The regular season is over, and the playoffs are about to begin.

Zhou Xuan can only be a spectator, he has been living in Los Angeles, and in addition to watching football, he and Mitchell have also filmed several commercials.

Emma left the United States and went to the United Kingdom to shoot the next episode of "Harry Potter 7", Zhou Xuan had difficulty moving and could not visit the class, and the two would not see each other for a long time.

couldn't practice, Zhou Xuan was bored, so he simply bought a piano and put it in Mitchell's house, if no one played it in the future, it would be used as an ornament, and the result was naturally that he became more and more familiar with it.

As an injured player who was reimbursed for the season, Zhou Xuan also grabbed the entertainment news page, and he signed up in a high-profile manner to participate in the CM piano exam.

The California Association of Teachers was founded in 1897. Tens of thousands of students currently take the CM exam every year. CM has also become one of the most popular music grading exams and one of the most recognized extracurricular activities for U.S. college admissions review.

It can also be taken in China. The CM exam in the United States provides candidates with clear channels when applying for foreign conservatories, and creates a broader road for Chinese students who are committed to music! Students who pass the Grade 11 (Honors) exam with distinction can be helped to apply for admission to the American Conservatory of Music.

The repertoire for the examination complements the teaching progress, not just for the sake of the examination; The selection of repertoire for the examination is decided by the teacher, and the students' learning range is broad, and the accumulation of repertoire is rich, which greatly improves the comprehension and interpretation ability of the music.

Students with excellent results in the examination will be invited to participate in the annual music event in Los Angeles in July every year, and will invite outstanding pianists and piano educators from the United States to carry out master classes, so that students can compete with outstanding piano students in the United States on the professional stage.

There are 11 levels in the CM exam. Grade 11 is an honors grade. Skipping a grade is not allowed above level 8. The content of the exam includes performance: technique practice, music performance, sight-reading. Music theory: listening, music theory, music history, etc.

In the United States, if you obtain the highest level of certification of the most authoritative piano examination system in the United States, it is one of the extracurricular activities that can become a college admission evaluation in the United States. And this highest diploma is recognized by several prestigious universities in the United States, such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, Duke, etc.

Sean? Battier has passed the fifth level of piano and is already an outlier among the players, Zhou Xuan said that he was going to take the eighth grade, which immediately attracted the attention of many media.

The "level" in the United States is not very easy to test, and the proportion of music theory is very large. After the eighth-level exam, it costs about 30,000 or 40,000 US dollars, so many locals don't participate. Most of the students here are Chinese, and some people say that the California Piano Association is about to become a Chinese school. In Chinese families in the United States, there is hardly a child who does not learn the piano. Anyway, the child is either learning the piano or playing the violin.

In Chinese families in the United States, the piano is equivalent to the Han Chinese in musical instruments. From east to west, from south to north, Chinese children learning piano are really emerging in groups. Whether it's at home or in church, almost all the older kids who sit at the piano can play a "To Alice".

There were still two hours before the exam, and there were many reporters waiting in front of the association. No one paid attention to the previous exam at all, just because Zhou Xuan was coming today.

There are a lot of people who take the exam, and when they see this kind of scene, they don't know what the situation is. Some first-time examinees curiously asked others: "Is the piano so popular in the United States, and the exams are broadcast live?" ”

The man, an old candidate, replied, "Don't make a fuss, there aren't so many reporters at the Los Angeles concert." ”

It wasn't until the exam time was approaching that Zhou Xuan and Mitchell appeared in the exam club in a luxury car that people knew the reason. Zhou Xuan wore a blue casual suit, a white shirt, black slacks, and a pair of brown sunglasses, which was both sunny and handsome. A few girls knew that Zhou Xuan was going to take the exam with them, and they almost fainted with excitement, and vowed in their hearts to perform their best in front of celebrity idols.

Several reporters immediately stepped forward to interview, and the cameras and cameras started shooting together.

"Zhou, are you confident that you have passed the test today?"

Zhou Xuan replied, "I don't know what to do, let's try it." ”

"Why did you come up with the idea of playing the piano? Is it a hobby? ”

Zhou Xuan said with a smile: "Of course it's a hobby, originally it was just to divert attention, but now that my leg is injured and I can't play ball, playing the piano is also a good pastime." ”

"Is your leg healed?"

"I don't have to walk on crutches, but it will take time to get back on the field." Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "I'm going to go in for the exam, it's okay to miss the time." ”

After a month of crutches after the operation, Zhou Xuan was able to walk, and the recovery time was slightly longer. He is feeling much better now and expects to recover in three or four months at most. "Miracle Doctor" Carter lives up to his name.

There are a total of 4 music books for grade 8, 2 music theory books, and 2 sheet music books. In the 2 scores, students pick 6 pieces they like to take the exam. The place where the exam was was taken was a church, with no decoration, just enough to be bright. After signing in, the candidates sat on the chairs next to them and waited for their names to be called, and Zhou Xuan was among them.

There were 30 chairs, and there were less than 20 candidates, and they were not full. Zhou Xuan looked at the scores in their hands, and knew that everyone took the test differently.

There were smart notes in his ears, and Zhou Xuan quietly admired it, and he knew how many notes the candidate had played wrong. When it came to him, he didn't pay attention. Even though it was his first exam, he wasn't nervous at all, and this kind of thing was negligible compared to NBA games, especially last season's Finals, and it was too pediatric. Zhou Xuan performed in front of 10,000 spectators at each home court. On the contrary, where he sits, several judges and teachers feel a little pressure. Compared with Zhou Xuan, they are not celebrities at all.

"Zhou Xuan." The teacher read his name out loud.

Zhou Xuan slowly got up and walked onto the stage, and sat on the piano bench carefully, for fear of hurting his leg. He put his hand on the keys, tried a few notes casually, and smiled, "Okay, I can start." ”

Just looking at him as if he was walking around his own living room, the other exams were very admired, and only very confident people could not be nervous at all.

The content includes the teacher playing a scale and asking Zhou Xuan to say what the tune is. The teacher plays a piece of music and asks him to play along. He was all easy to pass.

The last thing is that the teacher gave him a sheet of music and asked him to watch and play a piece of "Serenade" in BE major.

Zhou Xuan's proficiency is incomparable, and he vaguely has everyone's demeanor. This time, someone took the reporter's money and quietly brought in a small camera. Filmed it all.

After Zhou Xuan finished playing, applause rang out around him, and there was no mistake in a single note.

When he finished playing, a forty-year-old white lady asked, "Mr. Zhou, what is the hardest piece you can play?" I'm curious, the level 8 tune seems too easy for you. ”

Zhou Xuan said without thinking about it: "I haven't competed recently, and I have practiced level 10 repertoire at home, and I can play it." ”

"What about the hardest part?"

"I'll play the hardest one for everyone, don't mind if it's not good." Zhou Xuan smiled slightly and took out his tune. "I really like the third song "Endlessmovement" played in the movie "The Pianist of the Sea" in 1900, and I practiced it when I had nothing to do."

"What?" Several teachers were dumbfounded.

In the movie, Shelly, the self-proclaimed "jazz grandfather", gets on board to compete with the 1900 piano competition, and the excitement is comparable to the most intense gunfight. The third piece played in 1900 was the piano version of Paganini's violin "Infinite Motion", which these teachers could not play.

The most difficult piece in the world is said to be Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. "Infinite Motion" is not as hard as shoveling ten tons of coal, but it is also a piece that can make a pianist break down and even go crazy. Zhou Xuan is an amateur, and it is amazing to be able to pass the eighth level, and it is a bit incredible to play this. And he can do it by forcing memory.

This piece is emotionally active and full of the joyful colors of life. Italian violinist Paganini used his extraordinary skills to reach the pinnacle of his performance. Zhou Xuan played it, and the onlookers were dumbfounded, this piece of music has to keep moving, it is really infinitely moving...... But Zhou Xuan seemed to have no pressure. As his hands moved like clouds on the keys, the people around him went crazy.

It's not a dream, NBA stars can really play such a difficult tune?!

Zhou Xuan was stunned by the excited audience, and tapped the keyboard briskly and quickly with the ten fingers of both hands, bringing his existing piano skills to the extreme, enthusiastic and crazy, and finally ended the whole performance in a sonorous octave rapidity.

The audience applauded vigorously.

"Oh my God. He can really play. ”

"It's perfect."

"He shouldn't play basketball, he's a musician, and I think he's better at playing the piano than he's in the NBA."

The teachers were collectively dumbfounded, such a god man actually played basketball? They all felt a bit of art from Zhou Xuan.

"How?"

"If you take grade 11, you're going to pass ......," the white lady sighed.

Having said that, there is still a level of examination. Zhou Xuan has completed the 8-level operation test, and he will also take the 8-level music theory test, and after passing a total of 12 classes, the real 8-level certificate will be issued.

He passed the 11th grade, and I'm afraid it's only a matter of time. Zhou Xuan has a natural sensitivity to the control of rhythm, not only in controlling the ball, but also in music. And his memory is outstanding, how to press the keys, the order is all memorized in his mind, and he can act by following the thought hand. He also has a great talent for playing the piano.

Zhou Xuan slowly walked off the stage, and after learning that he had passed, he was not surprised at all. The piano had given him a new lease of life, and he was becoming more and more confident.

When the piano is practiced to a certain extent, it creates a realm, a realm that can overcome any difficulty. He was silent in his control of the rhythm, thinking about nothing in his head, just subconsciously following the rhythm to make movements. This kind of rhythm is very similar to the realm of selflessness when he breaks through and sends wonderful passes on the court in a row, and cuts points continuously.

Even if he doesn't play well, Zhou Xuan is also a great person. If he could think about music while he was playing, he might be able to get into the best of his best and face anyone's defense with ease.