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Spinning

Spinning

Date: Dec 10 2007

Themes: Music, Work

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.

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

Amanda

Amanda

Devan

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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Yun Lee

China

I have a friend who is a DJ,i like him beacuse when he was working it’s very cool!

01:02 PM Dec 10 2007 |

babyfaceding

China

I think to be a DJ is really cool~~ a good DJ really can make the party or the whole disco gone hotTongue out

12:13 PM Dec 10 2007 |

Erin

China

wonderful

11:14 AM Dec 10 2007 |

tangle8000

tangle8000

China

it’s easier said than done

09:57 AM Dec 10 2007 |

yana011

yana011

Philippines

whoaa…Be a DJ is coool….yeahCool

09:41 AM Dec 10 2007 |

wrluna

China

when i was a little girl i had many many dreams about the further job.no pain no gain.yes,it’s ture.it is easier said than done.nothing in the world is impossible if u done it seriously.come on,u will be successful one day.

08:37 AM Dec 10 2007 |

Mouse20

Mouse20

Hong Kong

Great,it`s easier said than dome.no pain no gain.i love this sentence.but DJ is not so popular in the city i lived.

08:16 AM Dec 10 2007 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

when i was a little kid i wanted to form a band but since i was a full time rugby player i couldn't find time for that. I used to record songs and give to my girl friends in each and every special ocassion along with the gift. i used to record them such a way that it's appeals some sequence of first letter of special wish or her name. For a example if i want to say i love u,

I- I'll make love to u
L- lean on me
O- over the hills
V- Valarie
E- Eternal love

U- U mean the world to me

 

07:15 AM Dec 10 2007 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

i invite all the music lovers to be my friend

07:12 AM Dec 10 2007 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

when i was a little kid i wanted to form a band but since i was a full time rugby player i couldn’t find time for that. I used to record songs and give to my girl friends as a each and every ocassion along with the gift. i used to record them such a that it’s appeals some sequence of first letter of special wish or her name. For a example if i want to sai i love u,
I- I’ll make love to u
L- lean on me
O- over the hills
V- Valarie
E- Eternal love
U- U mean the world to me

07:11 AM Dec 10 2007 |

kamik2

Slovakia

I like scratching music also I love this lesson about it.

06:43 AM Dec 10 2007 |

heyoki

China

When I read this artical,I have known something and I enveied the DJ vevy much.

06:01 AM Dec 10 2007 |

vanz_jaf

Philippines

its interesting baby..

04:54 AM Dec 10 2007 |

447342062

447342062

China

i like music but i do not think about become a DJ player

04:49 AM Dec 10 2007 |

leobeyond

China

children often dream of what job they will have when they growup.Usually it’s easier said than done .
no pain no gain

04:38 AM Dec 10 2007 |

thisisbenmo

China

Well, I have never been a DJ, but I used to play the piano for a group of people. I chose what I love and played for them.

01:35 AM Dec 10 2007 |

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