Hello, lovely people of the world.
I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory.
And we're the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast, the podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills along the way.
We started this podcast because we want you to know quality vocabulary and grammar you can use in your English life and IELTS.
Rory, did you know that since we started this podcast, we've had 214,000 listens?
Really?
That's music to my ears.
Oh, we're gonna be talking about music today!
In IELTS Speaking Part 1, they can ask you questions about music.
Music can also be one of the topics for your essays.
It also can be in Speaking Part 2, but today we're going to be talking about Speaking Part 1 questions.
Rory, do you like music?
Doesn't everybody?
I always think it's funny.
When I was doing online dating you'd see a lot of people on their profiles have something in their bio like I like music.
And I always thought, well done.
You like music.
You're not a psychopath.
I think that's just a given that everybody likes music.
You were doing online dating, Rory.
I was doing online dating, yeah.
I hope that I'll never do it again, to be honest with you.
Back to music.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I don't know.
Norm, I can listen to just about everything, but I think my favorite kind of music is sort of like dancey or upbeat music with well, with a beat that I can follow, for lack of a better word.
What kinds of music do you dislike?
I really hate And I'm so sorry for any metal fans who follow us as well, but I really hate heavy metal music.
It's just too loud for me.
That or erratic music.
My friend Dave, makes his own music and the idea is that there's no tune to follow.
At least i think that's the idea.
Sorry dave, if you're listening and i've just um, i've just misdescribed what it is.
You make um, but i i'm sure his music is great for people that like it, but i really don't, because i can't follow it at all and i don't like music that i can't follow.
What's your favorite band or singer?
I don't think I have one.
If we think about the kind of music I listen to sort of Stuff by Sia or Sigala is quite nice, but I don't have a single favorite band or singer.
Do you prefer listening to music alone or with someone?
Um well, alone usually, because I'm usually like walking to the metro station and I like to listen to music while I do that.
And it's nice because I can follow the beat and I don't have to divide my attention between having a conversation and listening to music.
And it's always a bit weird, isn't it?
When you're listening to music and someone is with you.
Unless you're singing together.
Oh, karaoke.
Yeah, like karaoke.
That might be okay.
But normal, like karaoke is not something that I normally do or ever do.
I've never done karaoke.
Maybe one time like 20 years ago, but probably not recent.
No, definitely not recently.
Go.
Tomorrow.
Karaoke.
No.
Yes, you're doing it.
I'm taking you to a karaoke.
We're gonna sing Russian songs.
Yes.
No, no.
We first go to Brussels to this restaurant to eat bugs.
Check out our insects episode.
And then we go to karaoke in Moscow on the same day.
Rory, do you ever go to live concerts?
Oh, God, I used to go to gigs again, like 15 years ago when I was really young.
But now not so much.
I just like listening to music on my earphones, I suppose.
And that's all.
I could go to a live concert again, but I think it would have to be something really special.
Does music influence your mood?
Well, it definitely picks me up sometimes when I'm feeling down.
And if you listen to baroque music, it's supposed to help you concentrate more.
But...
No, no, actually, no buts.
Generally, yes, I think it influences your mood.
Like you can see, when people are listening to happy music, they're quite happy.
But maybe it's mixing up cause and effect.
Maybe they're already happy and they listen to music because they're happy.
But for me, it seems like it influences your mood at the very least.
Rory, thank you very much for your answers.
That's okay.
When we talk about music, we should say listen to music.
Listen to music.
Is it always like that?
Can I say just listen to music?
No, no.
You always listen to music or listen to something.
Yeah, listen to me, listen to music.
You hear music, though.
It's like men.
They listen, but they don't hear.
No, they hear, but they don't listen.
No, vice versa.
So, we can listen to music on our earphones, yeah?
Or you could listen to them on your headphones, or you can hear it over a loudspeaker.
So, yeah, there's lots of ways to listen to music.
You could listen to it live if it's an orchestra or a band.
Yeah, life.
We write it like L-I-V-E, but we say it life, right?
Life.
So, we talk about different genres or kinds of music.
You prefer dancey music or dancey music?
Anything with a beat that I can follow, really.
I'm not a big dance music fan.
It's just the kind of music that I like listening to.
It's hard to describe, really, to be honest.
What's the beat?
Can you sing a little bit?
No, I can't sing.
That's the problem.
I can listen to music, but I can't sing.
That's what all music sounds like to a lot of people.
Yeah, that's the beat.
So you can follow the beat.
Or you follow the rhythm, right?
Yes.
Melody, you follow the melody, so you follow music.
And if there is no tune, it's difficult for you to follow, right?
Genres, we may listen to classical music, rock music, folk music.
Like Russian folk music, for example.
Background music.
You don't like erratic music.
What do you mean by erratic music?
Well, music that doesn't have a pattern to it, really.
I feel really bad now that I've described my friend's music like that, but I'm pretty sure that's his intention.
So yes, if it's not something that I can follow because there's no rhythm or pattern to it, then I don't like it.
I feel really bad, but I can't like everything, and you people in general can't like everything, so it's okay.
Yeah, it's okay.
It's fine.
You don't like your friends' music.
We can talk about lounge music or mellow music.
So if I prefer mellow music, what kind of music is it?
Is that calm and just relaxing?
No?
Yeah, lounge, mellow music.
So if you don't like heavy metal music, so you prefer kind of more mellow music, right?
Yeah.
We can say I'm a big fan of rock or I'm not into trance music.
Tastes in music are different.
So what are your music tastes?
Can I ask this question?
I suppose that well, if you're asking the question, then my friends would probably say I have no taste in music because I tend to like older singers.
But for me, I guess my taste is music. pretty broad it's eclectic which means that it combines different um kinds of music but um how can you say it like i'm eclectic or what my taste is eclectic a person isn't eclectic unless you've like made up a person of different parts So you say my music, my tastes in music are eclectic?
My taste in music is eclectic.
You usually only have one taste in music, unless you have multiple personalities.
Yeah, I have at least three.
Personalities?
Yeah.
Oh, golly.
Well, I'd say at least two, but maybe three.
Schizophrenic.
Hello.
Hello, I'm Maria.
No, no.
Schizophrenia is not multiple personality disorder.
We've got to stop this.
Yes, but I'm not a psychopath because I do enjoy music.
You studied psychology, though.
You should know that.
Yeah, yeah, I did.
Yeah, I did study psychology.
Right.
That's why I have three personalities in me.
Right, right.
So, back to music.
We talk about bands or musicians, right, or singers.
Also, we can go to gigs or live concerts.
What's the difference between a gig and a concert?
Um, to be honest with you, I don't make a distinction between the two.
For me, they're the same thing.
I guess a concert's more formal.
Like, if it's a concert, there's more likely to be an orchestra.
And if it's a gig, it's more likely to be a band.
But a lot of people use them interchangeably and it doesn't really matter too much.
Yeah, I went to a gig.
For example, have you ever been to a big music venue?
One time, a long time ago, I went to Clubland, which is like a massive dance music festival.
That was a very long time ago.
That was 15 years ago.
How old are you now, Ravi?
I'm old enough to know better, so let's just move on, shall we, from talking about my age?
He never answers this question.
Okay, so music venues is basically places. where you go to gigs, to live concerts.
About different tunes, we can say like a catchy tune.
I enjoy catchy tunes.
Do you call them earworms?
I knew that was coming.
Yes, but you only call something an earworm if it's annoying you.
So, for example, if I teach children and we sing... Baby shark.
How does it go, baby shark?
You've not listened to Baby Shark?
No.
I don't want to ruin your life.
I'm not going to tell you.
No, how does it go?
Come on, could you sing?
Sing a little bit.
I'm not singing.
I can't sing, so I'm not singing.
He doesn't reveal his age.
He doesn't sing.
Bother.
Right.
Rory, can you be tone deaf?
I can't only just be tone deaf.
I am tone deaf.
Oh, are you really?
No, I don't think so.
I just can't sing very well or play a musical instrument.
I guess that's something that I'll probably always regret about life.
But, you know, it's fine.
You don't have to be good at everything.
That's why you don't go to karaoke because you sing out of tune?
No, I don't want to go to karaoke because I don't like.
Actually, it's quite ironic for someone that's on a podcast and is a teacher, but I really don't like speaking in public.
It's kind of ironic, but there you go.
When we talk about music, we can talk about playing an instrument.
So, for example, play drums or play the drums?
Both.
I play drums or I play the drums.
Or in my case, I don't play the drums.
Because Rory is tone deaf.
Play the guitar, play the violin.
What other instruments do you know, Rory?
Play the triangle.
Play the triangle, yeah.
It's a really difficult skill, playing the triangle.
Yes.
Now the final question is, Rory if you were a musical instrument, what instrument would you be?
I would like to be a harp because they're quite tall and I want to be tall and they're gentle and I think that's.
Something that I'd like to be.
But in reality, I'm probably more of a tuba, where I'm quite loud and abrupt.
A tuba.
I'm a tuba.
You should Google this now, tuba.
I'd be a saxophone.
I'd be a sax.
Is that because you like jazz?
S-A-X, okay.
What?
Is that because you like jazz?
I love jazz.
Yes, I love jazz and I love blues.
Dear listeners, thank you very much for listening.
This is all from us for today.
We hope that you really enjoyed it and you've learned something new or had fun.
And we hope you'll take the time to listen to us like music next time.
Bye.
Bye.
Rory, do you like music?
Doesn't everybody?
I always think it's funny.
When I was doing online dating you'd see a lot of people on their profiles have something in their bio like I like music.
And I always thought, well done.
You like music.
You're not a psychopath.
I think that's just a given that everybody likes music.
You were doing online dating, Rory.
I was doing online dating, yeah.
I hope that I'll never do it again, to be honest with you.
Back to music.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I don't know.
Norm, I can listen to just about everything, but I think my favorite kind of music is sort of like dancey or upbeat music with well, with a beat that I can follow, for lack of a better word.
What kinds of music do you dislike?
I really hate and I'm so sorry for any metal fans who follow us as well, but I really hate heavy metal music.
It's just too loud for me.
That or erratic music.
My friend Dave, makes his own music and the idea is that there's no tune to follow.
At least i think that's the idea.
Sorry dave, if you're listening and i've just um, i've just misdescribed what it is.
You make um, but i i'm sure his music is great for people that like it, but i really don't, because i can't follow it at all and i don't like music that i can't follow.
What's your favourite band or singer?
I don't think I have one.
If we think about the kind of music I listen to sort of Stuff by Sia or Sigala is quite nice, but I don't have a single favourite band or singer.
Do you prefer listening to music alone or with someone?
Um well, alone usually, because I'm usually like walking to the metro station and I like to listen to music while I do that.
And it's nice because I can follow the beat and I don't have to divide my attention between having a conversation and listening to music.
And it's always a bit weird, isn't it?
When you're listening to music and someone is with you.
Unless you're singing together.
Oh, karaoke.
Yeah, like karaoke.
That might be okay.
But karaoke is not something that I normally do or ever do.
I've never done karaoke.
Maybe one time like 20 years ago, but probably not recently.
No, definitely not recently.
Go tomorrow.
Karaoke.
No.
Yes, you're doing it.
I'm taking you to a karaoke.
We're going to sing Russian songs.
Yes.
No, no.
We first go to Brussels, to this restaurant to eat bugs.
Check out our insects episode.
And then we go to karaoke in Moscow on the same day.
Rory, do you ever go to live concerts?
Oh, God, I used to go to gigs again, like 15 years ago when I was really young.
But now not so much.
I just like listening to music on my earphones, I suppose.
And that's all.
I could go to a live concert again, but I think it would have to be something really special.
Does music influence your mood?
Well, it definitely picks me up sometimes when I'm feeling down.
And if you listen to Baroque music, it's supposed to help you concentrate more.
But...
No, no, actually, no buts.
Generally, yes, I think it influences your mood.
Like you can see, when people are listening to happy music, they're quite happy.
But maybe it's mixing up cause and effect.
Maybe they're already happy and they listen to music because they're happy.
But for me, it seems like it influences your mood at the very least.
