4. Make a story about your favourite tv programmes. Why do you like them? What don’t you like on tv?

IV. Music as a part of your leisure time. Charmed with music*

I have never thought that I will fall in love with music. I haven't got an ear for music. Even more, when being a schoolgirl, I was not accepted to the school choir. Only two girls from the whole class were not chosen – my deskmate and me. It was a great tragedy for us. We cried for several hours in our empty class. We were in the blues till the first rehearsal, when everybody should stay but not we. Then we understood that the life was not as bad as it seemed to us. But since that moment I disliked music. I dared to sing only when nobody could hear me and I did it in our bathroom shutting the door of it tightly.

My attitude towards music changed when I was in the tenth form. Just before the start of the academic year my Mum found a private teacher of English for me. The teacher's name was Oleg Leonidovich, and I was dying of fear going to the first lesson to his place. The man opened the door to me had a rather dignified appearance. He was in his middle fifties, tall and strong and he had huge moustache. I don't know why, but his moustache frightened me most of all. And the first question of my future teacher didn't give me any courage: "Do you like music?" At a loss I began to murmur and mumble something and he interrupted me sharply: "Well, I see, you know nothing. Maybe, that's better. After the lesson I put one record for you and tell something." And really he gave me to listen to a record with the music of 'The Seasons' by Tchaikovsky. Of course I heard it before but that time I listened to it purposefully and therefore discovered a lot of new things for me. Since that time after every lesson I stayed for another hour to listen to some music. I listened to practically all Russian classics and a lot of western composers – symphonies, operas, ballets, concertos for different instruments (piano, cello, violin and others), romances and so on and so forth. And to that, when listening to some play or opera, Oleg Leonidovich told me about different composers, their works, instruments, orchestra staffs and even anecdotes connected with musicians and music. I admired those music lessons not less than the lessons of English. For the next several years I learnt a lot and could recognize many works by ear. It was a real music education. The most striking thing was that my teacher was not a musician but an engineer. He knew several languages, was a great expert in constructing of buildings and loved music passionately.

And what were your first meetings with music?

Would you like to have such a guide to the world of music?

The power of music. Make sentences of your own using these lexical material.

a) My favourite music is … I enjoy … I adore … My joy is … b) When I listen to (classical) music it … pictures in my mind … makes me remember … makes me think of … provokes (evokes) the picture of … c) Music can … Music … our hearts and feelings. d) The music I love is … Being free I listen to … music. It depends on my mood. When I am … I listen to … music. e) The music I hate is … I switch off the radio when I listen to … music. I think music makes us …

What sort of music do you like? pop music martial rock sacred classical organ folk spiritual country jazz dance How can music influence people? appeals to … transforms … inspires … entertains … destroys … enriches … conquers … What music irritates you? cluttered rubbish tuneless dreadful appalling annoying boring foolish complicated sacrilegious

What does music makes you think of? happy days my early childhood different seasons days off a dark day New Year What music do you like listening to when you have free time? romantic amazing melancholy sweet sentimental soft catchy eloquent fascinating torchy passionate unforgettable appealing sensational overwhelming breathtaking

Answer these questions.*

1. What is your favourite kind of music?

2. Do the people you live with and your close friends share the same tastes in music as you?

3. Where and when do you listen to music?

4. If you could choose one musical instrument to be able to play brilliantly, what instrument would it be?

5. Do you like having background music while you are working?

6. How often do you go to the concerts?

7. Do you buy records, cassettes or compact discs? If so, how often?

8. What usually makes you decide that you want to buy a certain record (disc, cassette)?

9. Do you have one or two favourite performers (groups, orchestras) at the moment? If so, who?

10. What instrument do you most like the sound of?

11. Do you have an ear for music?