Number of Idols who Can't Read Sheet Music Is on the Rise

In a shocking turn of events, it’s been reported that the number of idols who cannot read musical notation, or sheet music, is on the rise.

Industry insiders have reported that where singers used to directly sing the accompaniment or lay down the basic beat for recordings, songwriters have now taken to providing “music recorded” (otherwise referred to as “MRs”), or pre-recorded versions of how they think their songs should be sung. Thanks to the trend of using these “guide vocals,” being able to read sheet music is becoming obsolete where it once was a required skill.

According to multiple studio engineers, idol singers will now bring just their lyrics into the recording studio, instead of the full sheet music like their predecessors. Already the trend of using guide vocals has taken root, and where singers used to record the full song in one sitting, now singers record the songs measure by measure.

With such a skill on the outs, it’s not hard to wonder how idols are trained in music. Many industry insiders say that the truth is, idols aren’t taught about harmonization or projection during their vocal training. This is because even if a mistake is made during recording or if someone is off-key, post-processing and auto-tune makes fixing such mistakes simple.

An insider from a large record label told XsportNews, “Lately, the focus has been on the idols’ appearance and their dancing abilities. For singing, there aren’t many songs that demand a strong vocal talent, largely due to the ease of post-processing.”

When asked how idols sing live on stage, the insider replied, “[Idols] will follow the live MR. The engineers will purposefully take out sounds or mismatch the breaths. Even when netizens post MR removed versions of live performances, these [kinds of changes] are undetectable.”

So you tell us: should idols be required to learn how to read musical notation, or do you think learning by ear is perfectly acceptable?

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