Preparing for a Recital
A student and their teacher finalize song selections and discuss performance techniques and stage presence in preparation for an upcoming music recital.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
recital
A recital is a public performance where a musician plays pieces of music, often in front of an audience like at a school event.
confident
Confident means feeling sure of your abilities and not worried about failing, like when you know you can play a song well.
shaky
Shaky describes something that is not steady or reliable, such as a performance where you might make mistakes in fast parts.
technique
Technique refers to the skill and method used to play a musical instrument correctly and smoothly.
melody
A melody is the main tune or series of notes in a piece of music that you can easily remember and hum.
nerves
Nerves means feelings of anxiety or worry, especially before a big event like a performance.
convey
To convey means to express or communicate a feeling or idea clearly, like showing emotion through your music.
stage presence
Stage presence is how confidently and engagingly you perform in front of an audience, including your body language and attitude.
eye contact
Eye contact is looking directly into someone's eyes when talking or performing to show confidence and connection.
posture
Posture is the way you hold your body when standing or sitting, like keeping your back straight for a professional look.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
How are you feeling about playing 'Clair de Lune' and 'Für Elise'?
This sentence uses 'How are you feeling about' to ask someone's opinion or emotions on a specific task. It's useful for checking confidence in activities like lessons. Grammar: Present continuous for current feelings.
I feel pretty confident with 'Clair de Lune' now, but 'Für Elise' still feels a bit shaky.
This shows contrast with 'but' to express mixed feelings. 'Pretty confident' means quite sure, and 'a bit shaky' means slightly unstable. Useful for describing progress in learning. Grammar: Adjectives like 'confident' and 'shaky' describe states.
That's completely understandable.
This is a polite way to agree and show empathy. Use it to acknowledge someone's concerns without arguing. It's common in supportive conversations like teacher-student talks.
Why don't we shift 'Für Elise' to a later recital and instead, let's look at that simpler Chopin Nocturne?
This suggests a change using 'Why don't we' for proposals and 'instead' for alternatives. Helpful for making adjustments in plans. Grammar: Imperative 'let's' for suggestions.
It would definitely ease some of my nerves.
This uses conditional 'would' to talk about future benefits and 'ease nerves' idiom for reducing anxiety. Use it when discussing ways to feel less worried before events.
Remember to really convey the emotion in 'Clair de Lune'.
This is advice using 'remember to' for reminders. 'Convey the emotion' means express feelings through performance. Useful for giving tips on arts or presentations. Grammar: Infinitive after 'remember'.
Make eye contact with the audience before you start.
Imperative form 'Make' gives direct instructions. It's practical for performance advice, emphasizing connection with viewers. Use in contexts like public speaking or shows.
You'll do wonderfully. Just keep practicing those key sections.
This encourages with future 'You'll do' and 'wonderfully' for excellent performance. 'Keep practicing' means continue the action. Great for motivation in learning situations. Grammar: Future simple for predictions.