Eric was a 28-year-old office worker. He took a day off on Thursday and was enjoying a relatively quiet day in New York with his girlfriend, Lila, as they headed to the Bronx Zoo on the subway.
"Lila, have you been to the Bronx Zoo before? How is it?"
Sitting next to Eric on the subway, Lila leaned her head on his shoulder and replied.
"Um.. I haven't been since I was a kid. Maybe when I was four?"
Eric, slightly surprised, asked.
"Has the zoo been around that long? That's over 20 years ago if you were a kid."
"Yeah, I think it's over a hundred years old? It's the second largest zoo in the world. I loved it when I was little."
"Second largest in the world? Wow, but I guess the facilities might be a bit outdated?"
"I don't think so? It gets government support, so they're always renovating and maintaining it well."
"That sounds promising. Exciting, right?"
"Yeah ~ Ah! Here we are! We need to get off at this stop."
The couple disembarked at West Farms Square station and walked down the tranquil path to the zoo. Lila bounced along, smiling.
"Ah~ How long has it been since I've experienced a weekday afternoon like this! It's so crowded on weekends that it's hard to find a place to eat or enjoy a date, but it's so peaceful and nice on a weekday, isn't it, Eric?"
Eric smiled back at her.
"Yeah! It's been a while since I've felt this relaxed after joining the company last year."
Lila puffed her cheeks and said.
"Exactly, who told you to go into finance? Always working late into the night, barely sleeping. What kind of life is that, Eric? Where did the Eric who wanted to pursue music in college go?"
Eric clicked his tongue.
"When was that? That's a story from when I was naive. Music isn't something just anyone can do."
"But you were really cool back then."
"Haha, yeah. You fell for me after coming to my show, right?"
"Stop it, that's not funny. You're the one who fell for me after the show at the party."
"Ha! Let's just say that was the case."
"What do you mean 'let's just say'? Oh? But what's that?"
"Huh? What?"
Lila pointed upwards, and Eric followed her finger to see flags hanging between the trees along the path to the zoo. Eric stopped in front of a metal pole to look up at the flags.
"A zoo orchestra? They're having a concert here? It's this weekend, huh? Ah, too bad we can't see it today."
Lila read the small print on the flags and exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Eric! Look at the list of performers below!"
Eric squinted, reading the list of performers, and his eyes widened.
"Dr. Dre? Damian Marley, Sean Lennon? Wow, Kay is performing too?"
Lila spoke with a hint of excitement.
"Eric, shouldn't Kay be resting because of the incident reported in the newspaper yesterday? He went through a lot."
Eric nodded, staring blankly at the flags.
"Yeah, it was the stalker case. It turned out to be a Juilliard student. Over a hundred cameras found in his house, dozens of listening devices, and he even took hostages when the cops came to arrest him. Is his mental state okay? Normally, people would be out of it for a while after something like that."
"Exactly. I would need at least a month off to be socially functional again. He must have a strong mentality."
Mumbling to herself, Lila grabbed Eric's hand and exclaimed.
"Eric! Let's date somewhere else today and come back to the zoo this weekend! Okay? It'll be great to see the concert then."
Eric looked slightly conflicted.
"Um.. I do want to see the concert... and the lineup is impressive."
Lila shook Eric's arm, pleading.
"Please~~ Let's come back on the weekend~~ Eric~~ It's a free concert, and you know how much tickets would cost to see those musicians, right? Right?"
Eric looked up at the flags for a moment and then grinned.
"Okay, let's come back on the weekend. But no complaining if I haven't made dinner reservations, deal?"
"Yay!!! Deal, deal!"
Holding hands, they ran back to the station.
**
Three days before the zoo entrance and various other locations were adorned with flags, Professor Alan Gilbert gathered the Juilliard Orchestra to explain the purpose of the concert and invited all orchestra members to participate in the zoo music festival. Most musicians, having practiced for a long time and understanding the purpose of the free concert, willingly agreed to perform regardless of the venue.
Upon receiving confirmation from Kay that the performance was possible, Zoo Director Emma immediately ordered the production of large
banners and flags for the structures. Despite the rush, resulting in less elaborate banners, the impact of the musicians' names listed in text was beyond imagination.
Following the installation of the flags, reporters who received tips called and camped outside the zoo even after closing hours, seeking interviews with Director Emma or gathering in front of Alice Tully Hall where the Juilliard Orchestra was practicing. Due to the stalker case, Kay stayed inside the zoo accommodations and left the orchestra practice under Professor Gilbert's direction, not making any public appearances.
Only Damian and Sean participated in the orchestra practice, and on the eve of the concert, Snoop and Dr. Dre joined, but Kay was nowhere to be seen at Alice Tully Hall. It wasn't until the final rehearsal at the zoo's concert venue that Kay appeared, greeted by Snoop, who had been watching the musicians set up.
"Hey, Kay. Been hard to catch a glimpse of you?"
Kay approached with his J-200, smiling.
"Snoop! How's the practice going?"
Snoop adjusted his sunglasses and replied.
"Our part's fine. But the main arranger hasn't shown up, making everyone a bit nervous."
Kay put down his guitar and asked.
"Why? Was there a problem?"
"Rather than a problem... the musicians have been waiting for you. Without the arranger to verify if the emotions were properly conveyed, there was no way to be sure. Your professor seemed to be waiting too, oh, here he comes."
As Geon looked in the direction Snoop was nodding towards, he saw Professor Alan Gilbert running towards them. Geon stepped forward to greet him.
"Hello, Professor."
Panting, Professor Alan said,
"Kay, are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, Professor. I've rested for a few days and feel better. There wasn't much of an issue with me in the first place. Haha."
"That's good to hear. I was quite worried after hearing the news. But it's fortunate that we can still go ahead with the performance."
"Right? I think so too, Professor."
"You're planning to participate in the final rehearsal, right, Kay?"
"Of course, I have to be on stage tomorrow."
"Good, then give us about 30 minutes to finish setting up and Mr. Dre to test the amps, then we can try syncing up."
"Sorry for making you worry, Professor."
"Not at all, I'm just glad to see you've recovered quickly. I'll go prepare then."
As Alan turned and ran back, Damian and Sean, who were approaching, passed by him. Sean waved at Geon.
"Kay, you're here?"
"Yeah, Sean! Did you bring my guitar?"
"Yeah, it's set up on stage there."
Damian asked, puzzled,
"What guitar? You have the guitar right beside you, don't you?"
Sean shook his head,
"Nah, Kay's famous for his White Falcon. He had to rush to the zoo and forgot to bring the White Falcon, so he asked me to bring it today."
Damian nodded in understanding as Snoop, with his arms crossed, inquired,
"But Kay, are we doing the final rehearsal just once?"
Geon looked towards the musicians getting ready and said,
"Well, I'm going to ask Professor Alan to schedule our piece last. If it doesn't feel right, we might need to practice a bit longer. Why, do you have plans?"
"Ah, thinking of visiting Hailey in the hospital."
"Oh... Should I not go?"
"Yeah, I'll check on her condition and let you know. I'll only be seeing her from a distance. Eminem said she still gets startled easily by anyone approaching."
"Alright... Since your part involves rap, it's unrelated to the instrumentals, so join the practice once or twice and then you can leave early."
"Hmm, I'll see how it goes."
After nodding, Geon went to Professor Alan, busy directing the musicians, and requested that they practice the other musical pieces first and save 'Parachute' for last. Understanding that multiple rehearsals might be necessary since the main arranger, Kay, hadn't seen the overall practice, Alan agreed. Geon then returned to his companions and sat down.
Soon, the majestic orchestra rehearsal began. Dre, adjusting the sound levels at the amp controller next to the stage, frowned and busily manipulated the equipment. His expressions alternated between a frown at the start of each piece and a slight smile by the end, adjusting the volume and levels differently for each piece to achieve a satisfactory sound.
After over an hour of final rehearsals for the concert pieces, Professor Alan, having given the musicians a ten-minute break, approached Geon.
"Kay, please prepare for the final rehearsal of 'Parachute' in ten minutes."
"Thank you for your hard work, Professor."
Waving off as he walked towards the restroom, Alan saw Geon smile at Damian and Sean.
"Shall we go then?"
Following Damian, the percussionists sitting in a corner of the audience joined them. As Geon climbed onto the stage, Damian checked the microphone in front of the percussion set. Sean sat at the main grand piano, testing the keys and microphone. Geon, with his guitar, moved to the center of the stage, plucked the strings connected to the multi-effects pedal, and played a simple tune.
The musicians, either drinking or returning from the restroom, were captivated by the short but skillful performance of the beautiful boy at the center of the stage.
After checking the guitar, Geon, seeing many musicians staring at him from below the stage, paused momentarily, then smiled and approached the microphone.
"Shall we start the final rehearsal, everyone?"
The musicians bustled to their positions. Professor Alan Gilbert climbed onto the stage last, standing at the conductor's podium. As he surveyed the audience and lifted his baton, every musician placed their fingers on their instruments. When Alan's hand pointed towards Damian, he struck the percussion, eliciting a cheer.
"Ha!"
The percussion played a rhythmic reggae beat for four measures, followed by the violins and cellos starting the prelude to "Parachute." However, the performance halted not even ten seconds in, stopped by Alan at Geon's signal.
Geon, looking troubled, spoke into the microphone.
"Dre, sorry, but could you halve the amp volume?"
Dre, who had been watching Geon from the side of the stage, lifted one ear off his headphones, nodded, and adjusted the amp. Geon requested Alan to restart the performance, but it was halted again before twenty seconds had passed. Geon spoke again into the microphone.
"We need to proceed more quietly, everyone. Please play as if you're trying to minimize the sound from your instruments as much as possible."
A female cellist raised her hand, and at Geon's gesture, she cautiously asked.
"Could I ask about the volume level you're envisioning? We've seen the arrangement intentions in the score, but there hasn't been guidance on the volume of the performance."
Geon, holding his Haku, crossed his arms and pondered with a contemplative expression. All musicians focused on him until he finally spoke.
"Does anyone remember the lullabies your mother used to sing, or do you rely on ASMR to fall asleep because of insomnia?"
Most musicians raised their hands, indicating they had such memories or experiences. Geon nodded and continued.
"The commonality between a mother's lullaby and ASMR is that they comfort the listener, right? You all would prefer a lullaby that doesn't disturb your ears but gently lulls you to sleep. That's the concept for this arrangement. Please play even more softly, with more restraint."
He looked at Damian in front of the percussion.
"Damian, even the initial exclamations should be softer. Think of exhaling, not inhaling, as you make the sound."
After Damian nodded, Geon turned to Sean at the piano.
"Sean, the piano volume is good. But could you play it more like water flowing?"
Sean considered Geon's request carefully before touching the piano keys.
"How about this?"
"A bit closer between the notes, please. The volume and melody are fine as they are quite unobtrusive, but the notes should flow continuously like water."
"I'll try."
Geon then addressed the trumpet player.
"Please check your straight mute again. We're playing at a lower overall volume, so even with the mute, it might stand out too much. Could you prepare the tube just in case? If the volume doesn't match, we'll install the tube and continue practicing."
The trumpet player showed a black tube he had prepared, shaking it. Geon smiled slightly and then addressed Professor Alan.
"Professor, could we try again, please?"
Alan, having observed Geon giving instructions, suggested,
"Kay, how about you conduct for now? Even I'm not fully grasping your intentions, so it might be better for you to take over until we complete a run-through. Let's exclude your guitar for this practice."
After a moment of consideration, Geon set down his Haku and approached the conductor's podium. Alan handed him the baton and stood by, arms crossed, observing the musicians. Geon looked at the baton in his hand, then around at the musicians, and said,
"This might take a while... I apologize for extending the final rehearsal because I couldn't join earlier. I bow my head in apology."
As Geon stepped aside and bowed, the musicians were taken aback. Voices erupted from among them.
"No need! We've all seen what you've been through!"
"Right! It's okay! We understand!"
"It's because of you, Kay, that we students can share the stage with such famous musicians!"
"We're prepared to stay all night if necessary! I've already called home!"
Seeing the musicians rallying around him, Geon smiled faintly.
"You might regret saying we can stay all night, but you really mean it, right?"
"Yes!!!!!!!!!!"
"It's fine! After tomorrow's performance, it's all over anyway!"
"Let's do it right until the end!"
Smiling, Geon looked around at the musicians and then, as if struck by an idea, handed the baton back to Alan.
"Professor, I'll be right back. Could you give the musicians a 10-minute break?"
"Now? We've barely started."
"I've got an idea that might help with practice. It'll only take 10 minutes."
"Ah, really? Alright then. Go ahead."
After the musicians were given a break, they didn't leave the
stage but individually reviewed their scores and practiced quietly. About five minutes later, as Geon re-entered the auditorium, female musicians screamed in delight.
"Kyaa!! What, what! So cute!"
"Ah! It's my first time seeing a baby tiger up close!"
"Oh, look at the baby bear!"
As Geon approached the stage, followed by Ricky and Pye, even the male musicians couldn't help but watch the adorable gait of the baby animals. When Geon climbed onto the stage, and the two baby animals scrambled as if wanting to join him, female musicians screamed again.
"Ah! I want to touch them just once!"
"Me too!"
About twenty female musicians rushed to the podium to pet Ricky and Pye, shrieking with excitement. Watching them, Geon clapped his hands to gather attention.
"Clap clap"
"Alright, everyone, back to your positions. We need to hurry if we don't want to pull an all-nighter."
As the female musicians, sending regretful glances, began to return to their places, Geon continued.
"If we finish practice before 10 pm, I'll let you spend some time playing with Pye and Ricky, so please get ready quickly."
The musicians' movements hastened at Geon's words. Quickly seated, they held their instruments, their eyes urging Geon to start.
"As I mentioned earlier, this piece should flow as comfortably as a lullaby. Though the baby animals would probably fall asleep anyway, if they twitch their ears or roll over during their sleep, consider it a failed performance. Only if they fall into a deep sleep, fully immersed in slumber, can we call it a success. Please focus your attention on the animals as you play."
The musicians, intrigued by this unusual practice method, murmured among themselves.
"Wow, there's such a practice method? This will be interesting."
"Yeah, I've never heard of anything like it. Let's give it a try. I thought only cartoons had stuff like this, haha."
"Hey, keep it down, the animals are watching us. They need to sleep so we can go home."
After briefly chatting, the musicians quietly turned their attention to Geon's baton. When Geon gestured towards Damian, he softly struck the percussion. Compared to when he hit it with the palm of his hand, the sound was significantly muted, and as Damian's cry followed, the violins and cellos joined in.
That night, no musician had time to play with Ricky and Pye after practice. The baby animals did not toss and turn but fell completely asleep well past 2 am. Yet, no musician felt disappointed for not playing with the baby animals. They were filled with a sense of accomplishment and a pleasant fatigue at the end of the practice, and they quickly headed home. Sean, needing to preserve his voice for the next day's performance, left for the hotel where Damian was staying.
Left alone on stage, Geon stepped down and sat beside the sleeping Pye and Ricky, gently stroking them.
"Sorry, you two had a hard time because of me. I'll give you lots of tasty snacks later!"
The two baby animals seemed to enjoy Geon's gentle touches, purring and exposing their bellies. After spending some time petting Ricky and Pye, Geon carried them to Olivia's lodging. He quietly opened the door, placed the sleeping animals on the sofa, covered them with a blanket, and stealthily exited.
As Geon headed back to his own lodging, he heard birds chirping from afar.
"Hm? It's late, why are they still awake?"
Geon changed his direction towards the aviary on the hill. In the dimly lit zoo, illuminated sporadically by streetlights, he saw birds flying restlessly inside the cages. The birds calmed down and perched on branches as Geon approached, turning their bodies to face him.
Puzzled, Geon stared at the birds and then smiled broadly.
"Have you been waiting for me?"
As if answering, the birds chirped back, and Geon, sitting on a bench next to the cage, took out his guitar.
"I'll sing for you tonight as well, guys. Dream sweet dreams!"
Soft arpeggios flowed from Geon's guitar, and soon, a beautiful melody filled the air as he began to sing.
The song hadn't even finished before the Bronx Zoo was enveloped in silence. The animals that were already asleep sank deeper into their dreams, and those awake soon found rest. Geon's song continued into the early morning.
Looking at the quieted cages, Geon glanced up at the sky, his eyes sparkling.
"Tomorrow's the day. The day to release the sounds of nature to the world."