2011年ESL之餐饮娱乐 17 Describing One’s Taste in Music

 

17 Describing One’s Taste in Music

GLOSSARY

mellow – calm; tranquil; quiet; not very exciting or enthusiastic

* After spending the last three nights at parties, Becca was looking forward to amellow night at home.

bluesy – related to a style of music known as “the blues,” which is a little bit sadand was created by African Americans in the early 1900s.

* Of course you’re going to feel sad if you always listen to bluesy music. Whydon’t you listen to something happier?

indie – independent; a small company that produces music and takes a lot ofrisks on unusual music and unknown performers; not one of the large musiccompanies

* Many young musicians find it easier to get contracts with indie music producersrather than the big companies.

funky – hip; cool; modern; interesting; unusual

* Shelby was wearing a really funky orange and purple skirt with silver stars.

dance music – music that people like to dance to; music created to help peopledance, usually with a clear rhythm or beat

* This party would be a lot more fun with some good dance music.

depressing – sad; making one feel sad for no particular reason

* It’s so depressing when a pet dies.

faint praise – very weak support or admiration for something, possibly evencriticizing something

* The other employees had faint praise for Marcos’ proposal.

in the mood for – wanting to have or do something at the moment

* Are you in the mood for pizza or sushi?

up-tempo – with a fast speed, rhythm, or beat; happening quickly

* Choi played an up-tempo version of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” but itwould have sounded better if he had played it more slowly.

driving beat – with a rhythm that has a strong repeating beat that seems to pushthe song forward, not letting it slow down

* The bass player and the drummer work together to produce a strong, drivingbeat.

hard-core – extreme; very much; fully dedicated or committed to something

* Marissa is a hard-core vegan who won’t eat meat or eggs, drink milk, or wearleather or silk.

if that’s any indication – a phrase used when one wants to indicate thatwhatever was just explained is an example of what one is talking about

* Is Samantha generous? Well, she just gave $40,000 to the local food bank, ifthat’s any indication.

acoustic – related to string instruments (guitars, violins) that do not useelectronics or technology to change the sound or make it louder

* Do you play acoustic guitar or electric guitar?

not (one’s) thing – not something that one likes or enjoys; not one of one’sinterests; not something that one is interested in

* There’s nothing wrong with skiing, but it’s just not my thing.

track – one song on an album or CD* This CD has a lot of great songs, but the third track is my favorite.

to just say (something) – to say something that one does not fully believe oragree with, usually because one knows that it is what the other person wants tohear

* - You are really strong!

* - You’re just saying that. I know I need to work out more.

to grow on (someone) – to become more appealing or attractive to someoneover time; for a person to begin to like something

* Quentin didn’t like that paint color at first, but it’s growing on him.

all ears – very eager to hear something or listen to someone; willing to listen

* As the presenter prepared to announce the awards, the audience memberswere all ears.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What kind of music might MC-Quillan perform?

a) Quiet, classical music.

b) Up-tempo music.

c) Opera.

2. What does Arturo mean when he says, “I’ll be all ears”?

a) He’s going to listen to her music very carefully.

b) He’s going to listen to many different types of music.

c) He’s going to ask all his friends to listen to the music.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to grow on (someone)

In this podcast, the phrase “to grow on (someone)” means to become moreappealing or attractive to someone over time, or for a person to begin to likesomething: “Carla hated running at first, but it grew on her and now she loves it.”

The phrase “to grow out of (something)” means for a child to no longer fit into apiece of clothing: “When Traci grew out of her clothes, they were passed down toher younger sister.” The phrase “to grow out of (something)” can also mean tolose interest in something as one becomes older: “How old were you when yougrew out of playing with dolls?” Finally, the phrase “to grow out of (something)”

can mean to be created or begin to exist as a result of something else: “Jake’sdesire to become a doctor grew out of his passion for helping other people.”

all ears

The phrase “all ears,” in this podcast, means to be very eager to hear somethingor listen to someone: “Tell us about your trip! We’re all ears!” The phrase “tokeep (one’s) ears open” means to always be listening and hoping to hear someuseful information: “Please keep your ears open for any news about the hiringdecision.” The phrase “to be up to (one’s) ears in (something)” means to have alot of something, especially a lot of work to do: “We’re up to our ears in bills, andwe don’t have enough money to pay them all!” Finally, the phrase “to go in oneear and out the other” is used to describe how someone hears something butthen forgets it right away: “When Alicia asks her husband to do something, hesays he’ll do it, but it’s in one ear and out the other.”

CULTURE NOTE

Major and Indie Record LabelsA “record label” is the name of the company that produced a song or album, andits name and “logo” (an image representing an organization or business) appearson the CD. The largest record labels are “referred to as” (called) “major labels.”

The major labels have more “funding” (money), larger “distribution networks”

(connections needed to send music to many different stores), and powerfulmarketing departments that can “promote” (advertise) new music. Signing acontract with a major label “virtually” (almost; pretty much) guarantees“commercial success” (profitability; the ability to make money from sellingsomething).

Smaller, independent music producers, more commonly known as “indie” recordlabels, don’t have as much funding, power, or “reach” (ability to communicatewith a large number of people) as the major labels. However, their small sizegives them some advantages. Indie labels are able to specialize in specific“genres” (types of music) and can work with “performing artists” (singers,musicians and actors) who are “pushing the envelope” (moving beyond the limitsor expectations in a certain field).

“Whereas” (while, used for contrasting two ideas) major record labels need toproduce popular music that will reach a very large national or internationalaudience, indie record labels can focus on reaching a smaller, more specialized,and “devoted” (committed) audience. This lets the artists be more “experimental”

(try new things) and creative.

Many musicians and musical groups that begin their career with indie recordlabels end up signing a contract with major labels once they become popular. Inother cases, major labels buy the indie record label as the size of its “audience”

(listeners and customers) grows. But some artists are able to succeed nationallyor even internationally with only the “backing” (support) of an indie label.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 751: DescribingOne’s Taste in Music.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 751. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inthe City of Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there today, right now; stop whatever you’redoing! Go to our website and download a Learning Guide. You can download aLearning Guide by becoming a member of ESL Podcast. You can also join us onFacebook; go to facebook.com/eslpod. Or follow us on Twitter – why not? –@eslpod.

This episode is a dialogue between Arturo and Ling talking about “styles ofmusic,” things people like in music. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Arturo: What are you listening to?

Ling: Some new music. You want to hear it?

Arturo: All right. That’s pretty mellow, kinda bluesy, isn’t it? It’s got aninteresting indie feel.

Ling: Do you like it?

Arturo: It’s all right. I like more funky, dance music myself, but this is okay. It’snot too depressing.

Ling: That’s faint praise.

Arturo: No, no, I do like it. I guess I’m usually in the mood for more up-tempomusic, something with a driving beat. I’m a hard-core MC-Quillan fan, if that’sany indication.

Ling: Oh, I see, so you don’t really like acoustic music much.

Arturo: It’s just not my thing, you know?

Ling: Yeah, that’s too bad.

Arturo: Why?

Ling: That was a track I recorded last week.

Arturo: This is your music? In that case, I love it.

Ling: You’re just saying that.

Arturo: No, really, it’s growing on me. In fact, I want to hear more. How about ifI bring over some dinner on Saturday and you can play me a few more tracks?

Ling: You don’t mind?

Arturo: Believe me, I’ll be all ears.

[end of dialogue]

Arturo begins by saying, “What are you listening to?” Ling says, “Some newmusic. You want to hear it?” Notice she doesn’t say, “Do you want to hear it?”

She’s speaking very informally. Sometimes people drop or eliminate the “do” inthis kind of expression: “You want to eat?” “Do you want to eat?” Ling says,“You want to hear it (you want to hear my music)?” Arturo says, “All right (okay).”

He’s listening to it and he says, “That’s pretty mellow, kinda bluesy, isn’t it?”

“Mellow” (mellow) means calm, quiet, very, we might say, “tranquil.” Somethingthat is very peaceful is mellow. Arturo says that Ling’s music is mellow, but alsoit’s kind of bluesy (bluesy). “Bluesy” is an adjective that comes from “blues”

(blues), which is a type of music formally called “the blues.” It’s a little sadsometimes; it’s often about things that are sad. When someone says, “I’mfeeling blue,” or, “I’ve got the blues,” they mean they’re feeling sad, they’redepressed. So, blues music is often about things that are sad or depressing. Itwas a style of music created in the early 20th century by African Americans herein the United States.

Arturo says that Ling’s music’s got an interesting indie feel. “Indie” (indie) is ashort form of “independent.” “Independent” here refers to a small recordcompany, a company that makes CDs or MP3s and sells them. Usually, theword “indie” refers to a kind of music that is done by lesser-known artists, singerswho aren’t necessarily very famous, singing music that isn’t as popular as thekind of music you might hear on the radio. So, “indie,” in referring to music, isthat kind of music, but you could also have indie films – movies, movies made not with millions and millions of dollars, but with a lot less money, less famousactors, but often about things that are perhaps more interesting than the moviesyou see in the movie theater. So that’s “indie.”

Ling says, “Do you like it?” Arturo says, “It’s all right (it’s okay). I like more funky,dance music myself.” “Funky” (funky) means cool, hip, interesting, unusual. It’sa very broad adjective that could be used for lots of different things. It was morepopular, I think, in the 70s and 80s than it is now, but I guess you’ll still hearpeople talk about something being “funky,” someone my age perhaps. “Dancemusic” is music that you would hear in a discotheque; it usually has a very strongbase line – a strong beat: bump bump bump bump bump bump – that sort ofthing. And, I guess that’s easier for people to dance to. I’m not sure, I don’t goto discotheques, what we actually more commonly now would just call “clubs.”

I’m not a dance club kind of person, but for some people that’s what they like todo. Of course when I was younger, well, you couldn’t get me off the dance floor!

The “dance floor” is the place where you dance, meaning I loved to dance somuch I was always dancing – dancing, dancing, dancing, bump bump bump.

Anyway, back to reality. Arturo says, “It’s not too depressing,” describing Ling’smusic, meaning it’s not too sad. Ling says, “That’s faint praise.” “Faint (faint)praise” is when someone says something to you that sounds like a complimentbut it really isn’t. You are saying that, well, it’s okay, but you’re really kind ofcriticizing the person. So, when Arturo says that Ling’s music is not toodepressing he’s making it sound like it’s a compliment, but it’s really a criticism.

That’s why Ling says, “That’s faint praise.”

Arturo says, “No, no, I do like it.” He really is complimenting her, he says. I’mthinking Arturo may be interested romantically in Ling, so of course he doesn’twant to insult her. He says, “I do like it. I guess I’m usually in the mood for moreup-tempo music, something with a driving beat.” “To be in the mood for(something)” means to want to do something at a certain moment. You may askyour husband or wife or friend, “What are you in the mood for for lunch today?”

And they could say, “I’m in the mood for Japanese food.” “I’m in the mood forFrench food,” or Korean or Chinese or whatever kind of food you feel like – thatyou want to eat right now. Well, Arturo is usually in the mood for up-tempomusic. The “tempo” of the music is, roughly speaking, how fast it goes. “Uptempo”

would be music that moves very fast, at a fast rhythm or beat. Arturosays he likes music with a driving beat. A “driving beat” is similar to what I wastalking about when I talked about dance music; it’s something that has a verystrong, repeating, usually fast beat – bump bump bump bump – the sort of thingyou would hear in dance music, what used to be called “techno music” (techno), that had that kind of driving beat. It was a kind of song that you would – or musicthat you would dance to. Is it still called techno music? I…I don’t know.

Arturo says, “I’m a hard-core MC-Quillan fan, if that’s any indication.” If you are“hard-core” about something you are very enthusiastic about it, you are fullycommitted or dedicated to it, you are a big fan of something. “I’m a hard-coreBruce Springsteen fan.” I love Bruce Springsteen, I could listen to his music allday, I go to his concerts, I own all of his CDs and records and all that sort ofthing. That’s to be “hard-core.” In this case, Arturo says he’s a hard-core MCQuillanfan. The “MC” is the person in charge of some ceremony or some event,but here it’s the person in charge of the music. So, “MC-Quillan” would besomeone whose name was Quillan, but who was a “rapper,” somebody who dida lot of rap music, kind of like me back 20 years ago, they called me MC-Quillan.

I won’t actually rap for you however, and you should be thankful for that! Arturosays, “I’m a hard-core MC-Quillan fan, if that’s any indication.” We use thatphrase, “if that’s any indication,” to show that we’ve just given an example of thedescription or the explanation that we gave previously.

Ling says, “Oh, I see, so you don’t really like acoustic music much.” “Acoustic”

(acoustic) is music that doesn’t have any electric guitars or electronicinstruments. It’s just, say, a guitar or a violin, but not an electric guitar – a regularguitar, if you will. Arturo says, “It’s just not my thing, you know?” When someonesays, “it’s not my thing,” or, “it’s not his thing,” in this case they mean it’s notsomething that you really like or enjoy. The music of Andrea Bocelli is not mything. He’s a very good singer, I’m sure. Don’t get mad, don’t send me emailssaying you love Andrea Bocelli, I’m sure he’s a wonderful singer. He’s, ofcourse, a famous Italian singer – popular singer, as well as a classical singer.

He’s just not my thing, okay?

Ling says, “Yeah, that’s too bad.” Arturo says, “Why?” “That was a track Irecorded last week,” Ling says. A “track” is a song on an album or a CD. Arturosays, “This is your music? In that case, I love it.” Remember I said Arturo isinterested romantically in Ling, I think. Ling says, “You’re just saying that,”

meaning you don’t really believe what you are saying, that’s not really the truth.

Arturo says, “No, really, it’s growing on me.” When we say something “grows onyou” we mean you are starting to like it; you didn’t like it in the beginning, but themore that you have it or experience it you like it more and more. The music isgrowing on Arturo, he says, “In fact, I want to hear more. How about if I bringover some dinner on Saturday and you can play me a few more tracks?” Lingsays, “You don’t mind?” meaning that’s okay, that you would come over andlisten to more of my music. Arturo says, “Believe me, I’m all ears.” Theexpression “all ears” means very eager or wanting very much to hear something or to listen to someone. Someone is saying, “I have a problem. Can I ask youradvice?” You could say, “I’m all ears,” meaning yes, I will listen to youcompletely and closely and carefully. “Ears” has a number of different otherexpressions that can be used with it, and other meanings. Take a look at ourLearning Guide for some of them.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Arturo: What are you listening to?

Ling: Some new music. You want to hear it?

Arturo: All right. That’s pretty mellow, kinda bluesy, isn’t it? It’s got aninteresting indie feel.

Ling: Do you like it?

Arturo: It’s all right. I like more funky, dance music myself, but this is okay. It’snot too depressing.

Ling: That’s faint praise.

Arturo: No, no, I do like it. I guess I’m usually in the mood for more up-tempomusic, something with a driving beat. I’m a hard-core MC-Quillan fan, if that’sany indication.

Ling: Oh, I see, so you don’t really like acoustic music much.

Arturo: It’s just not my thing, you know?

Ling: Yeah, that’s too bad.

Arturo: Why?

Ling: That was a track I recorded last week.

Arturo: This is your music? In that case, I love it.

Ling: You’re just saying that.

Arturo: No, really, it’s growing on me. In fact, I want to hear more. How about ifI bring over some dinner on Saturday and you can play me a few more tracks?

Ling: You don’t mind?

Arturo: Believe me, I’ll be all ears.

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by our own mellow scriptwriter, Dr. LucyTse. Oh, yeah!

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us again here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.