INTRODUCTION TO ACT I
Today on TUNING IN THE U.S.A., Richard Stewart and his friend Andreas Pappas are in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is the center of the country-music industry. Outside a famous country-music theater, they meet a musician. Jim Conaway is his name, and he gives them a very interesting invitation.
Act I
Andreas: [He speaks while riding in the car.] I think you turn here, Richard. Yeah, there it is.
Richard: Yes. That’s it. The Grand Ole Opry. It’s a very famous theater in Nashville. Almost all great country-and-western musicians play concerts here sometime.
Andreas: I think there’s a recording studio here, too.
Richard: Really? They record songs here? I didn’t know that. I thought it was just for live concerts. Shall we take a look?
[Richard and Andreas get out of the car. They stand outside The Grand Old Opera.]
Andreas: Do they give tours to the public?
Richard: I think so.
Andreas: What time do you think the tours start?
Richard: I’m not sure, It’s ten o’clock now. We can ask this fellow sitting with the guitar here. [To the man with the guitar] Excuse me. Can we ask you something?
Jim: Go right ahead.
Richard: Do they let people tour The Grand Ole Opry?
Jim: They sure do. But the building is still closed. It’ll be open in just a few minutes. And the tours start around eleven o’clock, I think.
Andreas: Do you work here?
Jim: Sometimes.
Andreas: Maybe you can answer a question, then.
Jim: I’ll try.
Andreas: We know about the theater inside. But is there a recording studio here, too?
Jim: There sure is. I make a lot of my records here.
Richard: Really? You’re a professional musician?
Jim: Yep. I’m Jim Conaway. I don’t believe I got your names.
Richard: Richard Stewart, from New York.
Andreas: Andreas Pappas, from Greece.
Jim: Greece! You are a long way from home. What brings you to The Grand Ole Opry?
Andreas: I’m just traveling, to learn about the U.S.A.
Richard: And I’m taking photographs all around the country. For a book about Americans.
Jim: Well, this is a good place to learn about Americans.
Andreas: Why is that?
Jim: Well… how should I say this? A good country song can give you a clear picture of an American’s heart, Country music is all about showing feelings, simply and honestly.
Richard: Andreas is very interested in American music. He has a radio show back home in Greece. It’s called….
Andreas: Music from Around the World.
Jim: Maybe you’ll play one of my records sometime.
Andreas: I’d like to.
Jim: I’ll tell you what. I’ve got a record to make in a few minutes. You seem interested. Why don’t you come in and watch us work?
Andreas: Really?
Richard: We’d love to, Mr. Conaway.
Jim: Call me Jim.
INTRODUCTION TO ACT II
This time on TUNING IN THE U.S.A., Richard Stewart and Andreas Pappas are in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting a famous theater called The Grand Ole Opry. It’s a place for country music concerts. Many musicians also come there to use its fine recording studio. One country musician, Jim Conaway, is recording there today. And Richard and Andreas are in luck because Jim is taking them into the recording studio to hear the making of a song.
ACT II
Jim: Here’s the recording studio. I record a lot of my songs here.
[The door to the recording studio opens. A woman enters.]
Jim: Good morning, Louise.
Louise: Oh, hi, Jim. How’re you doing?
Jim: Just fine, thanks. What are you working on?
Louise: I’m working on yesterday’s tape.
Jim: I brought some friends to watch the session today.
Louise: Hi, fellas.
Jim: This Richard. He’s a photographer from New York.
Richard: Nice to meet you.
Jim: And this is Andreas. He’s here all the way from Greece.
Andreas: Hello.
Louise: Welcome to Nashville.
Richard: Are you a recording engineer, Louise?
Louise: That’s right. I’m the engineer. I set up and work the equipment-you know, the tape recorders and the microphones.
Jim: She dose more than that. She’s wonderful with this equipment. I always work with Louise. With other engineers, you can play a song one way, and the record can sound totally different. But with Louise, the record will be just like hearing me play.
Lo: Why don’t you show’em, Jim? Sing a line.
Ji: Ok. [He sings.] Sometimes I lie awake at night.
Lo: Now it sounds this way on the tape. [She plays the tape.]
Ji: That’s me, all right.
An: But you add a lot of other instruments to it.
Ji: That’s right. That’s called multitrack recording-different instruments on different tracks. Let them hear the other tracks, Louise.
Lo: Ok. Here are the drums. And here, comes the bass guitar.
Ji: You hear that? It’s a big sound now. I couldn’t make that alone.
Ri: This technology is fantastic! You can add all kinds of interesting sound.
An: And I’ll bet the big sound helps to sell your songs.
Jim: That’s right, boys. But it’s still me, simple and direct. That’s the beauty of the music. |