Describe a place you know where people go to listen to music/a musical event (such as a theatre or a music hall).
You should say: Where it is
What kind of music is performed there? What types of people go there?
How you know this place
And explain your impressions of this place.
Sample Answer:
There are several occasions and places in our country when musical events take place in my country. I’d like to talk about a particular music event that takes place in my hometown and this takes place at the beginning of the spring. The event runs through 3-4 days and in 2-3 phases. In the first phase, the local music bands and individuals perform and complete in the event. At the end of the competition, three bands and three individuals are selected and are awarded. This is an important event as it makes the participants famous in the country. This event is broadcasted in local TV channel and in Radio. This event takes place in the city hall auditorium. Thousands of music lovers and people attend the event to enjoy the music and the competition. Several kinds of music are played and among them classic, rock, folk and contemporary songs are most famous.
In the second phase, some famous singers and musicians perform their own songs and people enjoy this very much. Lots of people from different parts of the country come to attend the show and enjoy the music.
I have attended the event several times and enjoyed every time to be there. The event attracts lots of people and a festivity goes on surrounding this event. I enjoy the music, the gathering and the festivity of this event.
Follow-up questions:
- What kinds of music are popular with young people in your country?
Well, thinking about it, I would say that there’s an increasingly wide variety of music types which are catching on nowadays in Vietnam, such as pop music of course, as well as rock, R&B, and traditional Vietnamese folk music. But out of all of these, I’d say that pop music is, by far, the most in vogue at the moment. And I’m sure if you steal a glance at anyone’s MP3 player here, you would find that the majority of the songs in the playlists on it, if not all of it, are pop music songs – at least that’s the case with all of my intimates anyway. - How would your grandfather feel if you gave him some hip hop music to listen to?\
What an interesting question! As I have mentioned earlier, modern music like hip-hop or rap is definitely not their taste. Having that in mind, I have never thought of recommending that sort of songs to my grandparents. - What are the differences in the music that young and old people listen to?
To be honest, I suppose there are a handful of differences, one of which would be that young people, on the whole, mainly like listening to pop music, whereas the older generation tend to be more into listening to more traditional music, like folk music, Vietnamese opera, and even old revolutionary songs. So that’s one difference, and I guess another would be that the youths often listen to Western music as well as Vietnamese music, whereas in contrast, I think it’s fair to say that most elderly people just tend to listen to Vietnamese music. - Why do you think people of different age groups have different favorite songs?
Simply speaking, people of different ages belong to different groups and each group has
its own norms. So, teenagers are under the influence of other members in the group and would go for the latest pop songs of current artists on TV or songs that go viral on the social networks. Meanwhile, the older and more mature group would rather look back on past values and prefer old songs that usually have something to do with their life some 40 years ago. What I’m trying to say is they can recall bitter or sweet memories from those pieces of music. - Is it necessary for children to listen to traditional Vietnamese music?
If I were to say, I don’t think I would go so far as saying it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s certainly a good thing to do, because it’s one way of helping children become more conscious of their culture. So for example, if parents occasionally put on some traditional music at home, it gives children the chance to develop an interest in this aspect of their culture, even though they might not be able to fully appreciate it. - Why do you think countries have traditional anthems or songs?
It is commonly believed that a national anthem shows and describes a country and its culture and I am no exception. It also shows unity and solidarity among people. It develops patriotism and nation-wide consensus. We feel very proud when our national anthem is played in international football and cricket fields and Olympics. - What do you think influences a young person’s taste in music?
It is quite difficult to say, but I think music, composition and lyrics generally influence the taste in music young people in my country like to listen to. Modern musical instruments such as key board, electronic guitar, drum, harmonica etc. also have an impact on young music lovers. Hindi music videos are very popular among youngsters. Now listening to music by mp3 players is a fashion to young people. - How important is it for a culture to have musical traditions?
Well, personally speaking, traditional music is very important for saving the cultural identity of a nation. Our traditional folk songs, spiritual songs, classical songs reflect our norms and practices, religion rituals, beliefs, social norms, education, our heritages, festivals etc. countries rich in music sector develop in the long run.