VOA标准英语2011--International Folk Alliance Showcases Ne

The 23rd annual International Folk Alliance conference was held in mid-February in Memphis, Tennessee. More than 2,000 people took part in the week-long conference and trade show. The event began with an evening of honors.
Artist and activist¹ Joan Baez was one of three honorees at the 2011 "Folk Alliance Lifetime Achievement Awards and Honors." The other recipients² were filmmaker Les Blank and Jimmy Rodgers, the early 20th century singer often called "the father of country music." The ceremony also featured music from Grammy nominee³ The John Hartford Stringband, a tribute project featuring members of the late singer-songwriter's final band.
The Folk Alliance International was founded in 1989 to support the traditional music community. Today, the Folk Alliance has members from all parts of the world of music: performing artists, publishers, promoters, journalists, attorneys, and even music fans.
Sharing musical traditions is what Folk Alliance is all about, and this year more than 300 musicians were chosen to showcase at the event. Some, like David Bromberg, Suzy Bogguss, Steve Poltz and Kevin Welch are already familiar to attendees. One of the Folk Alliance's missions is the preservation⁴ and growth of folk music by promoting and developing new talent. Each year, hundreds of musicians, most of them unknown, are chosen to perform at the event. While all are noticed, a few artists usually generate "buzz," becoming the ones that everyone talks about.
"The Dunwell Brothers would definitely be the biggest buzz," said Louis Jay Meyers, Executive Director of the Folk Alliance. "Anyone that's seen them has just been ‘Oh My God!' They're mind boggling! The quality of the songs, the quality of the playing, the quality of the vocals⁵, the harmonies. Man, they're like Mumford And Sons times 10. With still that kind of folk-skiffle beginning point, but with a pop sensibility. And they appear to be really qualified⁶ players on top of everything. I knew they were good from the records we got and the videos we got, but I had no idea they were that good. I know that they're already been approached by numerous managers and agents, and festivals. From a business standpoint, I think it's already been a very productive trip for them. And again, it's their first time in the States, so what a great way to launch!"
While outsiders may see the Folk Alliance conference as nothing more than a week of fun, attendees view it as a serious business conference. The musicians who took over the downtown hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and played to audiences in ballrooms⁷, bedrooms and hallways, were doing it not for the applause, but to win over potential booking agents, managers, music critics, and radio programmers; in other words, the people who might be able to boost their careers.
Among those showcasing this year was Russell deCarle from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Russell is well known to country music lovers the world over as the lead singer of the iconic Canadian country roots band Prairie Oyster⁸. A member of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour with a stack of platinum⁹ albums and number one records in that country, Russell came down to Memphis to talk about "Under The Big Big Sky," his first ever solo recording¹⁰.
And, what brought him to Folk Alliance?
"To promote this new record and just what I'm doing now. A lot of people, I think, are familiar with my career thus far with Prairie Oyster," he said. "I've got to turn on a few people to what we're doing now, and start working down here, touring a bunch more."
But asked if it is a little different for him to be going into the guestroom at a hotel and playing a showcase set, he said, "Ah, not really. We have so much fun playing with this trio that, honestly, if we're playing for six people or 6,000 people, we play exactly the same. And if we have to do it [spread the word] six people at a time, we'll do it that way. But no, as long as we're playing, it's just great."
When pressed to name a performer that "wowed" him during Folk Alliance, Russell deCarle named New Country Rehab, a band from Toronto, Canada also named by many asked to name a "favorite find." Those polled mentioned New Country Rehab's clever original songs, inventive new takes on older tunes¹¹ and skillful playing as reasons why. The band's self-titled debut¹² disk has just been released, and is gathering¹³ positive reviews from critics across North America. One even went as far as to say New Country Rehab is "the guys everyone wants in their band, in a band."

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

5 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

6 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

7 ballrooms   

n.舞厅( ballroom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It was performed in fashionable Casino ballrooms. 人们在时髦的娱乐舞厅里跳这种舞蹈。 来自互联网
• Some settled into ballrooms or theaters or hotels for weeks or months at a time. 有的乐队在舞厅、剧院或旅馆作数月甚至数月的逗留。 来自互联网

8 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

9 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

10 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

11 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。