From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

"As a new student of mine, I will show you how to be the best singer you can be," Magic Mama said. "But remember, all of this depends on you. I will only be your guide."

"I understand," June responded.

"Good," she clapped, taking some grapes and cheese and popping it into her mouth.

"Our first lesson will be simple," she started off. "Just sing a song you hate."

"A song I hate?" June clarified.

"But I'm going to be performing 'Father' on the 31st with Lee Sik and other idols. I need some feedback on that song first."

"Oh, no, no!" Magic Mama exclaimed. "We can't have you practice the song you're going to perform."

June frowned. "Why not? I want it to be as perfect as possible."

"Ah, that's another flaw of yours," Magic Mama said. "Singing will never be perfect and should never be perfect."

"If I wanted students who sang perfectly, then I would have gathered robots instead. Perfect singing will only exist when a song is devoid of any emotion. Only techniques can be perfect, but singing itself will never be perfect."

June nodded, understanding every word she said. Magic Mama truly knew what she was talking about.

"Besides," she continued. "I don't let my students sing the song they're going to perform on a big stage. I feel like it takes away too many emotions from the actual stage. You grow immune to it, and it becomes muscle memory. While this may be beneficial to more cheerful songs, I don't want you to sing 'Father' with your muscle memory. It's a song that needs the genuine feelings of a child to his father."

"Why do you want me to sing a song I hate then?" June asked.

"It's because you'll remember it even more," Magic Mama said.

"Often, in life, we remember the extremes —those we love and those we hate. Anything in the middle is a gray area. I want you to sing something you hate, in particular, because 'Father' is a song with a lot of contempt. However, in the end, it slowly resolves. By the end of our lesson today, I want you to grow fond of a song you hate and channel these feelings to your performance on the 31st."

June wanted to applaud the old woman. Anything that came out of her mouth was so valuable that June didn't even think of countering it.

"Come on," she said, her mouth filled with fruit and dairy.

Magic Mama then sat before the piano before looking at June.

"What's one song you hate singing?" she asked.

June pursed his lips as he thought of a song he resented. Without a doubt, it was the Little Meow Meow song.

"Meow Meow," he answered.

Magic Mama raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Meow Meow? By who?"

"Little Meow Meow," June responded.

The vocal coach sighed as she shook her head.

"Please give me a real song, June," she deadpanned.

June scratched the back of his head.

"A Love Twice Lost," he responded after a while.

Magic Mama was once again surprised.

"Is it the Chinese Song by Ryan Huang?" she asked.

June nodded.

"I'm surprised you know this song," she said. "It's actually one of my favorite Chinese songs. I'm curious as to why you hate it."

June pursed his lips and didn't respond.

He remembered singing it dead drunk in a karaoke bar in the middle of the night.

June also remembered the reason behind his resentment for the song, but that was a story for another day.

"It's a private reason," he responded.

Magic Mama shrugged. "Fair enough. Try to sing it then."

June, despite his reluctance, sang the song as best as he could. Fortunately, Magic Mama didn't stop him in the middle of the song this time.

As the song ended, June opened his eyes and found Magic Mama with a contemplating expression.

"You have a really good voice," she started off. "It's soft yet powerful at the same time, and it also has a Rhythm & Blues undertone, which makes it versatile for a variety of genres. I could hear some techniques in your singing, but I feel like you aren't aware of it. Am I right?"

"I know the basics," June said. "But I feel like those come to me naturally. Sometimes, I just find myself singing without knowing what the technique is called."

"I knew it," she smiled. "I think we should do an overview of the basic techniques first. Then, as our lessons progress, I'm going to teach you more complex skills that you can use in your later performances."

June nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, so let's start off with the different voice sources—chest, head, and mixed."

***

June felt like he had learned around two years of material from Magic Mama in less than two hours.

Although he already knew some of the basic concepts, June was now more knowledgeable on how to do vibrato, switching voice mixes, simple vowels, and the like.

"My manager's on his way," June said, looking at Jay's latest text message.

"We'll continue this another time then. Take one of my calling cards outside before you leave."

June nodded.

"Do you have any questions before you go?"

"Hmm," June started off. "I honestly don't know if I can come back any time soon because of my hectic schedule. I'll make sure to come back as soon as I can, though."

"It's alright," she smiled. "I won't leave this place anyway."

"Well, while I'm waiting for our next lesson, do you have any tips on how I can improve my singing on my own?"

Magic Mama placed her finger under her chin.

"I guess you can continue singing in the comfort of your own home. However, I suggest getting other people's opinions as well. But don't ask for opinions from people who personally know you. You also can't ask your fans for their opinion."

"Their critique will be very biased because they're wary of you, and your fans are just too delusional to say any valid criticisms."

"Oh," June said, instantly understanding her intention.

"So, I guess you can ask strangers' perspectives on your singing—those who don't really know that you're June."

*Ding*

A loud sound rang in June's mind.

'Eureka!'