Daily English 1275 Working as a Musician

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:09
Explanation begins at: 3:34
Normal Speed begins at: 16:14

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,275 – Working as a Musician.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,275. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California. Where else?

This episode is a dialogue between Harry and Debbie about working in the music business. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Harry: Our gig for this weekend is cancelled. They booked somebody else earlier but forgot.

Debbie: That’s a big bummer. I was counting on that gig to pay rent.

Harry: Maybe I can get some session work at the studio.

Debbie: I’m so sick of being broke all the time.

Harry: I know, but this is our dream. We want to be working musicians with a recording contract and worldwide tours, right? We agreed to devote all our time and energy to our music.

Debbie: That was the dream. The reality is that we’re not doing too well. I’m thinking of packing it in.

Harry: You can’t! We agreed to give ourselves five years to make it. We both agreed that it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Debbie: But don’t you ever feel like giving up?

Harry: No! All we need is one big break.

Debbie: All right. I don’t want to think about it anymore. Let’s rehearse.

Harry: I can’t. I’ve got to go.

Debbie: Where to?

Harry: To my brother’s restaurant. I agreed to wash dishes there tonight.

Debbie: What happened to devoting all our time and energy to our music?

Harry: Even people with dreams have to eat.

[end of dialogue]

Harry begins by saying, “Our gig for this weekend is cancelled.” A “gig” (gig) is a performance where someone is paid usually to play music in front of people – either a musical instrument or perhaps to sing. Harry says that their gig for this weekend “is cancelled,” meaning they were supposed to have a performance but now they are not. He says, “They,” whoever they are, “booked somebody else earlier but forgot.” “They,” I guess, would be the owners of the place where they were going to perform.

“To book” (book) means to make arrangements to do something in the future. We use this verb in a lot of cases related to travel. You can “book a hotel.” You can “book an airplane flight.” In this case, it refers to a hotel or restaurant or bar arranging for someone to perform music in their establishment where they are. Harry says the place where they were going to perform “had already booked somebody else but they forgot.” And so they also booked Harry and Debbie’s group.

Debbie says, “That’s a big bummer” (bummer). “Bummer” is an informal word, a slang term, really, that describes something that is very disappointing, something that makes you feel sad. It’s a word that was probably more popular twenty, thirty years ago than it is now, but you still hear it. Debbie continues, “I was counting on that gig to pay rent.” “To count (count) on” something or someone means to rely or depend on that thing or person. You are preparing for the future based on something you are expecting to happen. Debbie was “counting on the money” that she would have received from that performance, that gig, to pay her rent.

Harry says, “Maybe I can get some session work at the studio.” A “studio” (studio) is a room or building where music is recorded. “Session (session) work” refers to time spent playing an instrument or singing with another group or band. Here in Los Angeles, for example, there are a lot of music studios and a lot of musicians, many of whom work doing session recordings. They are not recording for their own bands. They are working with other musicians, other bands, other singers and playing with them. “Session work” is something many professional musicians count on in order to make a living – in order to have enough money to live.

Debbie says, “I’m so sick of being broke all the time.” If someone is “sick of” something, he is tired of it. He no longer wants that particular thing. “I am sick of eating rice every day for lunch.” I want something different. Debbie is “sick of being broke” (broke). “To be broke” means not to have any money. Harry says, “I know,” meaning I understand, “but this is our dream.” This is what you want. This is your hope for the future. “We want to be working musicians with a recording contract and worldwide tours, right?”

Here he’s asking a question. Here he’s saying, “Don’t you and I want to be working musicians with a recording contract?” A “recording contract” is a legal agreement that you have with a music company. The music company pays you money and you record music that will be sold. A “tour” (tour) is when you go from one place to another, performing something – in this case, performing music. Harry and Debbie want to be musicians with a “recording contract” and “worldwide tours,” meaning they go and perform their music all over the world.

Harry continues, “We agreed to devote all our time and energy to our music.” “To devote” (devote) means to give your time, money, or other resources to a particular cause or for a particular goal. “I’m going to devote my time to studying Italian.” I’m going to spend an hour a day reading Italian to make my Italian vocabulary and grammar better. That, by the way, is an excellent way to improve your English, in addition to listening to our episodes. Read at least a half hour every day, and your English will get better over time.

Well, Harry and Debbie want to devote all of their time and energy to their music. Debbie says, “That was the dream,” meaning yes, that’s what we thought. However, she continues, “The reality is that we’re not doing too well. I’m thinking of packing it in.” “Reality” (reality) is the way things actually are – not what we think or pretend or imagine, but the way the world actually is. Real life. Debbie says the reality of their lives is that they’re not doing very well.

She says, “I’m thinking of packing it in.” The expression “to pack (pack) it in” means to give up, to stop doing something, usually because it’s too difficult. Harry says, “You can’t,” meaning you cannot pack it in. You can’t stop. “We agreed to give ourselves five years to make it.” The expression “to make (make) it” means to succeed, to be successful, to get what you want. Harry and Debbie told themselves, agreed to themselves, to give themselves five years to make it, meaning they would try for five years to be successful.

“We both agreed,” Harry continues, “that it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.” This is an old expression. “It’s better to have tried,” meaning it is better to have attempted something, “and failed,” and not succeeded, “than never to have tried at all.” Basically the expression is saying that you should try something even if you’re not successful, because it’s better to try and not be successful than never to attempt it in the first place. This is used to motivate people to get people who are having a hard time or who are having difficulties to continue on or to try something even though it might be difficult.

Debbie says, “But don’t you ever feel like giving up?” “To give up” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning the same as “to pack it in” – to stop trying. Harry says, “No! All we need is one big break.” A “break” (break) here refers to a good opportunity, a chance to do something. A “big break,” then, would be a good opportunity to be successful. They often use this term in the entertainment industry, such as music or acting, to refer to that one opportunity that will make you famous or that will give you the chance to be successful.

Debbie says, “All right. I don’t want to think about it anymore. Let’s rehearse.” “To rehearse” (rehearse) means to practice usually music, although we also use this verb “to rehearse” for actors who are getting ready for a performance, such as a play. Debbie says, “Let’s rehearse.” Harry says, “I can’t. I have to go,” meaning I have to leave. Debbie says, “Where to?” Where are you going? Harry says, “To my brother’s restaurant. I agreed to wash dishes there tonight.”

Debbie asks, “What happened to devoting all our time and energy to our music?” Harry was talking about how important it was for the two of them to spend all of their time working on their music, and here he’s now going to work in his brother’s restaurant. Harry explains, “Even people with dreams have to eat.” He’s saying that even though he has the dream of being a successful musician, he still needs to make money in order to buy food to eat.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Harry: Our gig for this weekend is cancelled. They booked somebody else earlier but forgot.

Debbie: That’s a big bummer. I was counting on that gig to pay rent.

Harry: Maybe I can get some session work at the studio.

Debbie: I’m so sick of being broke all the time.

Harry: I know, but this is our dream. We want to be working musicians with a recording contract and worldwide tours, right? We agreed to devote all our time and energy to our music.

Debbie: That was the dream. The reality is that we’re not doing too well. I’m thinking of packing it in.

Harry: You can’t! We agreed to give ourselves five years to make it. We both agreed that it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Debbie: But don’t you ever feel like giving up?

Harry: No! All we need is one big break.

Debbie: All right. I don’t want to think about it anymore. Let’s rehearse.

Harry: I can’t. I’ve got to go.

Debbie: Where to?

Harry: To my brother’s restaurant. I agreed to wash dishes there tonight.

Debbie: What happened to devoting all our time and energy to our music?

Harry: Even people with dreams have to eat.

[end of dialogue]

We hope our scriptwriter never packs it in. I refer to the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse. Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

gig – a performance where a musician is paid to make music in front of an audience

* Jenna’s classical music group has four wedding gigs this summer.

to book – to make arrangements to receive a particular service at a future time

* If you want to book that band, you’ll need to do it at least six months in advance.

bummer – something that is very disappointing and makes one feel sad

* It’s a bummer that you didn’t get the job, but I’m sure you’ll find something soon.

to count on – to rely or depend on something; to prepare for the future based on something that one expects will happen

* This is going to be an important speech, and we’re counting on our supports to be in the audience.

session work – time spent playing an instrument as accompaniment for another musician or band, especially while the music is being recorded professionally and while one is being paid

* Jim is a talented drummer who can make a lot of money doing session work because he’s able to adapt to many different styles of music.

studio – a room or building where music is recorded and edited

* So many famous musicians have recorded songs and albums in this studio!

broke – without any money; without enough money to pay for basic things, such as food and housing

* We’re broke. We need to get jobs as soon as possible.

dream – what one wants; one’s vision for the future; one’s hopes, ambition, and aspirations

* His dream was to go to medical school and to become a surgeon.

recording contract – a legal agreement between a music production company and a musician or band, governing how much music will be produced, how it will be marketed and sold, and how much each side will earn

* The recording contract requires that she produce at least two albums over the next three years.

tour – a journey in which a musician or band goes to many different cities to perform in front of audiences

* Do you think you can get tickets when the U2 tour comes to a nearby city?

to devote – to give one’s time, energy, money, and other resources to a particular cause, effort, or goal; to dedicate

* They devote all their time and money to their children’s education.

reality – the way things actually are; real life, not imaginary or pretend

* As teenagers, we thought we could change the world, but in reality, it’s very difficult to make a big impact.

to pack it in – to give up; to stop trying to have or do something, usually because it is too difficult or challenging

* Max was trying to open his own restaurant, but now he has decided to pack it in and work for his father’s company instead.

to make it – to succeed, especially to make a lot of money or become powerful or famous

* Do you think Iago has the right personality to make it in politics?

it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all – a phrase used to motivate other people who are struggling, meaning that it’s good for them to try to do things even if it doesn’t succeed, because they won’t have regrets later about not having tried to do it

* Edgar has spent years trying to build a time machine, but he hasn’t succeeded. I guess it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

to give up – to stop trying to have or do something, usually because it is too difficult or challenging

* I’m never going to understand calculus. I think I should give up.

big break – an opportunity that is a big help to one’s career, especially in music or acting, and that helps one become well known for one’s work

* Recruiters from some very good schools will be watching the game tonight. If you play well, this could be your big break!

to rehearse – to practice, especially when talking about music or acting; to prepare for a live performance in front of an audience

* The dancers aren’t moving together at the end of the song. We need to continue rehearsing until they get it right.

Comprehension Questions

1. What does Debbie mean when she says, “I’m so sick of being broke all the time”?
a) She’s tired of people canceling their performances.
b) She’s tired of never having enough money.
c) She’s tired of playing music for other people.
2. What does Harry mean when he says, “All we need is one big break”?
a) They just need one big deposit in their bank account.
b) They just need one good opportunity to launch their career.
c) They just need a bigger recording studio.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

dream

The word “dream,” in this podcast, means what one wants, one’s vision for the future, or one’s hopes, ambition, and aspirations: “Her dream is to be the first person on Mars.” A “dream job” or “dream house” is the job or house that one really wants to have: “Working for Google is a dream job for many computer programmers.” Or, “Bridget save money for 10 years to buy her dream house.” A “pipe dream” is a wish for something that is impossible and will never happen: “Reversing the aging process is a pipe dream. It simply isn’t possible.” The phrase “to live the dream” means to have the lifestyle that one has always dreamed of: “He sold his company for millions of dollars, and now he’s living the dream in Hawaii.” Finally, the phrase “to live in a dream world” means to have ideas that are not realistic: “If you really think you can solve world hunger in one year, you’re living in a dream world.”

big break

In this podcast, the phrase “big break” means an opportunity that helps to accelerate (speed up and push forward) one’s career, especially in music or acting, and that helps one become well known for one’s work: “Having a famous producer read my screenplay could be my big break!” A “tax break” is a reduction in taxes, usually offered to encourage investment or a particular type of behavior: “The state is offering a tax break to technology companies that choose to relocate here.” A “page break” is a hidden mark in an electronic document where text begins on the next page: “Please insert a page break before each of these separate sections in the report.” Finally, a “commercial break” is a group of advertisements that appear between segments or parts of a TV show or movie: “We’ll be back with more news after this commercial break.”

Culture Note

Songwriting Contests

“Songwriting contests” give “aspiring” (wanting to have, do, or be something) songwriters an opportunity to compete against each other to see who can write the best song. They are “challenged” (motivated to work hard) to be creative, and if they win, they “receive a lot of exposure” for their work (their music is heard by many people and they become well known).

The John Lennon Songwriting Competition is named after John Lennon of the Beatles (a very popular English rock bank). It was created in 1997 by Lennon’s “widow” (a woman whose husband has died), Yoko Ono. Songwriters can submit their “entries” (things that are evaluated in a competition) and possibly receive a “prize” (an award). The contest “awards” (gives) prizes to 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, and 12 Lennon Award Winners. Each year, one of the entries is named the Song of the Year.

The International Songwriting Competition is one of the most “prestigious” (respected and admired) songwriting competitions with some of the best-qualified judges who are leaders in the music “industry” (business). Winners receive cash prizes of up to $25,000. More importantly, they receive significant “press coverage” (articles and stories about them in newspapers, magazines, TV news, etc.) that can help “launch” (begin) their professional careers.

Other songwriting competitions include the Great American Song Contest, American Songwriter Magazine’s “Lyric” (the words sung in a song) Writing Contest, the Songdoor International Songwriting Competition, and the USA Songwriting competition, all of which “judge” (evaluate) songs in a variety of “genres” (styles of music, such as rock, country, hip-hop, and more).

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - b