69novels Page 163
Page 163
Kitahara Hakuba smiled, rubbing his fingertips back and forth on the corner of the paper:
"Actually, it's no different from recruitment; both are about selecting the best and most suitable candidates."
Shinomiya Haruka, wearing denim shorts, crossed her fair legs and smiled at him:
"Would you be heartbroken if some of the girls you know didn't get selected?"
Kitahara Hakuba said calmly:
"I know all the girls in the brass band quite well. Which one are you asking about?"
“It doesn’t matter which one, I’m more interested in knowing if you’re biased,” Shinomiya Haruka said.
"People are always biased towards those they are familiar with, and I am no exception, but as a teacher, I should not express this emotion."
Kitahara Hakuba looked at the brass section roster in his hand and said bluntly,
"After all, these girls seem very modest, but their pride is deeply rooted."
At that moment, the concert hall doors opened, and Sakurako Yukawa and Sayaka Akamatsu walked in.
"Teacher Kitahara, the members of the brass band are all ready."
Kitahara Hakuba raised his wrist to check the time; it was already 7:30 PM.
The copper pipe crew, consisting of more than forty people, takes about four minutes for each person to enter and exit, yet it takes nearly three hours in total.
"Yes, as we agreed before, let's start with the bass part."
"Ok!"
The two officers, Sakurako Kawakita and Sayaka Akamatsu, were to go find the other brass sections ten minutes early, while Sayaka Akamatsu would stay at the door and call out to the next person who wanted to come in for an audition.
As Akamatsu Sanoka closed the concert hall door, the bass section members were already waiting outside, their eyes all fixed on her.
"The sound check for the entire assembly will now begin. Those in the bass section, please go first. No noise is allowed during the sound check!"
"Yes!"
“Yuka,” Akamatsu Sanoka said, looking at Isohara Yuka who was standing ramrod straight. “You’re the first one.”
Yuka Isomoto nodded vigorously, her tied-up hair swaying wildly.
"Go, Senpai Isomoto!"
Kurosawa Maki gave her a quiet thumbs-up, but her own body remained tense and unable to relax.
"Ah."
Yuka Isomoto took a deep breath, and after her shoulders heaved twice, she opened the door.
No matter how many auditions I attend, I always feel nervous, just like during a 50-meter sprint in sports, fearing that something might go wrong.
Yuka Isomoto walked into the concert hall, and even though it was a small concert hall, the space was still very large.
Kitahara Hakuba and Shinomiya Haruka sat opposite her like judges.
"Excuse me..." Yuka Isomoto said as she closed the door behind her.
"Please sit down." Kitahara Hakuba glanced at the list of brass pipes in his hand and found Isomoto Yuka's entry.
"excuse me."
Because she was a little nervous, Yuka Isomoto even suspected that her voice was a bit off-key.
"What grade are you in? What's your name? What instrument do you play?"
Haruka Shinomiya held a pencil and quietly turned the pages of sheet music, the dry friction sound of the pages rustling as they turned.
Yuka Isomoto pursed her lips. The current Shinomiya-sensei was different from the one she had seen yesterday; he was even more terrifying than usual.
The girl nervously pressed her legs together and said:
"Third-year student, Yuka Isomoto, Euphonium."
"Okay, get ready, let's start with the designated F," said Haruka Shinomiya.
"it is good."
Yuka Isomoto took a few more deep breaths, placed the sheet music on the music stand, and as she flipped through the pages with her fingers, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Hakuba Kitahara.
No problem. Everyone is the same in front of Kitahara-sensei. Just do what you always do.
Shinomiya Haruka suddenly spoke up:
"Isomoto-kun, Kitahara-sensei's face doesn't have sheet music, you know?"
"I...I'm sorry..." Yuka Isohara blushed, her toes curling tightly inside her sandals.
Kitahara Hakuba raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, saying, "Isogen-san, don't be nervous. You've had experience before, haven't you?"
"Well, it is..."
,"
Shinomiya Haruka placed the pen on the table and said with a smile, "Get ready."
"Yes."
Hiroka Isomoto straightened her back, puffed out her chest, and assumed the most relaxed posture for playing a wind instrument. Then, while maintaining this posture, she consciously took deep breaths.
Next, put a breath into the mouthpiece.
The notes blown from the mouthpiece glide across the surface of the score, the euphonium's timbre like the sound of a bell vibrating in the air, adorned with delicate beauty.
The audition excerpts that Kitahara-sensei gave for the euphonium were challenging continuous high notes and powerful passages that required diaphragmatic breathing to plan the breath points.
These are carefully selected excerpts that are crucial for the bass voices.
Kitahara Hakuba stared intently at Isomoto Yuka, whose fingers danced nimbly on the piston, producing a soft, light sound.
Before she knew it, her euphonium had reached LV17, no longer the LV8 little minion who cried and begged him to train her.
Yuka Isomoto's lips left the mouthpiece, and her gaze fell on the face of Hakuba Kitahara in front of her, who was nodding with a barely perceptible movement.
Next up is a passage that Kitahara-sensei chose on the spot.
"This is fine, thank you."
However, to Yuka Isomoto's surprise, Hakuba Kitahara did not add any extra food to the audition, but instead let her finish the audition.
"What about that impromptu excerpt?" Yuka Isomoto asked, mustering her courage, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Didn't we say we'd play the one chosen on the spot?"
“I think it’s no longer important to Yuka,” Kitahara Hakuba said with a gentle smile.
What does "not important" mean...?
As Yuka Isomoto was thinking this, Sayaka Akamatsu whispered beside her:
"Yuka, are you leaving? I won't allow you to stay here even if you want to."
"Um, I'm sorry."
Yuka Isomoto let out a strange cry, hurriedly grabbed the sheet music and euphonium, and pushed open the door to go out.
As they entered the corridor, another third-year girl, playing the horn, followed Sayaka Akamatsu inside.
"Senior Isogen, which excerpt did Professor Kitahara assign to you on the spot?" Kurosawa Maki asked hurriedly.
Many members of the bass section also pricked up their ears, regardless of whether it was the same passage being played, it was always best to have a general idea in mind.
"Teacher Kitahara...didn't ask me to praise the one he chose at the last minute."
"Huh?" Kurosawa Maki paused for a moment, then leaned forward slightly while holding the euphonium and said with a smile, "It seems like it's a sure thing. Congratulations, Isogen-senpai."
Hiroka Isomoto gave a wry smile: "It hasn't been announced yet. I just don't think it's appropriate to open the champagne halfway through."
"Come on, me!"
Kurosawa Maki raised her hands to pat her face, but because the sound was being tested inside, she didn't dare to use force and could only hear small slapping sounds.
The auditions were proceeding smoothly. Akamatsu Sanoka came out to comfort a girl who looked somewhat upset, and said to Kurosawa Maki:
"Kurosawa-senpai, it's your turn."
"Yes!"
"Shhh."
"......Yes."
Kurosawa Maki turned around and saw Isomoto Yuka's figure. The two of them raised their small fists and then resolutely stepped into the concert hall.
As Yuka Isomoto watched her juniors enter the audition venue, she happened to see Sakurako Kawa arriving with the trumpet section.
The trumpet section remains the same as before, with five members arranged in section A.
But most trumpet players are proud and arrogant. For some of them, getting into the A section is a must, and most importantly, they want to be the soloists.
Moreover, everyone in the oboe section was present, except for Eri Kanzaki.
"Yuxiang, how are you feeling?"
Wearing a fitted dress and with smooth black hair, Nagase Tsukiyo stepped forward and asked in a soft voice.
A pleasant, youthful fragrance wafted towards her. Every time she was close to her, Yuka Isomoto would sigh in her heart, "The moonlit night is truly beautiful."
"I think it should be okay, but Mr. Kitahara didn't let me play the impromptu part."
"That will definitely work."
Nagase Tsukiyo laughed, and her snow-white teeth could be vaguely seen through her lips, which made her look even more youthful and girlish.
Looking into her clear, bright eyes, Yuka Isomoto said:
"Keep going, Moonlit Night."
At that moment, Kuno Tachibana, holding a small, bright gold trumpet, swayed her body softly, her skirt bobbing from side to side with her movements.
"Wait a minute...Isogen-senpai, aren't you going to cheer me on?"
Yuka Isomoto enjoyed herself for a while. Although she and Kuno didn't speak, she was very impressed with this junior.
"Yeah, good luck to Kuno-senpai too."
Hearing her sincere tone, Kuno Tachibana raised an eyebrow, slightly relaxed the corners of his mouth, and said to Nagase Tsukiyo:
“Nase-senpai, I will not give up on the first trumpet and the solo, so please give it your all.”