VOA标准英语2009-Musical Group Wants to Unite World One Song

By Amra Alirejsovic
Washington
11 November 2009

Award-winning filmmaker and producer Mark Johnson is a founder¹ of one of the most far flung² musical groups in the world. For the past four years, he has brought together musicians who live thousands of kilometers apart in a project called Playing for Change. The goal of the project is to bring peace to the world through music. Johnson is currently³ touring North America with some of the musicians who are part of Playing for Change. 

Musicians from vast backgrounds

 
Playing for Change
Playing for Change unites a blind street singer from New Orleans, Native American drummers, South African choral singers, as well as musicians from a dozen other countries, ranging from Spain to Nepal. Grammy- winning producer Mark Johnson says he was struck by the power of music when he saw two monks⁴ performing on a New York City subway platform.

"On that day I saw an amazing moment when 200 people stopped, nobody got on the train, everybody was watching this music," Johnson recalls, "Some people were crying, jaw⁵ dropping and smiling. The collection of people who normally run by each other, here they are, coming together for music in a language they do not even understand."

Brainchild of 
Mark Johnson
Grammy- winning producer Mark Johnson

Johnson's first recording⁶ for the project was of a street musician in Santa Monica, California singing Stand by Me. He then went around the world and, using a mobile recording studio, recorded 37 musicians singing the same song. Stand by Me was Playing for Change's first big hit. The video has been viewed on the Internet more than 30 million times. Soon, Johnson had enlisted⁷ more than 100 musicians in the project and recorded a CD and documentary⁸ DVD containing hits like One Love and Don't Worry. Titled Playing For Change: Peace Through Music, it sold over 26,000 copies in its first week.

Music with a message

But important as music is to Playing for Change, Johnson says the organization's message is about more than music. "Playing for Change is a movement of people around the world who believe that with music we can inspire each other to come together," he says, "In a world with so many divisions, Playing for Change is trying to create inspiring connections for the human race through music."

For the group's North American tour, Johnson put together a band of 10 musicians from seven countries.

Suriname soul singer Clarence Bekker was raised in Amsterdam. He says it took a while to get adjusted to playing with musicians he did not know. "The first rehearsals⁹ and getting all the band together was a strange feeling. I was a little bit nervous, because you do not know who is going to be in the band," he says, "if you are going to like these people or not. From the first second we have been together we are like one family."

Congolese musician Mermans Kenkosenki says it is a privilege to be part of the band. "It is a dream coming true [for] me," he says, "In my country, they say music is food for the soul. For me as a musician, it is a dream to be out there and spread the message. Let's make this world a better place for our children, for our future."

South African Guitarist Louis Mhlanga, who grew up in Zimbabwe, says Playing for Change is spreading an important message. "It is what the world needs, to open peoples' thoughts, to make them aware that there is love, peace, happiness and respect to be shared," he said.

 
Playing for Change
In addition to performing, Playing for Change has set up a foundation whose goal is to provide musical supplies and educational programs to poor communities around the world. So far, it has established a music schools in South Africa, Ghana and Nepal and is working on a fourth one in Mali. Along with teaching young people the beauty of music, the schools are another way to spread the message of Playing for Change.

"I think that a project like this shows us that we can all come together, believe in each other," Johnson says, "respect our differences and celebrate our connections."

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 flung   

（尤指生气地）扔( fling的过去式和过去分词 )； 猛动（身体或身体部位）； 粗暴地（向某人）说； 气势汹汹地（对某人）说

参考例句：

• expeditions to the far-flung corners of the world 去世界偏远地方的探险
• Someone had flung a brick through the window. 有人把一块砖扔进了窗户。

3 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 documentary   

adj.文献的；n.纪录片

参考例句：

• This case lacked documentary proof.本案缺少书面证据。
• I watched a documentary on the Civil War.我看了一部关于内战的纪录片。

9 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》