Text 2. Musical instruments. History and description
Woodwinds
piccolo
The piccolo is a type of a transverse flute that is pitched an octave above the concert (or standard) flute. It has a range of nearly three octaves and reaches the highest pitches of a modern orchestra. It is usually used for special effects in orchestra but is more widely used in concert and marching bands. It is played in the same manner as a flute would be played.
History: The piccolo was originally made out of wood and was featured in many prominent composers’ works. One of the earliest pieces to use the piccolo was Beethoven’s fifth Symphony. however, the most familiar use of the piccolo is in the end of John Philip Sousa’s “The stars and Stripes Forever”.
flute
The flute is the instrument that serves as the soprano voice in most bands, orchestras, and woodwind groups. Most flutes are made of metal and consist chiefly of a tube with a mouthpiece near one end. The musician holds the flute horizontally and blows across the oval shaped hole in the mouthpiece. At the same time, the musician presses levers on the flute, called keys. The keys. when depressed and released, open and close tone holes on the flute to produce different notes. The concert flute is the most popular flute, the other members of the flute family include the piccolo, the alto flute, and the bass flute.
History: The flute that is most commonly used in Western music, was known to have existed in China about 900 B.C. The flute reached Europe during the 12th century where it became most used as a military instrument in German speaking areas. This led to its formal name, the German flute. The flute then evolved into a chamber musiс instrument during the 16th and 17th centuries. These early flutes were often made in one piece with 6 fingerholes. During the 17th century the flute was redesigned and was built in three sections with joints which connected them together. Gradually, more keys were added to the flute, and it became a quite popular instrument for orchestral pieces.
English horn
The English horn is a part of the oboe family. It is also called an alto oboe because it is tuned one-fifth lower in pitch than an oboe. Its shape is similar to that of an oboe and is often played by the third oboe player in an orchestra.
History: Prototypes of the English horn appeared before the end of the 17th century. These instruments were curved and leather covered with holes in the body. It is believed that the oboe da caccia (hunting oboe) which was used by Johann Sebastian Bach was almost identical to the English horn. Its distinctive dark and plaintive tone has been featured by such composers as Hector Berlioz, P.I. Tchaikovsky and Richard Wagner.
Oboe
The oboe is the smallest and the highest pitched double reed instrument. It has a cylindrical wooden body with keys along the length of its body.
History
The oboe was invented in the 17th century by Jean Hotteterre and Michel Philidor, two French musicians. They modified the louder shawm into a new instrument, the oboe. By the 18th century most orchestras had incorporated oboes into the ensemble. Throughout history, several composers have written solo pieces for the oboe. These composers include George Frederic Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Clarinet
The clarinet, a member of the woodwind family, usually consists of a log tube with a mouthpiece at one end and a bell-shaped opening at the other end. Usually made of wood, the clarinet has tone holes that are covered by small metal levers. To create sound, the musician blows on a flat cane reed that is attached to the mouthpiece. As the reed vibrates, a full, rich tone is produced.
History
The clarinet was invented in the early 18th century by Johann Cristoph Denner, a German flute maker, as a modification of a folk reedipe. By the 1840s two complex systems of keywork had been developed for the instrument. Clarinets became common in orchestras by about 1780s. Early works featuring the clarinetinclude an overture written by George Frideric Handel for two clarinets and a horn and a clarinet concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Bassoon
The bassoon is a double reed instrument. It is made up of about 8 feet of cylindrical wood tubing. There are four joints in the bassoon. The double reed mouthpiece is attached to a crook in the highest joint. The bassoon has about 10 key controlled holes on the body and 8 finger holes. The musician plays the bassoon by putting his or her lips on the double reed, blowing through the instrument, and changing position of fingers on the keys and holes to create different tones.
History
The bassoon was developed in 1650 from the curtal, a similar instrument, which was made from a single block of word. the modern French bassoon was developed in the middle of the 19th century by a French firm, Buffet-Crampon. The German bassoon was perfected by Wilhelm Heckel, a German manufacturer. Each type of bassoon was played in different parts of Europe.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a member of the reed-sounded wind instruments. In its construction, it combines the single reedand mouthpiece of the clarinet, a metal body, and a widened version of the conical bore of an oboe. Most saxophones are curved at the bottom so they resemble the bass clarinet. A few, such as the soprano saxophone, are straight and look very similar to a clarinet. The saxophone body contains 20 openings that are covered by keys. These keys can be opened or closed in groups by a musician by depressing or releasing 6 studs, or finger plates. Two additional holes are located on the body of the instrument to produce notes above or below the normal range of the instrument.
History.
The saxophone was invented around 1840 by a Belgian instrument maker named Adolph Sax. In 1844 saxophones first appeared in symphonic orchestras. However, pieces were only occasionally written to include saxophones. It wasn’t until the 20th century in America when saxophones became popular because of their association with the development of jazz.
Brass
Trumpet
The trumpet is a popular brass instrument that is played in both bands and orchestras. The trumpet player produces tones by vibrating his or her lips and blowing into a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
History
Trumpets, which were first made from conch shells, have been used since ancient times as ritual instruments in many cultures. Silver and bronze trumpets with long straight tubes and flared bells still survive from ancient Egypt. Later, in medieval Europe several versions of the trumpet developed. Trumpets with long straight tubes began to be replaced by shorter trumpets with curled tubes. At this time the trumpet was brilliant but it had a very limited note range. By the 1800s, instrument builders sought to build a trumpet that could play a full chromatiс scale.This goal was achieved in the 1820s by adding valves to the trumpet.
French horn
The French horn or the orchestral horn, is a member of the brass family. It consists of a metal tube that is about 12 feet long. The tube is coiled into a circular shape which flares as a bell at the base of the instrument. A musician plays the French horn by vibrating his or her lips in funnel shaped mouthpiece. The musician can change the pitch of the instrument by moving the three valves and by changing his or her lip tension.
History
The French horn was developed about the 1650s in France and is a large version of the smaller crescent-shaped horns that existed at the time. The French hunting horn produced about 12 tones and entered the orchestra in the 1700s. By the 1750s the horn gained greater flexibility when hand-stopping was developed. It is the position when the musician puts his or her hand in the bell of the instrument. However, the horn did not make its next evolutionary step until the 19th century when valves were added. This allowed the musician to alter the length of the tubing by depressing or releasing the valves.
Trombone
The trombone is a brass-wind instrument that is most typically used as the tenor voice in a brass section. It has a cup-shaped mouthpiece, a slide mechanism, and a 9 foot tube that is folded to overlap in the center. Most trombones are made out of brass though some are sometimes nickel plated.
History
The early trombone, called a sackbut, was almost exactly identical to the modern trombone with a few exceptions. In the early trombone, the metal that was used to create the instrument was thicker and the bell of the instrument was narrower. This produced a softer mellower tone which was favored in church and chamber music. The use of the trombone declined in the early 1700s except in town bands where it remained prevalent. however, toward the end of the 18th century, the trombone began to used in the expanding military. Early orchestral compositions with the trombone included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Ludvig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. But it was not until 1850 when the trombone was firmly established in the orchestra.
Euphonium
The euphonium is a member of the tuba family. It is also known as the tenor tuba and it is the most popular tuba instrument. It has three or four valves and is most commonly used in concert and marching bands.
Tuba
Tuba is the general name for several musical instruments which are the newest additions to the brass family. Tubas are the largest instruments in the brass family and also have the lowest pitch. The tuba, unlike most other brass instruments is held vertically when it is played. The most popular type of a tuba is the baritone tuba, also known as the euphonium. The upright tuba is usually used in symphony orchestra.
History
The tuba was patented in 1835 by Friedrich Wilhelm Wieprecht (a Prussian bandmaster) and Johann Gottfried Moritz (a German builder). It was one of their several attempts to provide the wind band with a suitable brass bass instrument.
Strings
Violin
The violin, which is probably the best known orchestral instrument, is a stringed instrument that is played with a bow. The violin is the highest pitched member of the violin family, which also includes the viola, the cello, and the double bass. The violin consists of several main parts: the front, the ribs, the neck, the fingerboard, the pegbox, the scroll, the bridge, the tailpiece, the f-holes. The front and the sound-board are made of well-seasoned spruce, while the back is made of well-seasoned maple.
When a violin is made, the front, back and ribs are joined together to create a hollow sound box. The four strings of the violin are fastened to the tailpiece, rest on bridge of the violin, are suspended over the fingerboard and run to the pegbox. At the pegbox they are attached to the tuning pegs which can be turned to alter the pitch of the string. By changing the position of his or her fingers on the fingerboard, different pitches are made. Then the player draws a bow across the strings at a right angle to produce a tone. The bow that is used is a narrow, slightly curved stick made of Pernambuco. It is about 75 cm. long and has a band of horse hair strung from one end to the other. Among the most useful characteristics of the violin is its musical tone and its ability to play very rapid, brilliant figurations as well as lyrical melodies. violinists also create special sounds by using the following techniques: pizzicato (plucking the strings rather than playing with a bow), tremolo (moving the bow rapidly back and forth on a string), glissando (steadily gliding the left fingers up and down the strings to produce a sliding pitch).
History
The beginnings of a violin can be traced to Italy in the early 1500s. It seems to have evolved from two other stringed instruments: the fiddle and the lira da braccio (a Renassaince instrument). The craft of the violin making began in the 17th and 18th centuries in the workshops of such artists as Antonio Stradivari, Guiseppe Guarneri and Jacob Stainer. The violins made at that time had a shorter neck, a shorter fingerboard and a flatter bridge than the violins of today.
When the violin was first used in classical pieces, it was considered to be an instrument of a low social status. But then through pieces such as Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, and through groups such as the 24 violond du roi (King Louis 13th band of musicians), the violin began to gain greater stature in thee world of music. This climb continued into the baroque period when many notable composers, including Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Georg Philipp Telemann, featured the violin in their works. The violin became the driving force in new instrumental genres which included the solo concerto, sonata, and suite. During this period violins emerged as the leading section in an orchestra. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that violin virtuosos emerged.
Viola
The viola is the second highest member of the violin family. music for the viola is written in the alto clef. violas vary in size, although they are always bigger and tuned lower than violins. Haydn and Mozart used violas in their works. The viola plays an important part in the symphony, although its solo repertory is limited. Other composers such as hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann also used the viola extensively in their works.
Cello
The cello, also known as violoncello, is a stringed instrument which is part of the violin family. It is played with a bow much like violin. It is also shaped like a violin but is much bigger. The cello is about 4 feet long and 1.5 feet across at its widest and thus it is played sitting down.
Supported by an end pin which is laced on the floor, the cello is then placed between the musician’s knees and played with a large bow.The cello, like a violin also has 4 strings and notes are changed on the instrument when the musician changes his or her fingerings on the neck of the instrument. The cello’s range can extend over more than 4 octaves.
History
The earliest surviving cellos date back to the 1560s and were made by the Italian violinmaker Andrea Amati. Until the late 18th century, cellos were not featured instruments, but played the bass line in an orchestra to add fullness to the piece of music. however, during the Baroque era, composers like Antonio Vivaldi and Luigi Boccherini composed unaccompanied cello suites. by the 19th century other pieces for the cello included concertos that were written by Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorak. Composers such as Sergey Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich further explored and expanded the cello’s capabilities as a solo instrument during the 20th century.
String bass
The double bass (also known as the string bass, bass viol, contrabass) is the largest and lowest pitched string instrument of a violin family. It is usually 6 feet high and has 4 strings. some basses have an optional mechanism that allows the player to lengthen one string, lowering the pitch.
History
Three strings basses were common during the 18th and the 19th centuries and survive today in Eastern European folk music. Until the 19th century, the only means of playing the bass was by a bow that was curved out. Later, musicians began to use a technique of plucking the strings or using bows that were similar to violin bows which were curved inwards. Basses have become to be used in orchestras and some chamber music groups. It is one of the most important rhythm instruments in jazz and popular music today.
Rhythmic Percussion
Drum set
The first drum sets were put together in the late 1800s sometime after the inversion of the bass drum pedal. This invention made it possible for one person to play several percussion instruments (snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals) at one time. the set developed as it was used to accompany jazz musicians in New Orleans during the 1920s.
As new instruments were introduced to the drum set (tom-toms and the high hat cymbal) in the late 1920s and 1930s, new techniques developed. Gene Krupa, one of the greatest jazz drummers of the big band era, highlighted tom-toms in his pieces and did solo using the drum set as the featured instrument.
The typical drum set usually includes the bass drum, the snare drum, cymbals and tom-toms.
Other percussion instruments included into the percussion family commonly are known as “toys”. Some examples of these can be: cymbals, triangle, gong, maracas, tambourine, and hand drums. Many of these instruments are very old and still are used in folk music.
Melodic percussion includes xylophone, harp. the xylophone is a mallet percussion instrument. It consists of a set of graduated wooden bars which are hit with mallets to produce a tone. They were used in Southeast Asia during the 1300s and spread to Africa, Latin America and Europe.
The harp is a stringed instrument and produces a sound by plucking the strings which are perpendicular to the body of the instrument. The strings themselves run between a neck and a sound box also known as the body or resonator. There are several types of harps that are classified depending on their shape: arched harp, angular harp, frame harp.
The modern orchestral harp has 46 strings. Arched harps are the most ancient in the family and date back to Egyptian times.
Task 1: Read the text.
Task 2: Translate into Russian the underlined expressions and sentences.
Task 3: Find in the text information and speak about the famous composers who either used certain musical instruments in their works or composed pieces for them
Task 4: Find information in the text and speak about the inventors of musical instruments.
Task 5: Speak about each family of musical instruments using the expressions from the text.
Text 3. A Tuba story
В первой половине XIX века в Европе завершалось становление романтизма. Результатом этого процесса стал ряд музыкальных реформ. Композиторов-романтиков не устраивали классические средства музыкальной выразительности. Будучи стилем ярких контрастов, неразрешимых конфликтов и тончайших оттенков, романтизм выдвинул новые требования и в первую очередь к составу симфонического оркестра, к исполнительскому мастерству музыкантов.
Именно на этот период времени (20-40-е гг. XIX в.) приходятся все самые значительные изобретения в области духовых инструментов. Теобальд Бём совершенствует механизм деревянных духовых, П. Ридль изобретает поворотный вентиль, и медные получают хроматический строй, Адольф Сакс задумывает создать инструмент, который свяжет медную и деревянную группы, и, наконец, именно в это время все европейские мастера пытаются найти то, что дало бы полнозвучный и подвижный бас группе медных.
В 1835 году немецкие мастера Виприхт и Мориц из Веймара изобрели инструмент, который назвали "туба" (лат. tuba – труба). Первая туба имела очень резкий и тусклый тембр, а несовершенный в то время вентильный механизм сводил к минимуму техническую подвижность. Решив, что конструкция по сути неудачна, мастера предали модель забвенью и перешли к поискам других путей.
На самом деле проблема была в неудачных мензурных соотношениях, что и доказал всё тот же Адольф Сакс, заинтересовавшийся "жертвой" немецкого эксперимента. В итоге ему и принадлежит заслуга в создании тубы того типа, который мы знаем сегодня.
Бороться за место под солнцем и добиваться признания новорожденной не пришлось. Возможности нового инструмента сразу же привлекли внимание композиторов. Первым в симфонический оркестр ввёл тубу Рихард Вагнер. Двадцатого января 1843 года на премьере оперы "Летучий голландец" публика впервые услышала в составе оркестра тубу (хотя сама опера, как известно, была написана в 1841 году). Правда, сейчас можно встретить тубу и в более ранних партитурах, но это всего лишь поздние инструментовки или замена тубой вышедших из употребления серпента и басового офиклеида.
В вагнеровском оркестре туба составляла самостоятельную группу из четырёх инструментов, а иногда и шести. Вагнеру же принадлежит изобретение "вагнеровской" тубы (другие названия - "валторновая", "байрейтская" туба). Этот инструмент правильнее было бы назвать "бас-валторна", так как он является басовым голосом группы валторн и относится к их семейству.
Solo тубы в произведениях Вагнера - тема отдельная. В процессе их изучения или исполнения невольно привлекают к себе внимание глубокие знания Вагнера о характерных возможностях этого непростого инструмента, мастерское применение различных его сторон. Есть solo лирические и проникновенные, есть героические и пафосные, есть трагические. Но во всех случаях это - solo, содержащее в себе внутреннюю силу, динамику и нежность, что и является сутью тубы как инструмента. Сам Вагнер не играл на тубе, но великолепно чувствовал её, что позволяет говорить о нём как о блестящем мастере оркестровки. Его наследие является для тубистов, пожалуй, самым значительным и качественным
Красиво и грамотно использовали тубу Малер, Рихард Штраус, Стравинский, Равель, Прокофьев и Шостакович. Большинство остальных композиторов, к сожалению, воспринимали её только как басовый голос в аккорде тромбонов и педаль в крайнем нижнем регистре. Естественно, исполнять такие партии доставляет мало удовольствия. Примитивность большинства партий, минимальные технические требования, лёгкость в освоении начального этапа - всё это не замедлило сказаться на общем исполнительском уровне тубистов. Очень часто даже в филармонических коллективах можно встретить людей, которые играют на тубе откровенно плохо. В этом и кроется причина распространенного мнения о тубе как об инструменте неуклюжем, несовершенном и даже смешном. Семейство тубы довольно велико. Ещё в XIX веке были сконструированы тубы всех возможных строев.
Нельзя не сказать ещё о двух разновидностях тубы - геликоне и сузафоне. Геликон (практически вышедший из употребления) имеет, как правило, строй тубы in F, его форма адаптирована для игры верхом на коне. Этот инструмент был изобретён в России в конце XIX века и применялся в кавалерийских оркестрах. Сузафон (назван по имени изобретателя Д. Сузы, американского композитора и дирижёра, автора знаменитейшего марша "Звёзды и полосы") имеет строй тубы in B, его конструкция удобна для игры на ходу. Распространён в крупных военных оркестрах. К семейству тубы относится и отсутствующий в России эуфониум (в Европе его ещё называют теноровой тубой.) По строю этот инструмент соответствует нашему баритону, но имеет иные мензурные соотношения.
По объёму технических возможностей туба нисколько не уступает другим медным духовым инструментам. В последние десятилетия композиторы не стесняются писать для тубы двухголосие.. В каденции "Тубанетты" Пауэра для тубы и фортепиано композитор требует от тубиста исполнения гаммы си бемоль мажор в четыре октавы. Этим примером условно определяется рабочий диапазон тубы.
Тембр тубы очень насыщенный, плотный, мягкий, легко управляемый. Хрестоматийное соло тубы в верхней тесситуре - "Картинки с выставки" Мусоргского-Равеля.
Средний регистр - самый удобный, звучный и подвижный. В нём наиболее чётко прослушиваются все виды штриховой техники. Тембр близок к тромбоновому, но более густой и сильный. Такое звучание использовали в своих произведениях Верди и Брукнер.
Нижний регистр в различных нюансах звучит по-разному. На pianissimo он бархатный, шелестящий и самый насыщенный обертонами. Именно это качество тубы можно встретить в концертах и симфониях Рахманинова. На forte к густому тембру добавляется металлический блеск. Звук будто не умещается в инструменте, и туба начинает мелко дрожать по всей своей длине. Этот очень характерный нюанс широко применяется в современной музыке. Такую "рявкающую" тубу можно услышать, например, в финале песни группы Beatles "Yellow Submarine" в инструментовке Джорджа Мартина для Лондонского филармонического оркестра.
О тембре нижнего регистра следует сказать ещё и то, что он является причиной появления тубы в симфоническом оркестре. Кроме тубы, крайние нижние ноты могут извлекать ещё контрафагот и пяти-струнный оркестровый контрабас - сегодня их можно встретить только в очень больших оркестрах.
Наиболее полно возможности тубы раскрываются в составе брасс-квинтета (две трубы, валторна, тромбон и туба). Этим коллективам доступно исполнение абсолютно любой музыки. Лучшим из таких составов по праву считается "Canedien Brass". В его репертуаре есть и фуги Баха, и камерные произведения Моцарта, и сцены из различных опер, не говоря уже о джазовых композициях. К исполнительскому уровню музыкантов брасс-квинтетов предъявляются очень высокие требования, так как им приходится играть партии самых различных инструментов (а то и хоровых и вокальных голосов), совершенно не учитывающих специфику медных духовых. Далеко не каждое музыкальное учреждение, будь то филармония или консерватория, имеет возможность собрать пятерых хороших музыкантов в брасс-квинтет.
За последние двадцать лет произошёл стремительный рост мирового исполнительского уровня игры на тубе. В первую очередь это связано с организацией Всемирного братства тубистов (T.U.B.A. - Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association). Оно образовалось в июне 1976 года и с тех пор все тубисты мира собираются три раза в год: на фестиваль, конкурс и методический семинар. Дополнительно к этому аналогичные мероприятия проводятся в каждой стране отдельно. Кроме России.
T.U.B.A. принимают в свои ряды не только тубистов- профессионалов, но и любителей, и просто интересующихся. Четыре раза в год выходит журнал на английском, французском, немецком и японском языках. В Internet также есть страницы организации
С T.U.B.A. тесно сотрудничают фирмы по производству музыкальных инструментов. Учитывая пожелания профессионалов, такие предприятия как Mirophon, Yamaha, Besson, и другие выпускают тубы самого высокого качества. Появление пластиковых сузафонов фирмы Yamaha (вместо очень тяжёлых медных) - результат рекомендаций музыкантов.
Туба - редкий инструмент. В симфоническом оркестре используется только одна туба, в духовом - две. В любой консерватории редко учатся одновременно больше трёх-четырёх тубистов. Для тубы написано довольно мало оригинальных сольных произведений, большая часть репертуара состоит из переложений. В России очень редко можно услышать солирующую тубу на концерте, и совсем нет аудиозаписей. Правда, в последние годы наметилась тенденция развития культурных связей между нашей родиной и цивилизованным миром. Благодаря этому процессу тубисты всё-таки получили возможность услышать хотя бы на кассетах таких великих мастеров как John Fletcher (первый исполнитель "Полёта шмеля" на тубе), Samuel Pilafian (непревзойдённый джазовый тубист-солист и по совместительству нынешний президент T.U.B.A.). Хочется надеяться, что когда-нибудь будет переведена на русский язык книга о тубе Арнольда Джекобса - крупнейшего педагога-тубиста, к сожалению, недавно ушедшего из жизни.
Task: Render the story in English, paying attention to the musical terminology.
| “Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven” Amel |
Musical professions
Text 1.
Composer– is a person who writes music. A composer can write music for a publishing company or can freelance. Composers can compose music for a specific person, for a group of people, for a movie, for video games, television jigles, and other mediums.
Conductor – is a person who leads a musical performance. It is his or her responsibility to lead and coordinate musicians in a musical performance or rehearsal. conductors must have extensive knowledge in all areas of music, as well as an understanding of musical foreign language terms. A conductor communicates the music through hand and arm gestures and motions/ Additionally, the conductor also makes eye contact with the musicians. It makes many years of musical study to be a successful conductor.
Performer– spends years refining his or her talent and musical abilities/ It is very difficult way to earn the living. Most professional performers have agents who help them to book jobs. A professional musician can be found providing music for TV shows, commercials, movies, and concerts. It is not uncommon for professional musicians to supplement their income by teaching privately.
Religious performer– is commonly referred to as a church/synagogue musician. Religious performers sing songs or play instruments to enhance religious services. In addition to a choir, sometimes there is a person, known as a cantor, who sings songs in a service.
Arranger– as an arranger, one must have much knowledge of music and exceptional skills in theory, and instrument transposition. An arranger takes a piece of music and arranges it for various media. arrangers will take a piece of music and orchestrate it so that a band, orchestra, choir, jazz band or a marching band will be able to play it. Фn arranger can also arrange music on different skill levels, so that the same song can be playable for musicians with beginner levels to professional skill levels. It is not unusual for an arranger to also be a composer.
Arts administrator –is aperson who oversees the day to day running of a musical program. This job requires a lot of detail, as you must be involved in all facets of a musical program. Arts administrators are responsible for making sure musicians are where they are supposed to be and are taken care of properly. This individual schedules performers for certain dates and oversees the advertising of the event. The arts administrator makes sure to schedule musical acts that people will enjoy, and provides for the musician’s comfort. Arts administrators try to make a presence in their community and use mediums such as radio and cable television to advertise their performances. To be successful in this field, one should have a background in advertising, communications, good people skills and a knowledge in the area of music.
Recording – a sound recording engineer is a very demanding profession. The job entails knowledge of music, music equipment and technology. In this profession, one deals with day to day operation of a recording studio. Sound recording engineers are responsible for recording many types of musicians: vocalists, instrumentalists, Broadway ensembles. or any number of other artists in the music industry. Schooling for this profession requires a bachelor’s degree in sound and recording science and an internship.
Technician – а musical technician is responsible for building and repairing instruments and musical systems. Sometimes technicians have an engineering background. They must have knowledge of musical instruments and the way they work. A technician must have good craftsmanship and have the necessary skills to know why an instrument won’t play and how to fix it. Many colleges offer courses in instrument repair.
Therapist – music therapy is the therapeutic use of music. Music therapists use music to aid in the treatment of their client’s problems. some techniques they use in this field are writing songs, active music listening, music improvisations, talking about the meanings and use of lyrics in a song, teaching about music, playing instruments or singing, and discussing music as it relates to imagery. Therapists are employed in schools, hospitals, birthing facilities, psychiatric facilities, or can choose to work in private practice. Therapists work with a variety of populations such as children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics. To become a registered or certified music therapist you must have a bachelor’s degree in musical therapy and complete a six-month internship.
Task 1: Read the text
Task 2: Match the skills required for a certain musical profession with the name of the profession:
Professions: a musical therapist, a musical technician, a sound recording engineer, a composer, a conductor, a performer, an arranger, an art administrator
| # | Skills | Professions |
| enhancing religious services | ||
| teaching pupils | ||
| arranging a musical piece for various media, or on different skill levels | ||
| overseeing the everyday running of a musical program | ||
| recording music | ||
| building and repairing musical instruments | ||
| using music for treatment of patients’ problems | ||
| composing music | ||
| performing abilities | ||
| leading and coordinating musicians in a musical performance |
Task3: Speak about professions connected with music. Share your opinion about pros and cons of every profession.
| “Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing” Lord Erskine |