Learn English with this music English lesson

Intro

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

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• Americana music
• core
• tap into
• into the spotlight

• collaborate
• hit single
• debut
• simplicity

• give it a go

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

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The Lumineers is a folk rock band started by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites. They began to collaborate in 2005, adding band members and eventually releasing the hit single “Ho Hey” in 2012. The Lumineers’ self-titled debut album has been extremely successful in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.

The band is proud of the simplicity of their music. “Anyone who can play an instrument can play a Lumineers song,” says Fraites. Are you skilled in music? Go on… give it a go. Listen in on Mason and Greta’s conversation about The Lumineers in this music English lesson.

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.

Mason

Greta

Mason:  You know what song I just can’t get out of my head lately?

Greta:  No. What song is that?

Mason:  That “Hey Ho” song by The Lumineers.

Greta:  You know, I don’t know if I’ve heard it.

Mason:  I’m pretty sure you have. It’s kind of been everywhere lately. Like, it’s one of those folk Americana Renaissance songs. There are a few bands that are really tapping into that spirit right now.

Greta:  Is it an American band?

Mason:  It is. So, it’s actually… I went and looked them up, the guys who started it have been playing for seven or eight years. But then they didn’t really get the core band together until about a year ago. This is their first album. By all accounts, it’s doing pretty well. Like number one or two.

Greta:  Interesting. Where are they from?

Mason:  They’re from New Jersey where you’ve got the kids from the city who just want to tap into this rural folk music tradition.

Greta:  Interesting. And the band is called The Lumineers?

Mason:  Yeah. It’s definitely part of what’s going on right now in terms of that nostalgic… I personally think and hope it’s kind of the natural reaction to just the overproduced pop stuff where you have things that sound grittier. You hear the people singing in echo-ey rooms and stuff like that.

Greta:  It has that Americana feel to it.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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