Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Vanessa Carlton is a young female singer-songwriter-pianist from Pennsylvania. She recently released here first album, Be Not Nobody, which includes the hit song, “A Thousand Miles.” Vanessa has a strong and beautiful voice, which she accompanies with outstanding piano playing.
Although she’s only 22, Carlton is a confident performer, and you can tell that she loves music in the way she sings. “A Thousand Miles” is the kind of song that’s impossible to get out of your head. Once you hear it, it rings in your ears all day.
Read on to hear what Vanessa has to say about making music.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
From Vanessa’s web site:
(About recording her first demo)
“Making mine was a total nightmare. I was 17 and living in Hell’s Kitchen, working five days a week as a waitress in lower Manhattan. On the weekends, I’d grab my four-track and make the long drive to my parents’ house in Pennsylvania because that’s where my piano was. With my father’s help, I’d record take after take until four in the morning, determined to capture ‘the perfect performance.’ Unfortunately, my dog had other plans. Each time I’d get to the end of a good take, he’d ruin it with a woof, and we’d have to start all over again.”
(About seeing herself on MTV)
“I remember watching it for the first time. I was in the studio and had just taken a break, when someone ran in the room and said, ‘You’re on MTV!’ We put it on and I just stared at the screen. After a few minutes, I just covered my eyes and started to laugh. It seemed so surreal. The night after that, I heard the song on the radio for the first time. It was all so unbelievable.”
(About playing the piano)
“I’d love to have people feel the way I do when I sit at the piano and play. I can play for hours without realizing how much time has passed. It’s always there for me. That’s how I used to feel when I danced. You get in this zone where you’re so in the moment and so in the melody. I also find that playing the piano intensifies whatever emotion I’m feeling right then and there. It’s very spiritual.”
Go to www.vanessacarlton.com for more!
Quizzes
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Discussion
I really like Vanessa Carlton’s album. It’s even better than I thought it was going to be. I think you’ll like it too. If you get a chance, you should check it out!
Have you heard “A Thousand Miles?” Do you like Vanessa Carlton? Come to the Music Mix message board and let us know!
Rock on,
Migs
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