Do You Play?

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• academic
• right away
• get back into it
• make

• band
• every so often
• affected
• learning disabilities

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

A lot of us learn how to play a musical instrument when we are young. Some parents make their children take piano or violin lessons. Some teenagers are inspired by their favorite bands and decide to learn how to play the guitar or the drums. And of course, every so often, we hear about a child prodigy who is playing Mozart at the age of five!

Learning how to play music helps to teach kids discipline and focus. It also gives them the reward of accomplishment. It is possible that learning to read and play music helps the brain function more effectively in other areas of study, particularly mathematics and languages.

Although many folks learn to play when they are kids, they sometimes do not continue to play as adults.

Kevin and Amanda both play instruments. Listen to them chat about which instruments they play and how playing music has affected their lives.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Kevin

Amanda

Kevin:  Do you play any instruments?

Amanda:  Um, I don’t play any instruments very well. However, I was forced to take piano, trumpet, flute, and guitar lessons as a child.

Kevin:  Wow. Fantastic.

Amanda:  Yes.

Kevin:  Which did you like best?

Amanda:  I excelled at none, but I enjoy piano the most.

Kevin:  I think… When I was a kid, I was in the Suzuki Violin School for many years, like, thirteen years…

Amanda:  Wow.

Kevin:  And it was amazing. Like, I had multiple learning disabilities for my… so for my ear…

Amanda:  Ok.

Kevin:  It really taught me to concentrate and really helped me with memorization. I think music really helped me so much with my… in my academic life that I wouldn’t… If I ever had a child, I would have him or her playing an instrument right away.

Amanda:  But in your life today as an adult, do you ever play the violin?

Kevin:  Every once in a while, but not that often.

Amanda:  Really? See that’s the only thing for me. I just wish I could use my skills, my mediocre skills, today.

Kevin:  Well, you still have ‘em. You just gotta get back into it.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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