TEXT 2 “__________________________”

1. Skim the first passage of the text. How would you entitle the text? Why?
Justify your choice.
2. Read the text. While reading match the headings with the appropriate
paragraphs:
Music is a part of all our lives. Some people create it or perform it, but we all listen
to it. Music is a part of our experience from childhood through adulthood, as part
of games at recess, in the shower with no one listening, in churches and schools, or
from a stereo at home or in the car. Many people have become sophisticated in
their use of music by learning to play instruments and perhaps even by learning to
read music. Experiences with music, thus, can exist with or without formal
training.
1. c) Definitions of Music
What is music? Music escapes easy definition, as can be seen from the following
statements. Music is sound that is pleasing to the ear. If pleasing means pretty or
beautiful, then much music is excluded under this definition. Music can be noisy,
loud, raucous—anything but pleasing. Music does not have to be beautiful or
pleasing to be music, unless one's concept of what is beautiful or pleasing is very
broad. This also is an inadequate definition of music that does not sound pleasing
to us but that may sound pleasing to others, or of music that has a larger purpose
than to sound pleasing. Such a definition excludes much Western European art
music composed in the last hundred years as well as much music representative of
some non-Western European cultures.
Music is sound and silence organized in time. This definition is to some extent
objective and includes all music from any place at any time. It avoids the
subjective. Much music so organized can to many people be noisy, weird,
displeasing, ugly, and "to my ears, it isn't music!" We, therefore, cannot define
music without the subjective factors of taste, judgment, and personal reaction as
exemplified in the common expression, "I don't know anything about music, but I
know what I like."
Music is sound that you want to hear as music. Sound that is not organized in some
fashion typically cannot be called music. Yet the roar of a waterfall, the sound of
rain falling on a tent, or the chirping of birds can be "music to my ears." These
sounds are not music in the objective sense but are pleasing, perhaps therefore
musical, sounds. In fact, the sounds of birds, water, whales, and other sounds of
nature have been taped and used in "organized" music. Conversely, all sorts of
drums, cymbals, and gongs; harsh, dissonant harmonies; and abstract, totally
unsingable melodies have been organized into music. However, is it really music?
As at least one student has asked, "What would prompt a person to write
something like that?" A piece of music incorporating sounds that might be
perceived as noisy can be music if you want it to be. Even if one does not like a
certain style of music, one can respect it, value its creative process, know its
cultural and social context, and, ultimately, grow from it.
As this exploration of the world of music unfolds, perhaps your sense of what
music is and what music is to you will become more clear, more understandable,
and perhaps more inclusive of a wide variety of this world's music.
2. a) Summary
What is unfamiliar music to some can be profoundly important music to others.
Music exists to serve different purposes—to entertain, to uplift, to stimulate
feelings and responses, to enhance certain rituals from a football game to a High
Mass. These many cultures, traditions, and purposes for creating music produce an
infinite variety of music of which we will come to know only a small part.
People always make judgments about music and develop attitudes, tastes, and
preferences. Most have a narrow range of likes, preferring those styles which they
know and with which they feel comfortable. This book will assist in building and
expanding on what is known, gaining understanding of what is less familiar, and
examining relationships—similarities and differences—among different musical
styles. Additionally, The World of Music just may broaden your own range of
musical preferences.
3. b) Music Is an Art
Great music, as with other works of art, can have universal appeal, may be
remembered for hundreds of years, and has a degree of substance that challenges
the listener and the performer. A great piece of art music encourages repeated
listening, performance, and study. One can explore and find subtleties of
expression and depths of meaning. Upon repeated experiences with a work, one
will not tire of it and will continue to find new awarenesses and understandings.
Such characteristics are not limited to Western European classical music, for a
number of other cultures have classical music traditions, their great "masterpieces,"
their own high art. It can effectively be argued that characteristics of high art music
can also be found in Western vernacular music, notably some jazz, new age, and
rock music.
The creation of great art and music that will last generations, if not centuries, is
very important in Western civilization, although the more common attitude
worldwide is to create something for immediate use, not for preservation.
Additionally, music from all cultures, as with all the arts, is a reflection of the
society in which it was created and, at the same time, helps to shape the future of
that society.
4. e) Music Is a Universal Phenomenon
Music exists in all nations and among all people and has existed as far back in time
as we know about people and their cultures. The musical languages, styles, and
functions have differed considerably.
People in different cultures value music for different reasons. For example, music
will sound different from culture to culture because social groups or societies
develop their own tastes about what sounds beautiful in music. They have their
own musical traditions. They have different reasons for using music in their
communities in such involvements as their religion, recreation and entertainment,
and public gatherings. They use different instruments and have different ways of
creating music; thus, they achieve stylistic differences. They also have different
attitudes about performance practices and audience/performer relationships.
However, all cultures have music because of its universal power to stimulate
emotional feelings and responses and to convey powerful feelings, moods, images,
and associations. Music also provides a means of communication for people who
desire common identity and who have common values and aspirations.
5. d) Music Is a Means of Expression
Music is an expressive language, for it can communicate feelings and images and
can generate aesthetic responses, responses that may be universal and transcend
cultural boundaries or may be culture-specific (nonuniversal). Music can generate
such feelings as joy, sorrow, pain, love, merriment, and spiritual exaltation. It can
also stimulate bodily movements, such as foot tapping, yelling or shouting as in
certain types of religious expression, and physiological reactions as the skin
tingling in response to a special musical moment.
Music can be romantic and sentimental; it can be simple and beautiful; and it can
recall special memories and pleasant associations (and probably some that are not
so pleasant). Yet, it can be harsh and complex, even noisy, reflecting certain
aspects of our modern, technological society. Music serves many functions. It is a
part of ceremony and ritual and something to march and dance to. It affects our
moods by entertaining, enriching, or relaxing us. It can help people escape
momentarily from the real world.
Music is able to move the mind, heart, and body in a wide variety of ways. It
stimulates responses ranging from excitement to boredom, from love to hate, and
from intense involvement to apathetic detachment.
3. Study the Essential Vocabulary of the text
to create/perform/read music створювати / виконувати / читати
музику
to escape easy definition уникати легкого визначення
noisy, loud, raucous music гучна, шумна, хрипка музика
weird, displeasing, ugly music дивна, неприємна, потворна музика
harsh and complex music різка й складна музика
romantic and sentimental music романтична й сентиментальна музика
simple and beautiful проста й красива
harsh, dissonant harmonies різкі, дисонансні гармонії
abstract, totally unsingable melodies абстрактні, абсолютно невокальні
мелодії
to entertain розважати
to uplift підносити, надихати
to stimulate feelings and responses стимулювати почуття та реакції
to enhance certain rituals підсилювати певні ритуали
one’s own range of musical власне коло музичних уподобань
preferences
to have universal appeal мати загальну привабливість
vernacular music народна (побутова) музика
to convey powerful feelings, moods, передавати сильні почуття, настрої,
images, associations образи, асоціації
expressive language виразна мова
to communicate feelings and images передавати почуття та образи
to stimulate bodily movements стимулювати тілесні рухи
to move the mind, heart, and body in впливати на розум, серце й тіло в
a wide variety of ways найрізноманітніших формах
intense involvement глибока залученість
apathetic detachment байдужа відстороненість
4. Find synonyms in the text to the following words:
to eliminate to exclude “Such a definition excludes much Western
European art music…”
strange weird “...can to many people be noisy, weird,
displeasing, ugly…”
to be to be “Music is sound and silence organized in time.”
reordered organized
hoarse raucous “Music can be noisy, loud, raucous...”
to chatter to chirp “...the chirping of birds can be ‘music to my
ears.’”
to induce to stimulate “...music because of its universal power to
stimulate emotional feelings...”
as a result therefore “We, therefore, cannot define music without the
subjective factors...”
exquisite beautiful “Music can be romantic and sentimental; it can be
simple and beautiful...”
to arrange to organize “...have been taped and used in ‘organized’
music.”
moreover additionally “Additionally, The World of Music just may
broaden your own range...”
14. Write an essay on the topic “The Role of Music in Moulding a
Personality”.
The Case of Kanye West
Music is more than a combination of sounds. It is an expressive language that can
communicate feelings and images, stimulate emotional responses, and deeply
influence how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. One of the most striking
examples of how music can shape a personality is the life and career of Kanye
West. His journey as an artist proves that music can do more than just entertain—
it can define identity. And it is needed to make a disclaimer – I’m going to speak
about his earlier career and I don’t support his present doings.
From the beginning of his career, Kanye was known for creating and performing
music that felt new and personal. He started with soulful beats and vernacular
music samples, and built complex tracks filled with emotional honesty. Some of
his works combined romantic and sentimental music and other were full of
harsh and complex sounds, making his albums both powerful and unpredictable.
Kanye’s style is also known for its changes. His early albums, like The College
Dropout and Heartbreak, were simple and beautiful, while later albums, like
Yeezus and Vultures, were noisy, loud, raucous, and even shocking to some
listeners. These changes reflect his personality: bold, emotional, and often
misunderstood. His music has universal appeal for many people, even if it sounds
weird or displeasing to others. It is hard to listen to his music for the first time,
but give it a couple more minutes and you will be chained. His ability to mix
unmixable and create actual music from it is unbelievable. And that’s how he
moulds not just the personalities of his listeners, he also sets trends for other rap
singers. He shows them new ways of expressing thoughts and delivering messages
through music.
Throughout his career, Kanye has used music to uplift, to stimulate reactions, and
to speak about important issues like race, mental health, and fame. He often
expresses confidence - sometimes too much - which is part of his public image.
This boldness can be seen as bravado: a way to keep up appearances, even when
facing personal struggles. At other times, he shows apathetic detachment, as if he
has no interest in what others think.
Still, his music continues to move the mind, heart, and body in a wide variety of
ways. Whether it’s through strong beats, deep lyrics, or unexpected melodies,
Kanye’s songs leave an impact. Even his more abstract, unsingable melodies
challenge people to listen differently and to expand their own range of musical
preferences.
In conclusion, Kanye West is an example of how music doesn’t just reflect a
personality—it can help shape one. His career proves that music can be used to
express identity, explore emotions, and connect with the world in a powerful way.