I became a music industry godfather by writing confidantes.

Chapter 157 Art Newspaper

"Deep roots, strong trunk, guarding the northern frontier —"

"A gentle breeze blows, rustling the green leaves—"

The choice of entry point was very clever.

Zhuang Zhiyuan silently gave his first assessment in his mind.

The most common mistake in songs with a military theme is piling up military imagery.

This accumulation of imagery is not only reflected in the frequent appearance of soldiers, companies, and guns in the lyrics, but also in the overuse of bugles and drumbeats in the arrangement.

It seems that these elements are what make a qualified military song, but that's not actually the case.

"Little White Poplar" cleverly avoids the above pitfalls. The lyrics do not directly praise the bravery of the soldiers, but instead focus on a little white poplar next to the outpost.

In the context of traditional Chinese culture, the poplar tree symbolizes resilience and standing tall.

In the harsh and windy northwest, the poplar tree that can take root is a natural symbol of vitality.

This technique of using objects to express one's aspirations is very common in the creative methods of older generations of literary and artistic workers, and it was also the simple aesthetic that Zhuang Zhiyuan and his colleagues admired most when they were young.

Using the resilience of a poplar tree as a metaphor for the character of a soldier is far more impactful and artistically persuasive than shouting a hundred empty slogans.

Pentatonic scale.

Subsequently, Zhuang Zhiyuan discovered that the song "Little White Poplar" still uses the most traditional Chinese pentatonic scale.

Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, Yu.

This pure ethnic pentatonic scale gives the whole song a unique, earthy feel and a sense of familiarity that belongs to China.

"Little white poplar, little white poplar, as it grows, I grow too, together we guard the border—"

As the chorus arrives, the pitch rises, and Zhou Weidong's voice gradually ascends as well. The brightness and breadth of his tenor voice make the chorus sound both clear and resonant, as well as full and rounded, which is very moving.

Zhuang Zhiyuan couldn't help but think of the song "Today is Your Birthday," which was performed at the National Day Gala.

If "Today is Your Birthday" takes a solemn and grand approach, then "Little White Poplar" takes a simple and resilient approach.

The two approaches create drastically different auditory experiences, but they share a striking similarity in their underlying lyrical logic.

They all use specific and subtle ordinary images—doves, olive leaves, poplar trees—to convey the main theme and express emotions.

Therefore, "Little White Poplar" not only retains the spirit of military songs that are uplifting and inspiring, but also reveals a delicate emotional expression in the rise, development, transition and conclusion of the melody.

Is this amazing control and maturity over the subject matter really something a 21-year-old can possess?

Zhuang Zhiyuan was suddenly confused. Even though he had guessed that the song might be of good quality, he was still amazed by its level of completion.

Pop music and military songs are completely different things.

Pop music focuses more on creating and expressing emotions, while military songs emphasize the spiritual core.

This means that creators of military songs need sufficient experience to support, reflect upon, understand, and express them.

However, so far, Zhuang Zhiyuan feels that "Little White Poplar" is mature and touching, but not awkward or flawed.

Just as Zhuang Zhiyuan was secretly amazed, the song entered its second verse.

"Back then, when I left my hometown, I said goodbye to Yangshuzhuang —"

"My mother gave me a sapling, and whispered to me—"

"Take it with you, fight to the end, and stand guard for you—"

If Zhuang Zhiyuan's feelings when he heard the first verse were still at the level of surprise and admiration, then when this verse came out, his emotions suddenly rose and he was completely shocked.

The poplar tree, originally used as a metaphor for soldiers, is given another meaning at this moment: it is not only a microcosm of soldiers taking root in the frontier, but also a mother's earnest expectations for her son.

Although there is only one poplar tree from beginning to end, at this moment, it unites the individual's longing for their hometown with the responsibility of defending their country.

If Zhuang Zhiyuan had to describe this emotional structure of handling the relationship between the individual family and the nation in one word, it would be "brilliant!"

How exactly did Yang Du manage to do that?

This is not only an excellent military song, but it also directly touches on a timeless theme that will never go out of style: patriotism!

Such an outstanding emotional foundation instantly elevates the song's message to several levels.

If we're going to report on "Little White Poplar," the question isn't whether it's good or bad, but just how good it is.

On the television, "New Year's Greetings from the Military Camp" was still going on, but Zhuang Zhiyuan no longer had the energy to pay attention to the later episodes.

He was quite old after all, and concentrating on studying a poem called "Little White Poplar" was a little difficult for him.

After resting for a while, he took off his reading glasses and dialed Li Musheng's number.

Have you watched "New Year's Greetings in the Barracks"?

"I took a look," came Li Musheng's muffled voice from the phone.

"I was preparing to write a review article for 'Little White Poplar,' but I don't have time for Renren and Guanghui, so I'll publish it in the 'China Art News'," Zhuang Zhiyuan said. "It will be published tomorrow."

"How about we just let it go?" Li Musheng was silent for a while before continuing, "Why bother with that during the New Year? Besides, I'm a magnanimous person and won't stoop to Yang Du's level."

"Hahaha," Zhuang Zhiyuan suddenly laughed.

"You old geezer, you don't think I'm going to nitpick and write an article specifically to criticize Yang Du, do you?"

"you----"

Upon hearing this, Li Musheng was truly devastated. He hadn't been able to eat properly all day because of Yang Du's sarcastic remarks.

In his eyes, the matter between Jiang Yinglan and Yang Du was nothing more than a quarrel between juniors. As an elder, he mediated between them, and both sides took a step back and shook hands to make peace. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

What did Yang Du say in the end?

Not only did they embarrass him in public, they also put him in a very difficult position.

That's truly hateful!

Originally, Li Musheng hoped that his old classmate could help him vent his anger, but after watching the program, he was honest and found that "Little White Poplar" was indeed of decent quality.

He naturally couldn't let his old classmate ruin his reputation and public image for his sake.

He put himself in the other person's shoes so much, but Zhuang Zhiyuan said he had no such intention at all. Not only did he not have that intention, he also wanted to encourage that young lad Yang Du.

After all, it was the wrong payment!

"You old hag, not only do you not help me get revenge, but you also write an article overnight to affirm him. Are you even human? You called me specifically on the second day of the Lunar New Year, were you deliberately trying to provoke me?"

Zhuang Zhiyuan advised, "Alright, you're practically in your grave, why are you still so hot-tempered? Let me be fair, ask yourself honestly, putting aside your little squabbles and ignoring everything else..."

"I can't let it go!" Li Musheng retorted angrily. "You have no idea how sarcastic he was back then—saying that as long as you were fair and impartial, anything was fine. Bah, what a sharp-tongued brat!"

"Why bother arguing with a child? When you were 21, Yang Du might not have died in his previous life."

"

"He hasn't even learned how to be a decent human being! This hot-blooded, disrespectful brat, does he even deserve my respect?"

Zhuang Zhiyuan shook his head: "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I need to finish writing the article while I still have some ideas, or it won't be ready for tomorrow's newspaper."

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Yang Du woke up to find a message from Yuan Xiuqing on his phone.

[Mr. Yang, Zhuang Zhiyuan gave a positive review!]

The attached link leads to the "Chinese Art News".

"Rooted in the Frontier, Guarding Our Homeland: On the Artistic Expression of 'Little White Poplar'"

Author: Zhuang Zhiyuan