Instructions
Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.
Transcript
Interviewer: Hi, Ella!
Ella: Hello!
Interviewer: Thanks for talking to me today. What do you want to talk about?
Ella: Well, I love music. So I'd like to talk about music.
Interviewer: Fantastic.
Ella: As you might be able to tell, my accent isn't from the UK. I was born in Canada but I live in Manchester now and I'm so happy that I do because I love the music scene there. It's really interesting: the history that's come from the acid house movement through bands like the Happy Mondays, the Dillons, through the culture of clubbing that came from the Hacienda has now left this really cool community of artists of all different genres who still gig and perform there in Manchester. It's really cool hanging out in the Northern Quarter. It's an area that used to be mills back in the industrial era of Manchester but now it's turned into coffee shops and clubs and restaurants.
Interviewer: Cool! And do you make music yourself?
Ella: Yes. I play guitar and piano and I sing. And getting to play with the other musicians there has introduced me to playing a lot more electronic instruments as well, like drum sequencers, playing with Ableton and playing with DJs. What's really interesting about Manchester is the musicians in Manchester focus a lot more on what they love to make than, in my opinion, musicians in London. Musicians in Manchester really like to focus in on the time they spend in the studio and the time they spend creating, forming smaller and smaller communities to hone into a weird or specific sound, whereas in London people are a lot more out and about, and they like performing and socialising and being around each other.
Interviewer: Mmm. Do you think you'll stay living in Manchester for a long time or are you planning to go back to Canada?
Ella: I really like Manchester. I think I'll stay there because the smaller population has meant that the community is a lot more connected and we see each other by circumstance a lot more frequently. So, yes, I would like to stay in Manchester!
Interviewer: Great. Thank you very much for talking to us.
Ella: Yes – thank you.
Why I can't download the audio? It's unavailable to listen
Hello togzhantrtv,
Did you try right-clicking on the audio player and then choosing 'Save As'? That worked for me just now, and the audio also played for me.
If it's still not working for you, I'd suggest trying a different browser or device and seeing if it works there.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
I am not much into music although I do listen to some catchy tunes whenever I hear someone listening to it but I don't go out of my way to download songs or compile a song list. I'm not quite certain as to the type of music people in my area listen to but my wild guess would be depending on their academic background as those who are western educated would most likely listen to western bands like Maroon 5, Metallica and so on while others might listen to local bands and singers at home or on their stereo while driving as clubs are not really popular around here.
For me, music is one of the most important things of my life. Music makes me feel relaxed after hard-working days and help my recovery from depression. I am a real Kpop fan. GOT7 is my favorite band all the time. I've supported them for 6 years. I am here to improve my English skills and hope that I can talk to my idols fluently. Amazing website. Thanks a lot.