Becoming a Musician
The BBC Learning English podcast "6 Minute English" explores the journey of becoming a musician through the experiences of two individuals, Bailey Tomkinson and Josh Robinson. Bailey grew up in a vibrant music scene in St Ives, attending open mic nights and songwriters' circles from a young age, where she was mentored by older musicians. Josh, a busker from London, started performing on the streets at 13, which became his main source of income and led to gigs and connections. The episode also...
1. Project Review
2. 1. Key Questions
2.1. What is life like as a musician?
2.1.1. Challenges:
2.1.1.1. Stress from fame/success (e.g., pressure from fans).
2.1.1.2. Financial instability (e.g., reliance on gigs or busking).
2.1.2. Rewards:
2.1.2.1. Creative fulfillment (e.g., writing/performing music).
2.1.2.2. Community (e.g., mentorship in songwriters’ circles).
2.2. How do you start as a musician?
2.2.1. Early Exposure:
2.2.1.1. Attend open mic nights (e.g., Bailey started at age 11).
2.2.1.2. Join songwriters’ circles to learn from others.
2.2.2. Skill Development:
2.2.2.1. Self-taught practice (e.g., Josh learned guitar at 13).
2.2.2.2. Perform publicly (e.g., busking to gain experience).
2.2.3. Building Opportunities:
2.2.3.1. Networking (e.g., connections from busking led to gigs).
2.2.3.2. Mentorship (e.g., being taken under someone’s wing).
3. 2. Musicians' Stories
3.1. Bailey Tomkinson
3.1.1. Grew up in St Ives, Cornwall.
3.1.2. Attended open mic nights and songwriters' circles.
3.1.3. Influenced by 70s music (James Taylor, Carole King).
3.1.4. Taken under the wing of older musicians.
3.2. Josh Robinson
3.2.1. Started busking at 13 in London.
3.2.2. Busking is his main earner.
3.2.3. Led to gigs and connections.
4. 3. Music-Related Vocabulary
4.1. Open mic nights
4.1.1. Noches de micrófono abierto
4.2. Songwriters' circles
4.2.1. Círculos de compositores
4.3. A bunch of people
4.3.1. Un grupo de personas
4.4. Take someone under your wing
4.4.1. Mentorship, Acoger a alguien bajo tu protección
4.5. Busking / Busker
4.5.1. Tocar en la calle / Músico callejero
4.6. Main earner
4.6.1. Principal fuente de ingresos
4.7. Gigs
4.7.1. Jams, Conciertos
4.8. Owe a lot to someone/something
4.8.1. Deberle mucho a alguien/algo
5. 4. Trivia
5.1. Artist with most UK number one songs:
5.1.1. a) The Beatles
5.1.1.1. 18 Songs
5.1.2. b) Ed Sheeran
5.1.2.1. 14 Songs
5.1.3. c) Elvis Presley
5.1.3.1. 21 Songs