Discussion Topic - Songs and singing

Discussion Topic - Songs and singing.

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview:

Q. 1. Did you enjoy singing when you were younger? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I used to enjoy singing when I was younger primarily because I grew up in an environment where people loved to listen to songs and music. Besides, where I was younger, I used to have a nice and sweet voice which made singing easier for me.

Q. 2. How often do you sing now? [Why?]
Answer: Unfortunately, I don’t really sing these days at all because I remain busy with my work and other important priorities most of the times. Besides, I have lost my sweet voice because of not practising enough which makes it rather difficult for me to sing these days.

Q. 3. Do you have a favourite song you like listening to? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do have a number of favourite songs which I like listening to mainly because I have grown up listening to these songs. Besides, these songs are sung by some of my most favourite and world-class singers who could touch our heart. Some of my favourite songs are "Yesterday" by The Beatles, "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen, "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan, "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd and "Hotel California" by The Eagles.

Q. 4. How important is singing in your culture?
Answer: Singing is very important in culture because seldom do we see any social functions or celebration (except, of course, some religious celebrations) where songs are not played. Besides, even when there is no occasion for celebration, we listen to songs in order to feel happy and enjoy some light moments in our life. In our culture,  almost every national event is inaugurated by singing our national anthem.


Part 3 - Details Discussion:

1. What are some popular types of music in your country?
Answer: Canadian people love to listen to all kinds of music, and that’s probably why Canada has the 6th largest music industry today. Anyway, some of the popular types of music in Canada include alternative rock (a style of rock music characterized as unconventional or outside of the mainstream commercial rock or pop music), progressive rock, hard rock, punk rock, metal and indie rock-folk music, rock music and pop music.

2. Do people in your country enjoy singing? Why? / Why not?
Answer: Yes, Canadians, in general, enjoy singing (and I can tell it from the way how some people around me like to sing), primarily because music plays an important role in our lives. It raises our mood, makes us excited, relaxed, and calm. It also provides us with a way to express our feelings and emotions. Many of us also consider it as an approach to getting away from grief, worries, and pain. In fact, because of this love of music, Canada has managed to produce world-famous singers like Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Neil Young, Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and Justin Bieber, to name a few.

3. How can songs represent the culture and tradition of a nation?
Answer: There’s nothing quite like a song to capture what was going on culturally at that time, and like a time capsule, it’s captured for eternity. The slang and language usage are so indicative of the times, and you can probably recall exactly when a song was made based on what is mentioned. The mentions of our thoughts, emotions, popular foods, festivals and celebrations, which are used in the songs, are some of the most telling and eternal key parts of our culture and tradition that probably would have otherwise been forgotten.

4. How popular are musicians in your country?
Answer: Musicians, especially the famous ones, in my country are usually among the most popular and sought-after celebrities in my country. In fact, some of these musicians are so popular now or have been so popular before that people keep themselves glued to different kinds print and electronic media in order to learn about their (the musicians) lifestyles and fashions. Besides, many people literally chase these musicians in the streets or at some shopping malls, either to take their autographs or get some pictures with them.

5. Some people think that songs convey emotions more accurately than many other art forms. Do you agree?
Answer: Yes, I agree with those people who think that songs can convey emotions more accurately than many other art forms, as it is in the music where words, the most powerful medium of human expressions, are cleverly manipulated or tweaked to express our happiness and sadness. The music reflects something profound about who we are as well as our experiences of the world around us. Of course, sometimes we try to use the intellectual and verbal expression of our feelings, but they certainly don’t do justice to the experience of our emotions as the music does.

6. Do schools in your country teach music to young children? Why? Why not?
Answer: Yes, schools in Canada do teach music to young children in order to enrich the lives of all children by high-quality school music programs where their active participation in music is valued and supported by the communities in our urban and rural areas alike. After all, all of our children have the right to opportunities to receive, through their core curriculum, well-rounded and balanced education in order to help create better citizens and a better nation.
