字幕列表 影片播放 列印英文字幕 Hello. Welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Neil. And hello, I'm Rob. Today we’re discussing music and the idea that songs are becoming faster. What music do you like, Rob? Oh me? I like rock music. It has good vocals and it's loud! How about you, Neil? Well, I like anything and I prefer streaming my music actually. No old-fashioned CDs to buy and load up – it's easier to play and you can play it anywhere! And streaming is where you listen or watch music or videos directly from the internet as a continuous stream. Did you know that some people believe that streaming music online is actually changing the songs people write? And it might be leading to songs getting faster. Well, that's what we're discussing today. Let's hope it doesn't happen to this programme, otherwise we might become Three Minute English! But before it does, let's get on with our question for everyone to answer. In 2017 Luis Fonsi's summer hit Despacito officially became the most streamed song of all time. Do you know approximately, how many times it was streamed? Was it: a) 1.6 billion times, b) 3.6 billion times, or, c) 4.6 billion times? I know the song was popular but 4.6 billion sounds too big – so I'll go for a) 1.6 billion. OK. Well, we'll find out later in the programme. But now back to our discussion about how music producers are adapting their songs for modern technology. Researchers have found long instrumental introductions to pop songs have become almost extinct. Of course the aim of many pop songs is to be enjoyed by many – to be popular - but they also need to be a commercial success – they need to make money. Brendan Williams, a music producer and professor of music technology can explain what he thinks influences the songs. Here he is speaking on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme… I think that, you know, one of the things that’s driving this, there are a number of things. They’re all radio, they’re all singles designed for radio playlists. Radio playlists are extremely important factors in judging the success of a track and obviously do feed into the kind of commercial success of a track. So, he mentions that radio playlists are important factors. A playlist is a list of songs that a radio station plans to play. And he says that radio playlists affect the commercial success of a song. By the way he called a song a track – that's a recorded piece of music. And notice how he used the word driving which means having a strong influence. So getting a song played on the radio is important and it has to be made in a way that will suit the radio station's playlist. Now, we know there are thousands of songs out there to listen to – and plenty of ways to listen to them – so how can record companies get someone to listen to their particular song? Well, have a listen to Brendan Williams again to see what he thinks… … But then there’s the influence of streaming services like Spotify, where if a track isn’t played for at least 30 seconds then it doesn’t register a play and Spotify… And if we don’t hear the vocals then we might not carry on listening. Is that the theory? Absolutely, yeah, yeah. That’s the theory – it's to get through… I guess to get into the meat of the song to hear the lyrical content and get through to that first chorus. Well, it seems songs no longer have an 'intro' – the instrumental piece of music that's played before the singing begins. In the old days, radio DJs – disc jockeys who played the records – loved to talk over that bit! Now we need to get to the lyrical content – that's the lyrics or the words of the song - as soon as possible. So, the theory, or idea, is to present listeners with vocals and a chorus more quickly, as it will make them want to continue listening! That's because if a song isn't streamed for more than 30 seconds, it doesn't register a play – it doesn't get measured or recorded as a play – so it doesn't make money. So a song needs to hook the listener in quickly – in other words it needs to attract their attention and be easy to remember – another word for this is catchy. Do you have any favourite catchy songs, Rob? Oh, I do, I do. It's got to be Happy by Pharrell Williams. A very catchy song. Well, something that is always catchy in this programme is our quiz question. Earlier I mentioned that in 2017, Luis Fonsi's summer hit Despacito officially became the most-streamed song of all time. Did you know approximately, how many times it was streamed? Was it: a) 1.6 billion times, b) 3.6 billion times, or c) 4.6 billion times? And I went for a staggering 1.6 billion times. Well, it's not staggering enough, Rob. It was actually streamed 4.6 billion times. Amazing. That's a number that we can only dream of for this programme – or is it?! Well Neil, shall we download to our memory, some of the vocabulary we've learnt today? Streaming describes the activity of listening or watching music, radio or videos directly from the internet as a continuous stream. Something that is a commercial success is popular and makes lots of money – like a new computer game or pop song. A good pop song, Rob – not something annoying like Gangnam Style. Well, that was a huge commercial success because it was catchy – a word that describes something that attracts attention and is easy to remember. We also mentioneda playlist – that's a list of songs that a radio station plans to play. And we also use the same word – playlist – to describe a list of songs you compile yourself on a streaming service. We also heard the adjective driving, which in the context of our discussion means having a strong influence. And we mentioned the verb to register. If you register something you record, count or measure it. Like every download of this programme is registered. But how do we download this programme, Rob? By going to our website at bbclearningenglish.com. And we have an app too – download it for free and stream all of our content! Bye for now. Bye. Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil. And I'm Rob. Rob, do you like metal? Er, that’s an odd question. I've never really thought about it. I mean, I use metal things every day – my toaster, my bike, the underground… No, no - not that kind of metal, this kind of metal. Oh, that kind of metal. The musical genre, the type of music... Yes, and in particular, death metal. That fast, loud, aggressive sounding, guitar-based music style? Yep, that’s the one. Nope. Not my cup of tea at all. What kind of person do you think I am? Well, that’s the point. The type of person who likes death metal may not be the kind of person you think they are. More on that shortly, but first, a quiz. The electric guitar is an essential element to death metal music. In which decade were the first electric guitars produced? Was it: a) the 1920s b) the 1930s, or, c) the 1940s? I think quite early, so I’m going to say the 1920s. Well, we'll see if you're right later in the programme. Does violent music give people violent thoughts? Recent research claims to have found the answer. This is how the topic was introduced on BBC News. What was the conclusion? A psychological study of fans of death metal suggests that they are not desensitised to violence despite the genre’s association with growling, often graphically violent lyrics including depictions of cannibalism. Researchers found that the main response of fans to the music they love was joy, not violence. Adding that most are very nice people who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone, let alone eating them. So what conclusion did the researchers come to? Well, they found that the response to the music was joy, not anger or violence. It made people happy. There was a fear that listening to music with violent lyrics, which means violent words, would make people desensitised to violence. If you are desensitised to something, you don’t see it as unusual or unacceptable, it doesn’t bother you. The newsreader also said that the lyrics of death metal include topics such as cannibalism, which is the practice of eating human flesh. Listening to someone singing about eating people apparently didn’t make them feel like snacking on their neighbours. Let's hear the introduction again. A psychological study of fans of death metal suggests that they are not desensitised to violence despite the genre’s association with growling, often graphically violent lyrics including depictions of cannibalism. Researchers found that the main response of fans to the music they love was joy, not violence. Adding that most are very nice people who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone, let alone eating them. Professor Bill Thompson from Macquarie University in Sydney conducted this research. What does he say people don’t feel when listening to this kind of music? Most fans are not angry. Most are actually musically trained people who really get a lot of empowerment and aesthetic interest out of the music. They feel joyful. They feel transcendent, they feel empowered. But what they don’t feel is angry. What don’t people feel? They don’t feel angry! What they do feel is joyful, the adjective from joy. They feel happy. Something else they feel is empowered. This is a feeling of being in control of your life, that you can make and follow your own decisions. Music is certainly a powerful art form. Professor Thompson also said that fans have an aesthetic interest in it. This means that they appreciate it as an art form. Let’s hear Professor Thompson again. Most fans are not angry. Most are actually musically trained people who really get a lot of empowerment and aesthetic interest out of the music. They feel joyful. They feel transcendent they feel empowered. But what they don’t feel is angry. Time to review our vocabulary, but first, let’s have the answer to the quiz question. In which decade were the first electric guitars produced? Was it: a) the 1920s b) the 1930s c) the 1940s What did you think, Rob? I took a guess at the 1920s. Well electric guitars were early, but not quite that early, I'm afraid. The first ones were produced in the 1930s. So well done if, unlike Rob, you got that correct. Now, onto the vocabulary. Yes, we had a few words connected with music. We had genre for a style of music and also lyrics for the words of a song. Some of the lyrics of death metal songs are about eating people, which is called cannibalism. Cannibalism is a form of extreme violence and there was some concern that people exposed to such violent lyrics in songs might become desensitised to actual violence. This means that they would accept violence as normal and not be worried by it. However, the research showed that this doesn’t happen and fans actually feel joy, which is another way of saying happiness. The research also suggested that fans have an artistic appreciation of death metal, described as an aesthetic interest. The final word was for a feeling that fans might get after listening to the music, empowered. Someone who is empowered is in control of their own life and decisions. And I feel empowered to bring this edition of 6 Minute English to a close. We look forward to your company next time. Until then, you can find us in all the usual places on social media – that's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. And there's our website, and of course, we have a free app which you can find in the app stores. You'll be able to listen to 6 Minute English on the move. You just walk and we talk. Just search for bbclearninglish. Bye for now. Goodbye! Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil. And I’m Georgina. [Singing badly] DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO! Neil! What are you doing?! Please stop! Oh, hi Georgina! I’m practising my singing. I’m going to do virtual karaoke tonight with some friends! Karaoke?! – really, Neil?! I heard you singing at the Christmas party and to be honest I think you might be tone deaf – you know, you can’t sing in tune. Me? Tone deaf?! I’m a nightingale! Listen: DO RE MIIII! Between you and me, I think Neil is a bit tone deaf! Wait until I tell him singing is the subject of this programme. I heard that, Georgina! And I’m glad this programme is about singing because I love it and what I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm! I’m sure your karaoke buddies would agree with you, Neil. That reminds me of my quiz question, Georgina. As you know, I love karaoke - meeting up with friends to sing the words of our favourite pop songs over a musical backing track. Karaoke was invented in Japan and its name is a combination of different Japanese words – but what words? What is the meaning of ‘karaoke’? Is it: a) machine voice?, b) angry cat?, or, c) empty orchestra? Well, after listening to you sing, Neil, I’m tempted to say b), angry cat, but that would be mean, so I’ll guess, a) machine voice. OK, Georgina. I’ll take that as a compliment. But however good - or bad - my singing may be, there’s no doubt that the act of singing itself is a very complex skill, involving a huge number of processes in our bodies and brains. So what happens physically when we sing a musical note? Usually something unexpected in your case, Neil! So here’s Marijke Peters, presenter of BBC World Service programme, CrowdScience, to explain exactly what happens when we open our mouths to sing. Listen out for the different body parts Marijke mentions: Vocal folds, also called vocal cords, are crucial here. They’re two flaps of skin stretched across your larynx that vibrate when you sing and create a sound. The pitch of that sound, how high or low it is, depends on the frequency of their vibration, so if you want to hit the right note they need to be working properly. Important body parts needed to sing include the vocal cords - a pair of folds in the throat that move backwards and forwards when air from the lungs moves over them. The vocal chords are stretched over the larynx - also known as the voice box, it’s the organ between the nose and the lungs containing the vocal folds. Singing is similar to what happens when you play a guitar. The vocal cords act like the guitar strings to produce a buzz or vibration – a continuous and quick shaking movement. They vibrate over the larynx which, like the body of a guitar, amplifies the sound. So why do some people (Neil!) find it hard to sing in tune? Is it because they cannot physically reproduce sounds? Or because they hear sounds differently from the rest of us? Well, according to psychology professor, Peter Pfordresher, it’s neither. He thinks that for poor singers the problem is generally not in the ears or voice, but in their brains – specifically the connection between sound perception and muscle movement. So there’s no hope for you? Not necessarily. Here’s Professor Pfordresher encouraging the listeners of BBC World Service’s, CrowdScience: I think there’s reason for you to be hopeful and however accurate or inaccurate your singing is, one recommendation I would have for you is to keep singing because there is evidence that singing itself, whether accurate or inaccurate, has benefits socially and also for stress responses, so good reason for you to keep it up! Whether you’re tone deaf or pitch perfect, there’s lots of evidence for the health benefits of singing. For one, singing strengthens your stress responses. Otherwise known as ‘fight or flight’, stress responses are the human body’s reaction to external threats that cause an imbalance, for example pain, infection or fear. From operatic Pavarottis to enthusiastic karaoke fans, Professor Pfordresher thinks singers should keep it up – a phrase used to encourage someone to continue doing something. So, Neil, maybe you should keep singing, after all! You’ve changed you tune, Georgina! Maybe you’d like to come with me to karaoke next time we’re allowed out? Hmm, I think some practice would be a good idea, but first let’s return to the quiz question. You asked me about the meaning of the Japanese word karaoke… Right. Does karaoke mean, a) machine voice, b) angry cat, or, c) empty orchestra? What did you say? I said a) machine voice. Which was… the wrong answer! Karaoke actually means c) empty orchestra, or in other words, music that has the melody missing. Well, that’s better than an angry cat, I guess! Let’s recap the vocabulary starting with tone deaf – a way to describe someone who cannot sing in tune or hear different sounds. Like playing a guitar string, singers use their vocal cords – a pair of folds in the throat that are stretched over the larynx, or voice box, another part of the throat, to produce a sound vibration - a quick, shaking movement. No matter how good or bad a singer you are, singing is good for your stress responses – the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism your body uses to regain inner balance. So no matter what Georgina thinks about my singing, I’m going to keep it up – a phrase used to encourage someone to continue their good performance. That’s all from us. Keep singing and join us again soon at 6 Minute English. Don’t forget we also have a free app you can download from the app stores. Bye! Goodbye! Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil. And I’m Sam. In this 6 Minute English, we’re talking about music. What sort of music do you like listening to, Sam? Well, I wouldn’t say I have one specific type. My taste in songs is more eclectic – a word that describes taste which includes a wide variety of styles. Well, in this programme, we’re talking all about grime – a style of music which originated in London – specifically in the tower blocks of east and southeast London. Yes – the artists are predominantly young black men and often cite the decaying tower blocks they grew up in as an inspiration for the urban style of music. Well, before we continue talking about grime music, I have a question for you, Sam. Stormzy is one of the most famous grime artists, but what is his real name? Is it: a) Michael Omari b) Martin Owusu, or, c) Marvin Appiah. I think I might know this one – I’ll say a) Michael Omari. We can find out if you’re right at the end of this programme. For many people, knowing the origin of a type of music helps them to understand more about the style and lyrics. Here’s writer Jude Yawson talking with BBC journalist Andrew Marr about his experience growing up on an estate in southeast London on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Start the Week… Yes, so I lived like on an estate. It’s, it’s in Annerley, near Crystal Palace. And for me growing up with this experience was like literally acknowledging the different cultures and peoples that lived within, like this estate. And it was around the age of about, say, seven or eight – that’s when things for me and my particular estate started to get a bit more contentious with the other people that were moving in. Kids were coming of age, becoming more like free and venturing out and around the estate. And, you know, police kind of, like. harassing, but... So you’ve got different cultures knocking into each other and the police knocking into everybody else. So Jude Yawson describes his upbringing. He used the word contentious – likely to cause or create an argument – to describe life on the estate. Yes, and he said the kids were coming of age – meaning transitioning from a child into an adult. In his interview, he goes on to say how a teacher gave him the advice that if he ever got stabbed, not to remove the knife - as he would bleed to death. He says that at the age of 14 when he was told that, he felt grateful and that the teacher was looking out for him, but in hindsight questions why a teenager should receive that information. What this does is give us an insight into life and the background that led to some people, like Stormzy, creating grime music. He says that it started off in the bedrooms and basements of tower blocks and homes in these areas of London, with many artists’ works being broadcast on pirate radio stations. That said, for some people, this type of music represents something different. There are some who think the hard-hitting lyrics and strong beats glorify violence. They see it as an aggressive and violent form of music. However, Jude Yawson, speaking with Andrew Marr on BBC Radio 4 programme Start the Week, has a different interpretation of what grime music is all about. I describe grime as like a soulful shout… there’s a necessity in literally getting all of this content out of yourself. And one of the most predominant grime artists, Wiley, was basically the first person that created this sound – it’s like 140 beats per minute. Because that’s such a raw tune, but the chorus literally chants like ‘there are lots of signs in life, some that you may not realise’. And, for me, I was listening to that as like an 11- or 12-year-old and it’s very existential. He used the word predominant, which describes the strongest or most important thing, to describe the artist Wiley. That’s who Jude Yawson says was the first person to create the grime sound. He also used the verb chants – sings repeatedly over and over – to talk about the chorus from one of Wiley’s songs. And he described the experience of listening to it as being existential – relating to human existence. Which inspires me to go and listen to some grime music after today’s show, but before we do – I asked you a question about the real name of the grime artist Stormzy. You did. And being a fan of many different music styles – I think I know this one! I said a) Michael Omari. You really do know your music, Sam. You’re right. In fact, his full name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. I think that I’ll have to make the next question much harder for you! So, before we leave today, let’s recap the vocabulary, starting with eclectic, a word which describes taste which includes a wide variety of styles. Contentious means creating or causing arguments. We also had coming of age – transitioning from child to adult. Predominant refers to something that is the strongest or most important. Chants is a verb which means sing or repeat the same thing over and over again. And existential means relating to human existence. Well, we certainty learnt a lot about grime music and its origin. There are lots more 6 Minute English programmes to enjoy on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. Thanks for listening and goodbye. Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English I’m Neil. And I’m Georgina. Hello, Georgina. How are you today? Georgina? Georgina! Oh sorry, Neil, I didn’t hear you - I was listening to music on my headphones! Ah, I see! Listening to music stored on your mobile phone or iPod when out on-the-move doesn’t seem like a big deal now, but the concept of personal portable music didn’t exist until 1979, when the Japanese electronics company, Sony, launched the Walkman. Years before iPods and MP3 downloads, the Sony Walkman was the first widely available portable music player. It revolutionised the way fans listened to their favourite bands. In this programme, we’ll be taking a nostalgic look back at the 1980s and the birth of the Sony Walkman. And, of course, we’ll be learning some new vocabulary as well. Now, it may not seem so revolutionary to young people nowadays, but back in the late 1970s portable music players were unheard of. The idea behind the Walkman was simple – a high-quality stereo cassette player, small enough to hold in your hand, allowing you to walk down the street listening to your own soundtrack. They became so popular that by the time production of the Walkman ended in 2010, Sony had sold over 220 million machines worldwide. So, my quiz question is this: when the original Walkman model first went on sale in 1979, how much did it cost? Was it: a) 50 dollars?, b) 100 dollars?, or, c) 150 dollars? Things were a lot cheaper in 1979, Neil, so I’ll say b) 100 dollars. OK, Georgina – we’ll find out later if that’s right. Now, the inspiration behind the Walkman came from Sony chairman, Akio Morita. He saw Japanese teenagers listening to heavy transistor radios carried on their shoulders and had a vision of a smaller stereo which could be held in the hand. However, few of Mr Morita’s colleagues had faith in his idea for a portable music player. Here’s Andrea Koppen, of Sony UK, speaking to the BBC in 1989, taken from the BBC World Service programme, Witness History. People were very sceptical - they couldn’t believe that people would want to walk around with headphones on and carry this cassette with them - and he actually laid his job on the line and said, ‘If it doesn’t take off, I will resign’… and they didn’t have much money at the time, so their advertising was very tight… and they decided to give it to students to try… and so people saw them on the trains, in campuses, in towns and the newspapers picked up on it immediately. The Walkman was designed to be used with headphones - a pair of padded speakers worn over the ears so you can listen to music without other people hearing. Akio Morita was confident his stereo plus headphones idea would take off - suddenly start to be successful and popular. In fact, he was so confident of success that he laid his job on the line – an idiom meaning to risk losing something important, such as your job or reputation. Luckily, he didn’t lose his job because many people started buying the new Walkmans, something the newspapers picked up on - noticed or gave particular attention to. Morita’s idea was a massive success. Released at the start of the summer holidays for Japanese students, within 3 months the entire first run of 30 thousand Walkmans had sold out. Meanwhile, music lovers outside of Japan were desperately trying to get hold of the new machines. Among the first to buy one was music journalist, Tim Jarman. Here he is speaking to Farhana Haider, for BBC World Service’s Witness History: It was made available in the US in June 1980. The Walkman was especially popular with the 16 to 24 age group. They thought it could be a niche product, that might not sell, but it really caught the public imagination in every market that it was offered in. When the Walkman was sold to the rest of the world and became popular with youngsters, people thought it was a niche product – something marketed for sale to a small, specific group. But instead, people of all ages began wearing Walkmans to listen to their favourite music on the move, and the new invention caught the public imagination – an idiom meaning, made the public interested in or excited about something. Many put the Walkman’s success down to its perfect combination of sound quality, small size and affordable price. But exactly how affordable, Georgina? Remember my quiz question? Yes, Neil. You asked how much the original Walkman cost when it came out in 1979. What did you say? I thought it cost b) 100 dollars. Well, Georgina, things were cheaper in 1979, but not that cheap – the actual price was c) 150 dollars. That’s around 530 dollars today! In this programme, we’ve been looking back at the iconic Sony Walkman, the first portable stereo made up of a cassette player plus headphones – pairs of padded speakers worn over the ears. Sony chairman Akio Morita was so confident his invention would take off – become popular and successful - that he laid his job on the line. That means risked something important, like his job. His colleagues at Sony worried the Walkman was a niche product – a product targeted for sale to a niche, or small and specific, market. But luckily for him, the Japanese newspapers picked up on his idea – noticed it and gave it particular attention. As a result, the Sony Walkman caught the public imagination – made the public excited and interesting in it. That’s all for this programme. Until we meet again at 6 Minute English – happy listening! Happy listening!
B1 中級 BOX SET: 6 Minute English - 'Music' English mega-class! Thirty minutes of new vocabulary! 8 0 林宜悉 發佈於 2022 年 10 月 05 日 更多分享 分享 收藏 回報 影片單字