate university, may even become a better band than Tayaw and his past life's Percussives achieved at their peak.

"W-what do you mean you're leaving the band?" "Is the band breaking up?" "You're not serious, are you?" The members of the band, in their own ways, expressed their shock at Tayaw's announcement.

"ALRIGHT! Calm down everybody, let me explain." Tayaw said. The band did so. "Now. I know that you don't see it yet, but in the future, you will. My sound does not belong with you all." Tayaw said. "But you can sing a lot of genres! What's the problem?" Jenna protested.

"Like I said, you don't see it yet." Tayaw said sternly. "Man. I thought we were training to be your band? Just teach us to play with your sound." Hoon also asked. "I can't do that." Tayaw shook his head. "Why?" Hoon said in confusion. "You'll see in the future." Tayaw cryptically said again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" Jenna asked, yelled this time.

"Because you are not experienced to see it yet." Tayaw insisted. The band did not protest any further as they know that Tayaw is more stubborn than they are.

The band, since their performance at Monna Park, became celebrities not only at Northwestern University, but in Nabla Institute of Engineering (NIE) as well, which is the closest college to Monna Park. While the band appreciated the flattery of their school mates, the band didn't get it to their ego because they have Tayaw to keep them in check just by being taught by him.

Tayaw has become their benchmark to what a good musician actually is. And Tayaw, being the musician they look up to the most, cannot argue against almost anything music-related that Tayaw tells them. If Tayaw says they're bad, they're bad. If Tayaw says they need improvement on something, they will improve on that. And if Tayaw says that they are not experienced, then they know that it is true as well.

"Then, what do we do now?" Bay-an asked, feeling an almost existential level threat.

"I will train you all to be a band." Tayaw said. This confused the band, except for Hoon. "You don't want us to be your band, but you want, just us six, without you, to be a real band?" Hoon asked for clarification. "Exactly." Tayaw confirmed. The band did not know what to feel about the revelation.

"I mean… If you are not planning on playing with us, why bother training us? I don't know anyone that … selfless" Ramil asked. This is different compared to Tayaw's initial purpose in gathering the band last year.

"No. The reason why I'm 'bothering' to train you all, Ramil, is because we're friends. Do you disagree?" Tayaw asked. Ramil was speechless at this. It's true that in the beginning, the band started out as acquaintances with mutual interests. But because of those mutual interests, they evolved to the closest of friends. "I guess we're lucky to meet a generous friend, then?" Ramil said, unsure what to say.

"Then.. Isn't this too much? Tayaw?" Inson, whose mind in turmoil earlier finally spoke up, finding it hard to accept Tayaw's generosity. "For anyone else, maybe. But let's say that we're not friends, I would still do the same." Tayaw said.

"Why?" Ike asked. "Because I see great potential in you all. I would help you guys fully use and benefit what your potential can give you. To me … It would be a sin to see such potential go to waste." Tayaw said which flattered the band greatly. They never received such high a compliment from Tayaw since they met him.

"BUT! Don't get that to your heads. You all know that I was in Nashville for a month, right?" Tayaw asked which the band nodded to in response. "I've seen people there our age that have much more potential than you all guys have." Tayaw said.

This knocked down the band's pride immediately. Unknowingly to them, Tayaw just lied to them, but he knows that there are many teenage performers in Nashville, much much better than Travis. 'That was mean, but needed.' Tayaw thought to himself. He told them that because he does not want the band to be complacent. "But because you guys are my friends, I want you all to catch up and prove that potential and natural talent is just a small part of being a great musician." Tayaw said, hoping to motivate the band.

Judging from the bands members' gazes at him, it seemed that his words of motivation worked.

"So. How do we do that?" Inson, who was felt burdened by Tayaw's generosity earlier, is now fired up. Looking at the rest of the members, they want to know as well.

"I like your attitude. Now, who among you wants to be vocalists to replace me?" Tayaw asked the band. The band looked at each other for a moment before Jenna, Ike, and Ramil raised their hands. "Good. Who wants to learn songwriting from me?" Tayaw asked again. Hoon, Bay-an, and Inson raised their hands.

"Good. Now. What genres do you all want to play?" Tayaw asked the group. To speed up the band's readiness to make music and perform as a band, Tayaw plans for the band to focus on one genre.

After a small conference of the band, they finally decided. "We want both rock and indie-folk." Bay-an spoke up for the group.

---

A few days later, Tayaw and the band were done planning the group's training arrangement. Tayaw would send Jenna, Ramil, and Ike, the three he dubbed as the "Vocal Unit", to two of the most well-known vocal teachers in Teungeb. Ramil would be training under the vocal teacher who specializes in rock, and Jenna and Ike would learn from a more all-around vocal teacher.

Hoon, Bay-an, and Inson, which Tayaw dubbed as "Songwriters unit" would start learning Tayaw's songwriting process today.

"Okay. For now, I want you three to just listen. I'll answer your questions later." Tayaw said to the three aspiring songwriters. "Cool." They replied.

"Alright. Close your eyes." Tayaw said and the songwriter unit did. "Now. Think about what's on your mind lately, what distracts you, whatever experience you could not help but look back to often."

"Now. What do you feel about it? What about that experience makes it cross your mind often?" Tayaw asked. "My crush asked me to study together." Bay-an replied. "Alright. Keep it to yourself. I just want you to remember it, relive it, and feel it." Tayaw stopped the other two who were about to tell about their own experiences.

"But. That's a good experience to write a song about. Now. I know you want to talk about it, but keep it for yourself." Tayaw continued his guided imagery.

Seeing the expressions of the three, Tayaw almost laughed. He continued anyway. "Good. Now, if you were to tell your story to someone, how would you want to tell it? How would you start? How would you introduce your story to the listener. If you were to write the first stanza of a song, this is just like it."

"Now that you primed your listener with the introduction, go ahead and tell them the key event of your story. How did your experience make you feel? Were you happy? Were you sad? Were you angry? What keeps sticking to your mind? Tell that to your listener. If it was a chorus of a song, this will be like it."

"Good? Okay. Next, you give the details of your story. How did your story come about? Were you hoping for it? Was it a surprise? What made you feel that way? Tell the details to your listener. That will be your second stanza. If you want to put in more details, go ahead and make a third stanza."

"Okay. After you told the story to the listener, was there something you wished that could have happened to make it better? Did you have any regrets? Tell that to your listener. That will be the bridge. If you don't have anything for your bridge, a stanza-chorus structure is just fine. There are a lot of songs that don't have a bridge."

Tayaw then let the songwriting trio to internalize their stories. Tayaw did not tell them to open their eyes yet so that they can concentrate. Tayaw wanted to give the trio as much time as they needed so while waiting; he closed his eyes as well, doing exactly what he's teaching.

This is just the first day for the trio; and they still have a lot to learn.