Recommended to listen alongside Aerosmith's 'Dream On'.
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Some might call it hubris, but when it comes to vocals, I've reached a formidable level.
In my past life, I was told I had a natural gift for pitch, and in this life, I was born with remarkably resilient vocal cords. In truth, compared to other singers in the US, I've never once been outclassed as a vocalist.
Though, of course, I still think of myself primarily as a guitarist.
Regardless, songs written by a guitarist who can sing this well are notoriously difficult to cover unless the singer possesses significant experience and raw talent.
To be precise, one could mimic the notes, but singing isn't just about following a melody. Most people struggle just to keep up, let alone transform the original 'feeling' into a style of their own.
Naturally, the version of 'Dream On' I composed this time was written with my own range in mind. It was bound to be a challenge for amateurs whose talents haven't fully blossomed yet.
"Kids grow by falling down, after all."
That is the nature of childhood. Much like the saying that failure is the mother of success, a trial that forces them to feel their own inadequacy can serve as the fertilizer for their growth.
Ai was the same when I first started teaching her guitar.
Looking back, that experience was invaluable to me.
It was the only time I felt the bliss of focusing purely on music without a single worry, finding happiness through a simple, quiet connection. While that moment will never return, the memories of those shared days will never vanish, and I endure each day by leaning on that past.
"It's okay to be clumsy right now. That is a privilege you have because you haven't stepped out into society yet."
Watching the youngsters sing, I let out a bright smile for the first time in a while. They were certainly lacking. Compared to the world's top professionals, they were terribly deficient and awkward.
But that's exactly how it should be. To grow, one must break their shell, and to do that, they must struggle against it. The place they are in now is a sanctuary to learn and evolve.
Song quality? The true spirit of rock is telling that kind of talk to piss off and just having a damn good time. All great bands start with a bunch of scrubby rookies huddled in a garage, making a hellish racket with junk instruments.
And that is the amateur's privilege.
Singing isn't about standardized formulas like vocal projection. If the singer has a joyful heart and expresses that emotion, it reaches the audience. That is the essence of a performance.
Think about a school festival performance with an amp that barely works. Because they are students and amateurs, they make nothing but terrible noise. Yet their emotion and passion for music transform them from amateurs into pros for that single moment, regardless of their skill.
No matter how well I sing, I can't replicate the raw passion and atmosphere unique to that age group.
"Sigh..."
I approached a girl who was having great difficulty with the song.
"Is something wrong?"
"I just... don't like the sound of my voice."
"I think I know why."
The girl, who likely went by the name Arimura Kasumi, possessed decent skills but kept making small mistakes. The reason was that she was trying too hard to imitate my style.
"Aren't you thinking too hard about the music? You just need to sing this song exactly as you feel it."
"But... pros have to be perfect. Especially for someone like me who has already fallen behind in the competition... if I don't have at least one perfect trait, I'll have to give up on my dreams."
"Yes, singing like a pro is important. But what you're doing now is something a pro, of all people, should never do. Your singing is just an imitation of me; it has no soul. The public will never look your way if you don't have something uniquely yours."
Just as it was with Ai, the public doesn't care unless you have something peerless and distinct. To survive, 'stars' must know how to effectively express their own individuality.
"I... I'm not sure."
The same thing was happening with the others. Everyone was failing because they were striving for a sterile perfection.
"The kids... seem to have a lot on their minds."
"Well, this song needs to be sung by kids who can still dream. If a crusty old guy like me sings it, the feeling just won't be right."
With that, I carefully picked up the microphone.
"This is the 'feeling' I have in mind for the song."
I began to sing. Not cleanly or impressively, but wildly—messily.
"Dream on, dream on, dream on!!!!"
I intentionally made my high notes unstable, threw in sudden shouts, and pushed my pitch. My body swayed in a rhythmic, snake-like dance.
"Hahaha!"
"You call that dancing...?"
"Is that... is that really Hide from Enfants Terribles?"
I could see the rigid faces of the youngsters beginning to relax. Yes, this was exactly what I intended. Music should be enjoyable for both the listener and the performer.
The reason I sang so haphazardly was simple. What a song about dreams needs most isn't a retrospective of the past, but the excitement for the future. And that excitement isn't expressed simply by singing 'well.'
Are there any kids here who can read my intention?
As I glanced around while singing, I saw several students, including Arimura Kasumi, wearing shocked expressions as if they had just reached an epiphany.
Yeah, that's it.
I smiled as I saw the children rushing to the mics the moment I finished. Arimura Kasumi, for instance, began to sing the song with her own groove, giving it a feeling that was uniquely hers.
"Yeah, this is it."
"What? This is what you had in mind?"
Saito Ichigo, hearing my mutterings, tilted his head in confusion beside me.
"It's completely different from the original! Dammit, Star, what she's singing right now is totally different from the guide vocal you recorded."
"We'll record both the version that follows the guide and the version that's sung freely, then compare the two."
"That's not a bad idea."
It seemed Saito Ichigo finally understood my intention. Dreaming should be as free as possible. That was the message I wanted to convey through this song.
"An academy that helps you dream freely. Isn't that cool?"