牧歌 (feat. Chinese Music Ensemble of UCLA)

Release date: March 6, 2021. ISRC: ***. DK UPC:*** . Label: BRAINIAC Records

海默, 翟希贤, and Brian Lifu Cao

First of all, let’s introduce the singers!

Chinese Music Ensemble of UCLA (Folk Song, Winter 2021)

Lead: Don Han, Brian Cao, Ai Deng
Soprano: Ai Deng
Alto: Sarah Teng
Tenor: Brian Cao, Rendolm Qian (JexRos)
Bass: Brian Cao, Rendolm Qian (JexRos)

Part #1: Don Han, Brian Cao, Ai Deng
Part #2: Sarah Teng, Rendolm QIan
Part #3: Ai Deng, Brian Cao
Part #4: Brian Cao

This is the song we sang in our Ethnomusicology 168A class in Winter 2021. Did not expect it to be this good, did not expect to actually want to post this, did not expect to actually post this. We have all been in our homes due to COVID-19, and most of the students recorded with their phones. The sound quality would’ve been better with recording mics, but we can’t ask too much eh.

Last time I had to mix voices for a music class, it was with a bunch of amateurs, like, real amateurs, and the experience can only be described as “miserable”, but the painfulness is only stronger.

This time around, these people are legit. Rendolm, for example, already is a quite successful YouTuber. Don has done some major singings before in his past, Ai used to be a vocalist, and Sarah, she’s singing fine. This means that there is no longer painful mixing on my part. These people sing on beat, end on beat. There’s not much room for me to improve it because they’re singing pretty good already.

However, I did spend a few week’s time on this song, since it is an a cappella song. The first few times we did it as a trial, it was bad. Like, so bad, you can’t imagine. That’s why I did not have high hopes for this version; yet, it turned out to be so perfect, I had to post it and let the world hear it.

At first, the professor asked me to be the lead. I thought I couldn’t sing the highest part, so I stepped back, and she gave it to Don. This turns out to be a brilliant move. Don’s voice is really transparent, i.e., really mellow. When he sings, you can clearly hear the other vocalists. My voice is much too sharp and harmonizing. If it was me (like the second verse), you can’t really distinguish other voices from mine. My voice also goes fantastically with Ai’s.

The original song was just Don singing all the way. However, since it was too short, the Professor asked me to add in another verse, and to make it sound less boring, I asked Ai to sing the lead for the second verse. She didn’t want to sing alone, so I sang as well, to accompany her.

In the end, you have this. Quite beautifully done.

Release date: March 21, 2021. ISRC: ***. DK UPC: ***. Label: BRAINIAC Records

Album Cover

I made this album cover fully knowing that this will become a meme in the future.

Since we have all been recording ourselves in our own homes, not being together, so there are not much room for us to create another album picture together.

I have asked for their ideas. So far no one gave me their idea. I can’t think of one, so here we go.

Opener:

Hello Everyone, my name is Brian, and I will be presenting this lovely piece of a cappella adaptation of a traditional folk song “Muge”. This song is written by 海默 and 翟希贤, and created an imagery of vast open field of grass, life, hope, and happiness.

As you have known, China is a very big country, and there are 56 minority ethnicities in this country. Muge, is from 内蒙古, inner Mongolia, an area with a lot of ethnic Mongols. This song captures the spirit of these people as they are running in the vast field of grass, and are thankful for the nature, as it creates such a beautiful hometown for them. The sky is the ceiling, and the grass is our bed.

I am extremely proud with how this group, our group has recreated such a beautiful song despite the fact that we have not seen each other in real life. As this song is thankful for the nature, we should be thankful for every little detail that makes our lives complete.

Again, I am Brian, a political science major, and I will be singing tenor and bass, and for a brief period, the lead. The camera added at least 50 pounds on me. Now, without further a due, let my beloved friends introduce themselves.