BOX SET: 6 Minute English - 'Music' English mega-class! Thirty minutes of new vocabulary!

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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!