VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - Music Teacher in Bo

Twenty-five-year-old Rick Aggeler says he discovered early in life that music is magic.
RICK AGGELER: "Music made me feel like anything was possible."At the age of seven, a medical condition required him to have a brain operation. It also prevented him from playing sports. So his mother suggested that he learn to play drums instead.
RICK AGGELER: "I started playing drums with Ronit Glick. She was my elementary teacher. I remember just the joy it brought to me. It was my favorite thing. Sixth grade was a new school to me and I had a hard time kind of getting along with all the kids. And Ms. Glick just took me in and I had so much fun at the program. It just felt great all the time."Rick Aggeler graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, in two thousand seven. While there, he volunteered as a music teacher at a youth center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.
He helped create a small music club within the center. The Music Clubhouse at the Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club quickly grew.
Younger members of Studio Heat performing at the release¹ party for the Music Clubhouse's second CD, "Because of You" Young people come to the Music Clubhouse after school and during summer break. The club provides a safe environment to learn to play instruments and to perform together in bands. The club even has its own recording² studio.
(MUSIC-“Super Hero”)The club has released³ two albums. "Super Hero" is one of the songs from the second album, "Because of You."Fourteen-year-old Javon Martin performs under the name Yung Fresh. He joined the Music Clubhouse three years ago.
YUNG FRESH: "It has impacted⁴ my life in a big way because I never thought I would be doing this. We now give shows. I'm on the radio. People are actually starting to see me as like an artist."(MUSIC: “Blue Hill Shuffle”)Ten-year-old Akheylah Hunter joined the club last year but did not play an instrument. Now, she plays piano and sings in a band. What she likes best, she says, is performing.
Yung Fresh in the studio, recording his own songs AKHEYLAH HUNTER: "We performed in different places like at Berklee College of Music. We go on trips, like we went to the House of Blues⁵ and we went on stage and we performed, and it was very fun."The Music Clubhouse opened three years ago and has served almost five hundred young people. Rick Aggeler says preparing and performing is good for them.
RICK AGGELER: "I can see what it does for them, and it just develops confidence. It's also an escape. A big problem we have in the neighborhood is obviously⁶ gangs⁷, and family dynamics⁸. And we have a lot of challenges. We can have those conversations and then they can write, too. They can rap⁹ about it and kind of let it out a little bit."(MUSIC-“Wake Up”)Rick Aggeler says he is happy but not surprised by the results of the Music Clubhouse at the Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club.
RICK AGGELER: "As much fun as I do have drumming and performing live, it's definitely¹⁰ more rewarding and more fun, watching these kids grow up and develop."And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. I'm Steve Ember.

1 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

2 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。

3 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

4 impacted   

压紧的，结实的； 冲击式

参考例句：

• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers. 战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
• The ground had been impacted by many people walking across it. 因为走的人多，地面被踏得坚实了。

5 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

6 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

7 gangs   

n.（罪犯有组织的）一帮( gang的名词复数 )；一伙；（闹事青少年的）一群；（工人有组织的）一队

参考例句：

• Gangs of youths went on the rampage in the city yesterday. 成群结伙的年轻人昨天在城里横冲直撞。
• a vicious turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers 对立贩毒团伙之间的猛烈火并

8 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

9 rap   

n.轻敲，拍击，责骂，厉声说出，说唱音乐，谈话，最少量；vi.轻敲，敲门，表演说唱音乐，畅谈；vt.抓，抢，拍击

参考例句：

• I heard a rap on the door.我听到有轻轻的敲门声。
• Today we are going to rap about relationships.今天我们要聊聊关系的问题。

10 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。