Objectives:

• to improve students' skills for listening and comprehension

• to practise prediction as a reading skills

• to develop speaking skills of students through the methods of interactive activities

• to foster students' spoken habits Warm up

What kind of music do Americans play, sing, listen to and compose?

Introducing the Topic

Vocabulary

Idioms

face the music — to receive punishment; to accept the unpleasant result of one's actions.

make chin music — to talk or chatter. (Slang)

Fill in the idioms in the gaps.

1. We sat around all evening... (making chin music).

2. Mary broke dining room window and had to... (face the music) when her father got home.

3. After failing a math test, Tom had to go home and... (face the music).

4. You were ... (making chin music) when you should have been listening.

Listening

A) Listen to the text and answer the questions.

MUSIC

Since the United States were settled largely by Europeans, it is not surprising that classical music and folk-songs were brought over from the continent. Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart and\erdi are but a few names of the European composers often seen on orchestra or opera programs. Scottish and Irish ballads, German folk-songs have been sung in America by so many generations and so often that many Americans do not even know that these songs are of foreign origin. However, Americans produced its own music.

By far the greatest contribution to American music has been made by the Negroes on the south. The Negro songs are now part on the nation's most pre­cious musical heritage.

Perhaps the Negro's greatest contribution to American music has been jazz. After the Civil War some of the brass instruments of the Confederate mil­itary bands fell into the hands of the Negroes, and the result was all kind of rhythmical and melodic experiments. Thus, jazz was bom. Such composers as Aaron Copland, and George Gershwin in America and Stravinsky, Ravel and Milhaud in Europe have been influenced by American jazz.

Thirty years after jazz another kind of popular music appeared — big beat (big rhythm). In 1954 the disc jockey Alan Freed started to broadcast the Ne­gro rhythm-and-blues records. He called this music rock-'n'-roll after an old blues "My Baby Rocks Me in a Steady Roll". White musicians began to imitate this music. The big white stars were Elvis Presley and ChuckBerry. Rock-'n'-roll conquered Europe. Among the imitators of Chuck Berry was a group from Liverpool called themselves "The Beatles".

American "pop" music abounds in different trends and styles, but Ameri­cans have varied musical interests and at least 25 per cent are devotees of clas­ sical music. Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco symphony orchestras are famous all over the world.

1. What music has been sung in America?

2. What musical traditions has American music assimilated?

3. Who's made the greatest contribution to the development of American music?

4. How did jazz emerge?

5. When did rock- 'n' -roll appear on the musical scene?

6. Do many people in America like classical music?

7. Are Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco symphony orchestras famous all over the world?

B) Retell the text in chain. Reading

Pre-reading task

Try to guess if these sentences true or false and after reading the text check your predictions.

1. Africans were taken to America as slaves. (7)

2. Their music was very slow. (F)

3. This music sounded different from European music. (7)

4. Black people sang their songs in groups. (T)

5. Black music continues to supply the impetus for new pop styles. (T)

JAZZ

The word "jazz" has a disputed history. New Orleans, Chicago and San Francisco all claim to be its birthplace. In the first two decades of the 20th century, the jazz was a three-step dance done to the four-beat rhythm of rag­time. Very shortly the word was transferred to the music to which the "jazz' danced. The dance soon vanished, but the music and the word, of course, sur­vived. Most often the origin of the word is connected with some proper name.

When Americans were taken to the New World as slaves they took their traditions and also their music with them. Their music was very rhythmical and sounded very different from the music Europeans and Americans were used to, especially because of its complex harmonic pattern.

Black people sang their songs in groups, when they were at work in the fields or when they went to church. When they learnt to play musical instru­ments their songs were transformed into music and complex currents of jazz started: Dixieland, swing, be-pop, cool and free jazz. Jazz players and singers such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Charlie Parker en­tered the history of music and became famous all over the world.

Black music continues to supply the impetus for new pop styles such as rap, hip hop, reggae ands house music. The '50s music that led us to the Twist in the '60s,

Work in groups

A) Read the script on the Negro folk song of sorrow.

NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I SEE

Nobody knows but Jesus; Nobody knows the trouble I see Glory, Hallelujah!

Sometimes I'm up; sometimes I'm down; Oh, yes, Lord!

Sometimes I'm almost to the ground Oh, yes, Lord!

Altho' you see me goin' long so Oh, yes, Lord! I have my trials here below, Oh, yes, Lord!

Oh, nobody knows the trouble. I see. Nobody knows but Jesus; Nobody knows the trouble, I see, Glory, Hallelujah!

B) Answer the following questions about the song.

1. Why do you think this person is calling out to Jesus?

2. Give another word for "but".

3. Put in another way "Sometimes I'm up; sometimes I'm down".

4. What does the above line tell you about the person?

5. "To de groun" corresponds to "to the ground" in the correct EngUsh. What does he / she mean?

Work in pairs

A) Read and practice the following pattern-conversation.

Петр Вулов. К сожалению, я очень мало знаю про американскую музику. Но я считаю, американцы очень любят музыку, не так ли?

I'm sorry to say bit I know very little about American music. But I think Americans seem to be great music lovers, isn't it?

Mark Archibald. Oh, yes, you're right.

Да, вы правы.

Петр Вулов. Многие американцы любят классическую музы­ку?

Are many Americans fond of classical music?

Mark Archibald. Music critics say at least 25 per cent of Americans are devotees of classical music. We have good symphony orchestras in Boston, Philadelphia and New York, of course.

Музыкальные критики доказывают, что по меньшей мере 25 % американцев любят классическую музы­ку. У нас есть хорошие симфонические оркестры в Бос­тоне, Филадельфии, Сан-Франциско и в Нью-Йорке,конечно.

Петр Вулов. Какие композиторы наиболее популярны в США?

Which composers are popular in the USA?

Mark Archibald. Since we 're a young nation it's not surprising that the most of the composers that enjoy popularity in America are Europeans — Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart, Verdi and others. Among American composers the most famous are George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Richard Rodgers and Arthur Schwartz.

Поскольку наша страна сравнительно молодая, большенство композиторов, которые пользуются популярностью, — европейцы. Это Бетховен, Дебюсси, Чайковский, Бах, Моцарт, Верди та другие. Среди американских компо­зиторов наиболее изместны Джордж Гершвин, Арон Копланд, Ричард Роджерс и Артур Шварц.

В) Act as an interpreter.

M-p Вулов. Мистер Арчибальд, я слышал, что американская молодежь любит народные песни.

Mr. Archibald. Yes, some are keen on folk songs and some on the so-called "pop" songs.

M-p В у л о в. Но они такие разные!

Mr. Archibald. I didn't mean to say that they are the same things. What I meant is that both folk and "pop" songs are part and parcel of the Ufe of American youth.

M-p В у л о в. Какие же песни все же больше всего привлекают молодежь?

Mr. Archibald. It's hard to say. Tastes differ. I know that in recent time there has been increased interest in collecting and recording folk songs from remote regions. There are a great many folk song amateur singers among stu­dents.

M-p В у л о в. Интересно, а пользуется ли джаз такой же популярностью сегодня, как это было в тридцатых-сороковых годах?

Mr. Archibald. I wouldn't say it enjoys as a great popularity as it did in the forties.

M-p В у л о в. Когда в США впервые появилась джазовая музыка?

Mr. Archibald. It appeared in the period following the Civil War. After the war some of the brass instruments of the Confederate military bands fell onto the hands of the Negroes. They started playing their native songs and spirituals. That was the beginning of jazz.

M-p В у л о в.Очень интересно! Благодарю за интересный разговор.

Suggestions for interpreting

1. both folk and "pop" songs are part and parcel of the Ufe of American youth — неотьемлемая часть жизни американской молодежи

2. remote regions — отдаленные районы

3. amateur singers — певцы-аматори

C) 1. Ask your friend the appropriate questions in order to complete the chart.

Favourite US singer:

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

Kind of music:

First hit:

Latest record:

Seen live on:

Seen live at: 2. Write the questions out in full: a) b) c) d) e)

Homework

Write a composition about your favourite American pop / rock singer / group.