Chapter 180: Giving Pointers

“It is not that I am obsessed with singing. It is just that, due to the effort that I have put in, I always look forward to an improvement.

Recently, I have hit a plateau. Maybe, if I listen to you singing, I might be able to gain some inspiration, which might be able to improve my skills.” Carol responded without hesitation.

The bullsh*t that she said, Michael did not believe any of that. It seemed that this lady was going to be quite persistent.

And looking at her face, and the attitude that she was displaying, it seemed that she had the intention of following them wherever they went.

Today, Michael was planning to relax. So, he had no intention of going back to the villa. But, with this lady following behind them, it would not be much convenient to do other things.

At the end of the day, she was a star. As soon as she was recognized, quite a number of fans would flock towards them. And at that time, things would get complicated.

Michael had no doubt that he had the capability of escaping from a crowd of paparazzi that might be attracted over. But, he was together with Alex and the others.

Thus, he thought, it would not be good if he just left by himself and left them in trouble.

Since that was the case, Michael decided to do something else. Of course, he had no intention of singing. Instead, he thought, he would just give her a few pointers.

“You have a good voice,” he said as he suddenly began walking forward.

“Huh?” Carol had not anticipated such words from Michael. She quickly followed behind him, wanting to ask him why he said that.

Of course, quite a number of people had already told her about her voice. That was an advantage that she knew she had. That was why she usually used it to the maximum limit that she could, to her advantage.

But, she could not understand why Michael would suddenly compliment her voice. Should he not be singing something for her to hear, so that she could know if he was good as that guy had claimed?

“A naturally good one. That’s why you get away with things most people couldn’t.” Michael continued, without bothering with the surprised Carol.

Alex and the others were left dumbfounded when they heard Michael’s words. Was Michael complimenting Carol, or was he actually pointing fingers at her? Was he trying to imply that she was not a good singer?

At least, he should not be so straightforward, right? They thought, he should just tell her politely, right?

As for Carol, she was silent for a moment. Then, she laughed lightly. “That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“It is,” Michael immediately replied. “But it’s also the reason you haven’t noticed the gaps yet.”

Carol’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she glanced at him. “Gaps?”

“You sing mostly on instinct,” he said. “You open your mouth and let the sound go wherever it wants. Sometimes it lands where it should. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

She thought about that. And, it really was the case. Yes, she usually trained, but because she had already developed a dependence on her voice, she really did not focus on such details. Still, she just said, “I just… sing.”

“I know,” he replied. “And that’s the first thing you need to change.”

It was only at this moment that Carol finally understood what was going on. It turned out that Michael was actually pointing out at her errors?

She was not the only one that was surprised. Her agent and assistant were both left dumbfounded. Initially, they thought that Michael was just trying to irritate Carol.

But now, they realized that he was actually trying to help her out? Her agent had heard a few people mention something like this.

But unfortunately, considering her skills when it came to music, she did not understand much about what they were talking about.

But now, with Michael talking about it, that really seemed to be the case. And as she thought about the practice sessions that Carol had, and during her performance, there was quite a difference.

Still, both the agent and the assistant were quite shocked. It was also at this moment that they finally realized something. It really seemed that this young man was skilled at music.

It was no wonder that someone had claimed that his singing was way better as compared to Carol’s. But, just a few sentences were not enough to be able to completely convince them.

The group walked slowly through the corridor, as they headed for the stairs. Michael understood that the group could not entirely fit into the elevator.

As a result, he purposefully decided to use the stairs to go down. And as they climbed down the stairs, he continued with his pointers.

“Start with your breath,” he said. “Right now, you take quick breaths and spend them too fast. Practice breathing low, feel the air expand your ribs, not your shoulders. If the breath is stable, the note has something to sit on.”

She slowed slightly. “So it’s not about pushing?”

“Never,” he said. “Pushing is what makes notes crack and wobble.”

He went on, more precise now. “Second, slow down. You rush phrases because you don’t fully trust your control. Practice singing lines painfully slowly. If you can’t hold a note comfortably at half speed, you don’t own it yet.”

She nodded, absorbing it. At this moment, she did not consider the fact that she was listening to a young man who was about 6 years younger than her, giving her pointers.

Instead, she just focused on the information that he was sharing. And, she felt that everything that he said made sense.

Additionally, the way that he was phrasing his words, it was so easy for her to be able to understand them. At least, it was better as compared to the music teachers that she had ever had in her career.

“Third, stop lifting your chin on higher notes,” he said. “Keep your head level and let the space inside your mouth do the work. Imagine the sound floating up, not climbing out.”

She tried it as she walked, subtly adjusting her posture. “That feels different.”

“It should,” he said. “Different usually means right.”

He glanced at her briefly. “And last, record yourself. Not to judge, but to listen. You can’t fix what you don’t hear.”

She was quiet for a moment, then smiled a little. “So my voice isn’t the problem.”

“No,” he said calmly. “Your voice is the raw material. What you lack is structure.”

They continued walking, the advice settling in, her steps lighter now. At the same time, she had the impulse of going to try out everything that Michael had pointed out.

By now, she had completely forgotten the provocation that she had received while performing on the stage. The frustrations had completely disappeared, and all that was left was the amazement that she had for Michael.

And as she looked at him, walking ahead, she let out a slight smile. At the same time, she nodded, acknowledging that Michael was more skilled than her.

Just the theory that he had was enough. Even though he had not sang by himself, just by the fact that someone else had said that Michael was good at singing as compared to her, it was clear that his singing was better than hers.

Currently, the KTV did not have many people. As a result, apart from the staff that were currently present, who were attracted by the commotion caused by this large crowd, only a few people that had entered the KTV also looked over.

Some were surprised to see Carol. They could recognize her, as she was quite popular. Even if some of them did not follow her songs, they had at least seen her once or twice on TV.

But, they were quite surprised to see that she was obediently following behind a young man. Was it possible that that young man was from an influential background?

As for Alex and the others, during this entire time, they were silent. Even though they had heard Michael sing, they never thought that he could actually teach Carol.

This was someone who had debuted at the age of 16. She had been singing for almost 8 years now. But, Michael was able to teach her?

Since they did not understand music, they initially thought that Michael was just making things up. But looking at Carol’s expression, and that of her agent and assistant, it was clear that everything that Michael said was actually true.

This was something that shocked them. They had not anticipated that Michael was not only skilled at driving and shooting, but was also very skilled at music.

It was not just talent, but it was clear from his words, he had the knowledge regarding music. And his level wasn’t low either.

“Mr. Michael, could I bother you more often in the future? I have realized that only if you teach me, will I be able to improve faster.

I have had several teachers, but none of them can point out directly at my mistakes as you can. As for the fee, I will pay twice the market price.” Carol suddenly suggested, surprising quite a number of people.

To this, Michael simply shook his head. He already had a lot of things to do, as he had to gain SP. Would he have time to tutor someone?

“I’m usually very busy. I don’t think that I can fit you into my schedule.” Michael shook his head as he said.

“Then, can I come to look for you during your breaks?” Carol was not willing to give up.

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