I am a teacher at a girls' school in Tokyo

It is indeed hard to imagine that the wind band, which usually looks so relaxed and doesn't even seem to be practicing seriously, could have performed the music like that just now.

So... it's a pity to say that if someone can make it to the national competition like this, then if he practices hard with all his might and doesn't waste time, he may actually win the gold medal.

That’s what Tetsufumi Hirakawa thought.

however.

"Teacher Pingchuan, that's not necessarily true."

Shinohara Shiori suddenly said this.

"What do you mean not necessarily?" Hirakawa Tetsufumi didn't understand.

Shinohara Shiori looked at Hirakawa Tetsufumi's back. Although she couldn't see the expression on his face, she could guess what the teacher was thinking just now.

"Teacher Hirakawa, I'm glad you recognized the wind orchestra, but in fact, it's not that easy to get the gold medal in the national competition. It's not even something that can be achieved with ordinary efforts."

"Eh? Is that so?"

"Yes."

Shinohara Shiori nodded and gave some scientific advice to Hirakawa Tetsufumi who was walking in front of her.

"A school that wins the gold medal in the national competition can be said to be comparable to a professional band in some aspects. And... among the schools that were able to enter the national competition last year, the strength of the Moriya Wind Ensemble was the last."

"Ah... this is something I expected. After all, it's only a bronze medal."

"If we want to win the gold medal in the national competition, the schools that Moriya will have to face are not even on the same level as us."

"Is the gap so big?" Tetsufumi Hirakawa seemed a little surprised.

Obviously it feels pretty good.

"Yes. There are 8 participating teams in each national competition, but only 9 or gold medals are awarded. Most of them are almost monopolized by strong wind music schools."

"monopoly?"

"For example, in the past decade, only 27 universities have won gold medals in national competitions."

"..." Hirakawa Tetsufumi was silent for a moment and calculated it in his mind.

In the past ten years, more than 80 gold medals have been issued, but only 27 universities have won the gold medal? It seems a bit too little, and this is just the number of universities that have won the gold medal.

"Among the nine universities, there was only one gold medal."

"This kind of thing can almost be considered a small probability, right?"

"Yes. And among the remaining 18 universities, 9 have won the gold medal five times or more."

“…It’s a strong school for wind instruments.”

A school that has won five or more gold medals in ten national competitions is definitely a strong school in wind music.

There are only 9 gold medals, and there are 9 strong wind music schools of this level. If we add the second-tier strong schools, it is absolutely correct to say that the strong wind music schools monopolize the gold medals.

The Matthew effect is everywhere - the strong will always be strong.

"Among them is Osaka Prefectural Yodogawa Institute of Technology High School, which has won the gold medal for nine consecutive years."

"It was a crushing defeat." Tetsufumi Hirakawa smacked his lips.

"In contrast."

At this moment, the tone of Shinohara Shiori's voice behind her suddenly changed... This girl must have been speaking with a blank expression.

Although I can't see her face, her image automatically appears in my mind.

"The Moritani Wind Orchestra has only entered the national competition three times in the past ten years. The first time was five years ago, and they won the silver medal in the national competition. The second time was two years ago, when Mr. Ogasa served as the music consultant, and they won the silver medal. The third time was last year, and they won the bronze medal."

"..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa stopped talking.

If Moritani, who has been nominated three times in ten years, wants to compete for the gold medal in the national competition... he will first have to face nine strong wind orchestra schools that have won five or more gold medals in the past ten years.

The gap is huge, and even kindergarten children can understand the gap.

What Shinohara Shiori said, “They are not on the same level at all,” is by no means an exaggeration.

If we add in the second-tier strong schools, such as those that have qualified for national competitions and have won two or three gold medals... we also have to guard against possible dark horses.

The competition is so fierce that it can even be said that it has almost reached the point where "there is no hope."

So his optimism just now... seemed to be premature?

I have to say that Tetsufumi Hirakawa, who had just listened to the training of the Moritani Wind Orchestra and thought it was very good, felt at this moment that "forget it, it's already great to be able to attend the national competition."

——We have lost the motivation to compete.

As expected...If you want to win the gold medal in the national competition, it is not enough to just rely on the excellence of the music consultant.

If you calm down and think about it, music as an art ultimately requires talent. In this regard, the students of Private Moriya are definitely not as good as those of strong wind music schools.

This is the Matthew effect. Students who are interested in and talented in wind instruments will generally give priority to schools with strong wind orchestras, which leads to a situation where the strong will always be strong.

So in this sense, it is normal that the gold award is monopolized.

"With this calculation, there is almost no hope..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa was deeply moved.

"You can say that."

"Shinohara-san really wants to win the gold medal, right?"

"Ah."

"Then we need to train harder."

When Tetsufumi Hirakawa said this, what he recalled in his mind was the relaxed and leisurely appearance of the wind orchestra in the past.

With powerful enemies outside and troubles inside, the future of the Moritani Wind Orchestra is not optimistic.

Chapter 62: Outstanding people will be targeted wherever they are

After lunch, they took a short break, and at two o'clock in the afternoon, the wind band started practicing again.

However, unlike the ensemble in the morning, the practice in the afternoon is done by each part individually. The purpose of this practice is to prevent the parts from interfering with each other and to better understand the problems that exist when playing their own parts.

Of course, during this period, Mr. Ogasa will also provide individual guidance for each part.

"Okay, everyone, this concludes the clarinet section instruction. Everyone, go outside the concert hall and practice on your own."

"Yes--"

"By the way, please let the trumpet section students come in."

"Ok."

The students in the clarinet section responded, then packed up their music and instruments and began to leave the stage.

"I'll go and call."

Suddenly, a male voice sounded in the audience.

"Eh?"

Ogasa Suzukiko on the stage heard the sound and turned around. Then, she saw Hirakawa Tetsufumi standing up from his seat in the audience and stretching lazily.

"So, Mr. Hirakawa is here?"

Ogasa Suzukiko said in surprise.

"..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa, who was stretching, stopped.

Then he put his hands down and smiled bitterly.

"Teacher Ogasa..."

"Ah... sorry, Mr. Hirakawa."

"No, never mind. It's nothing."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa said this with helplessness.

This kind of professional guidance really doesn't have much presence. Just like what Hisada-sensei said, "It's just a change of place with nothing to do."

I even had nothing to do and felt sleepy.

"I'll go and inform the students in the trumpet section," said Tetsufumi Hirakawa.

"Well, I'll trouble you, Mr. Pingchuan."

"No trouble, it's nothing anyway."

Running errands is the only thing that Tetsufumi Hirakawa can do at the moment.

Walking outside the concert hall, the warm light refreshed his sleepy spirit. Tetsufumi Hirakawa looked around at the open space in front of the concert hall and heard faint sounds of various tones of music.

Thanks to Shinohara Shiori's impressive solo, Hirakawa Tetsufumi was barely able to distinguish the timbre of the trumpet.

So, after listening carefully and distinguishing, Tetsufumi Hirakawa looked in one direction, where several female students from Moritani were sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree.

I walked over and got closer, looking at the instruments in their hands. They were indeed students from the trumpet section, but I didn't see Shinohara Shiori.

"Hello, Mr. Pingchuan."

Seeing him coming, several students stopped playing, stood up and greeted him.

"Well, hello."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa nodded.

"Is it the trumpet part?"

"Yes."

"It's the trumpet section's turn to receive instruction."

"Yes."

"But where is Ms. Shinohara? Why isn't she here?" Hirakawa Tetsufumi looked around and asked after making sure that the girl was indeed not here.

"..."

There was a moment of silence, and then one of the girls - probably the leader of the trumpet section - answered his question.

"Shinohara-san is... a soloist, so he's practicing alone."

"Is that so? Then do you know where she is?"

"I do not know."

Several female students shook their heads together.

"Okay, then you guys go first." said Tetsufumi Hirakawa.

"Yes. Goodbye, Mr. Hirakawa."

The students bowed, took their instruments and music, and trotted off.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa glanced at their backs, then looked around.

Anyway, it can't be too far, it should be nearby.

I listened carefully and after the students in the trumpet section left, I could still hear the sound of the trumpet. It must be Shinohara Shiori.

After getting a feel for the general direction, Tetsufumi Hirakawa walked over.

The familiar voice in his ears was getting louder and louder. Near the concert hall, walking around the corner of the outer wall, Shinohara Shiori was sitting on a single chair next to a lawn, facing him sideways.

He sat upright with his legs together and his back straight, with music on his thighs and a golden trumpet in his hands.

Sharp and clear sound continues to come out from the brass.

"Shinohara-san." Hirakawa Tetsufumi called out, raising his voice.

The playing stopped abruptly.

He saw Shinohara Shiori holding the mouthpiece of the trumpet and turning around. Her delicate face was flushed from the effort of playing, and a few strands of hair were stuck to it with sweat.

"Teacher Hirakawa."

The girl picked up the music sheet on her lap, stood up and bowed.