【英语趣味课堂】即兴演奏会-Jam Session

Todd: Shirley, we're talking about your singing career and you sing at weddings but you also sing just at normal events right like at clubs and places like that?

 

Shirley: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, just at live venues² and having either a concert or a jam session.

 

Todd: OK, so what's the difference between just having just a concert or a jam session?

 

Shirley: As a singer you get a lot more control about what you would do and what kind of music you're going to do at a concert because that's really your chance to make you selection on the songs and the style of music and who you would play with and if you want to have a theme for the evening.

 

At a jam session, that's a little bit different again. Usually just musicians come together and every thing's completely unrehearsed and people just literally³ just jam which means they get together and they spontaneously play and sing and ...

 

Todd: So it sounds just like a party for musicians really?

 

Shirley: Usually the audience can get involved depending on the size of the venue¹. For example, a lot of places that I sing at are quite small jazz clubs so you're very close with the audience and they can ,you know, be clapping or just enjoying the spontaneity. There's usually a lot of energy in that kind of performance so I think that kind of leaks out into the audience and at the same time the audience bounces back that energy so it's almost like a conversation between the musicians and the audience and you get to feed off each other.

 

Todd: Right, so you feed off the audience, their energy.

 

Shirley: Yeah. Yeah.

 

Todd: Now when you preform do you get stage fright or do you get butterflies in your stomach?

 

Shirley: Yeah, enormous butterflies. Actually more like huge cockroaches⁴ fluttering around in there I think.

 

Todd: Yuck.

 

Shirley: Sounds pretty terrible I know but, yeah, I'm not an easy performer. It's kind of stressful for me before I get out there but once you get out there and you remember that the purpose for being there is to just give the audience a fun evening. Some relaxation⁵, some time away from their everyday lives and that they're there to do that as well, so I find that a kind of reassuring⁶ thought and I see it as my job to just give them a nice time.

 

Todd: Well, I've heard you sing and you have an amazing voice. You're an incredible singer.

 

Shirley: Thank you.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

spontaneous

 

 

They get together and spontaneously play and sing.

 

When something is spontaneous it happens suddenly with no planning. Notice the following:

 

A good public speaker can talk sponateously without looking at a script.

My father was very spontaneous. Always driving the family on adventures at a moment's notice.

stage fright

 

 

Do you get stage fright when you sing?

 

Stage fright is when a performer is scared to perform. They are frightened to be on stage. Stage fright can happen to anyone who is performing in public. Notice the following:

 

You knew he had stage fright because his hands were shaking.

I always get stage fright before I speak in public.

get butterflies

 

 

 

Do you get butterflies when you perform?

 

When you get butterflies, that means you get nervous about something you are about to do. It feels like you have butterflies in your stomach. Notice the following:

 

Many teachers get butterflies before their first class.

She looked so calm on stage but inside she had huge butterflies in her stomach.

feed off

 

 

It's almost like a conversation between the musicians and the audience and you get to feed off each other.

 

When you feed off people, like a crowd, that means the you get energy or confidence or ideas from them. Notice the following:

 

A good stand-up comedian⁷ can feed off the audience and include them in the performance.

The team fed off the energy of the crowd and played on to victory.

reassuring

 

I find that reassuring.

 

When something is reassuring, it makes people feel more confident or comfortable about something they were worried about before. See the following examples:

 

It was reassuring to see the policeman on the dark street.

The teacher reassured⁸ us that the test would be easy.

1 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

2 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

4 cockroaches   

n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句
• It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句

5 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

6 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

7 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

8 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》