English, baby!

Spinning

Date: Dec 10 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

How hard can spinning records be? You play music for yourself at home all the time, right?

It seems easy to be a DJ until you’ve got a room full of people listening to the music you select. Club DJs have to choose songs that people in the club will like and play them in an order that makes sense. It’s easier said than done, because one mistake and the whole dance floor can be empty.

DJ stands for disc jockey, which is anyone who plays pre-made music for an audience. There are lots of different kinds of DJs. People who play prerecorded songs on the radio are called DJs. The guy scratching and making the beat behind your favorite rapper? He’s a DJ too.

Listen to Devan and Amanda talk about how they both had ambitions of becoming DJs when they were younger.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amanda

Devan

Amanda: So, when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a DJ when I grew up.

Devan: Oh really?

Amanda: Yeah. Was that even on your radar when you were a child?

Devan: Not when I was a child. When I got into high school I bought a pair of turn tables for 50 bucks.

Amanda: I love it. Do you still have those?

Devan: Oh yeah. I still have ‘em. And then I bought a handful of records and made one tape. That was it. That’s as far as I ever got.

Amanda: What did you want to do with it? Like when you made that tape did you wanna like get it out there or give it to friends?

Devan: I used to play it at my work, and it was really bad. The sound would go out every few times because I didn’t understand how to turn the controllers. It was really bad.

Amanda: Well it’s kind of weird. It’s like, releasing your tape or getting out to people, it’s something you’re kind of self-conscious about because only you got what went into it and if someone doesn’t really understand what you’re trying to do it’s…I’m not sure I could take critique for it. It would be so hard. But, um, I think it’s really cool that nowadays it’s not so strange for a woman to be a top-skilled DJ.

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Discussion

Children often dream of what job they’ll have when they grow up. Usually they dream of being a doctor or a soldier or an astronaut. It’s very unusual for a young child to dream about becoming a DJ, but when Amanda was little she used to do just that.

Becoming a DJ didn’t occur to Devan until she was in high school. She bought the necessary equipment and began learning how to DJ. She made a tape that she played at the place she worked. It wasn’t very good because she didn’t know how to use the equipment very well yet.

Amanda admires Devan for showing her tape to other people. She says it’s hard to show other people something you’ve made because they will often be critical of it. She adds that she thinks it’s cool that more and more women are becoming DJs because historically DJs have typically been men.

Have you ever chosen the music for a group of people? How did it go? Do you like to go to places where there’s a DJ or do you prefer live music?

Comments

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iraqi4iraq83

Iraq

it is very nice to be a DJ, like crazy man

huanghuamei

China

I like to listen to muisc when I am at home lonely.

wulanhaote2008

China

are you a single-mother/

lily zeng

China

i like music just because they can make me relax, and in the different moods, i want to listen the different musics. i don't want to be a Dj, i think every people can choose what they like to listen, and there is no need let other's decide.

hades

China

i like music,especially the pop.like Michael Jackson.but i just listen,i cant dance with it becoz his steps is very difficult.sometimes,i stay at home and sing the songs.

christlee

China

yeah ,i do like the feeling sway with the shaking music chose by DJs, and they always have kinds of ideas to make you happy and relax. so i like that .but i think stay at home with the DJ's music on the air and do what you'd like is much more imteresting and make you a better feeling .when i was young ,i mean very young ,cause i am now just about20,i like to be a singer .singers can produce the feeling that share people what they want ,and change listeners thoughts .i think that is excellent .but still now ,i don't have a chance to do that ,i am studying something never has any contect with them.Thank you very much for you article, it make me think many of the old times .hehe!

Xiang

China

I seldom prepare musics for other people. Because I find that what I like most is not in the taste for the other people.

gunslinger

Brazil

I've never thought to be a DJ, but i wonder that is a great job if you like party and stay awaked all the night.

Christoph07

Germany

You must spend a lot of time to become a good DJ. I tried and saw how difficult it is. I have other hobbies . So I only listen and dance at good music from DJ's.

mem

Sudan

really when i was young i had alot of records from radio and tv i like music at all and i like this music we can make a remix of it but i could't make it well untill now ..

leechunnen

Taiwan

I think a good DJ is little like a good cook who can use diverse food materials to make many delicious dishes to delight people. They all need to know their materials very well and represent them in a different way to get people's appreciation.

ZoRRo

Azerbaijan

all works are harder than we think

fjoan

China

Yes,I thinks DJ is an important part in organization.

guoqi

China

i admit music is my favorite. but it just is my hobby,not my profession. i admire dancer and music productor for bring so much happiness and relaxssion to me. i resolve to become a electronic engineer when i was young. but you konw , they are so close between science and art. they are twins.so we can catologue they into the same class, the pursuit of beauty, kindness and integrity.

duanxiumeiabc

China

hao

brook-guo

China

it`s a good essay.it told me much about djs,a respectable and hard job.Most of us are usurally immersed into enjoying live musics and never pay attantions to DJs.it`s really a unusual occupation,especilly to women, let`s give our best wishes to them.