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Home , Theatre Is Evil, The Art of Asking, The Dresden Dolls

ADVANCED ENGLISH LESSON

The Art of Asking (Part 1) Source: TED talk by , ‘’ Focus: Listening, Phrasal verbs

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #1

• Do you find it easy to ask for things you need? • Who is your favourite musician/group? Are they Why do you think this is the case? a mainstream performer, or so they have more • When was the last time you asked someone for of a cult following? something? Was it a comfortable or • What is a ‘true fan’, in your opinion? Are you a uncomfortable conversation? ‘true fan’ of any musical artist? • Why does asking for things make us feel • Look at the images, showing various street shame? performers. What are they doing? Do you have • What is ? How does it differ from performers like these in your country? crowdsourcing? Have you ever contributed to a • The music industry has changed a lot over the crowdfunding campaign? past few decades, both in terms of distribution • What is couchsurfing? Have you ever done it, or and artist-fan relationships. What role has the would you consider doing it in future? internet played in these changes?

Photos by: Obed Hernandez, Josh Ludahl, Josh Appel, Zac- Ong - Unsplash

H. A crash pad /ˈkræʃˈpæd/ VOCABULARY #1 I. To pass the hat /ˈpɑːs.ðəˈhæt/ Match the words and phrases with their definitions. J. Hype /haɪp/ A. Freak /friːk/ K. Counterintuitive /ˈkaʊn.tə.rɪnˈtʃuː.wəˌtɪv/ B. Gesture /ˈdʒes.tʃʌ/ L. Visceral /ˈvɪ.sə.rəl/ C. Profound /prəˈfaʊnd/ I. A single musical performance D. Prolonged /prəˈlɒŋd/ II. A movement of the hands, arms or head to express a E. To harass /həˈræs/ feeling F. Smorgasbord /ˈsmɔː.gəsˌbɔːd/ III. Continuing for a long time G. Gig /gɪg/

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM IV. Based on deep feeling and emotional reactions DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #2 rather than on reason or thought V. Not happening in the way that you would expect Do you recognise this person? (She has weird eyebrows, VI. To pass a bowl or hat around a crowd in order to I know!) If so, what do you know about her? If not, what can you guess about her? collect money VII. A thing, person, animal or event that is very unusual or unlikely (used for people, this is an unkind word) VIII. A place to sleep for one night, usually very cheaply or for free IX. To annoy or upset someone over a period of time X. A lot of excitement around something because it is advertised to attract interest XI. Felt or experienced in a strong way; Showing deep and serious understanding Now read her bio from TED.com. What do we learn XII. A mixture of many different things that are about her? available or on offer Alt-rock icon Amanda F**king Palmer believes we shouldn't 1)______the fact that digital content is freely shareable — and suggests that artists can and should be directly 2)______by fans. VOCABULARY #2 Amanda Palmer commands attention. The singer-songwriter-blogger-provocateur, known Complete the sentences below with the target vocabulary. for 3)______boundaries in both her art and her You may need to change the form/tense of the word. Some lifestyle, made international 4)______when she sentences have more than one answer. raised nearly $1.2 million via (she’d asked for $100k) from nearly 25,000 fans who pre- 1. Most women know the feeling of being ______on ordered her new , . the street. But the 5)______street performer, then Dresden 2. My cousin’s band is playing a ______on Friday, if Dolls frontwoman, now solo artist hit a bump the week her world tour kicked off. She revealed plans you want to come along. to crowdsource additional local 6)______musicians 3. Certain hand ______may be considered friendly in in each tour stop, offering to pay them in hugs, some cultures, but rude in others. merchandise and beer per her custom. Bitter and 4. I had a ______reaction to the violent scenes in the angry 7)______ensued (she eventually promised to film. I couldn’t even watch it. pay her local collaborators in cash). And it's interesting to consider why. As Laurie Coots 5. There’s been a lot of ______around Covid vaccines, suggests: "The idea was heckled because we didn't but it will be a while before life goes back to normal. understand the value 8)______-- the whole idea of 6. I have had a ______realisation about the meaning asking the crowd for what you need when you need of life. it and not asking for more or less." 7. I don’t plan to spend much time in the hotel, so I’m 9)______up her business model, in which she views her recorded music as the digital equivalent of just looking for a cheap ______. street performing, she says: “I 10)______believe in 8. Now that I’ve been using an iPhone for so long, music being as free as possible. Unlocked. Shared Android phones seem ______to me. and spread. In order for artists to 11)______and 9. There was so much food at the party. It was an create, their audiences need to step up and directly support them.” absolute ______! Amanda's non-fiction book, The Art of Asking, digs 10. Other kids at school used to call me a ______12)______into the topics she addressed in her TED because I had such big feet. Talk. 11. After her performance, the busker ______around SOURCE: https://www.ted.com/speakers/amanda_palmer the crowd. Work with a partner to complete the passage with 12. A lot of people are feeling frustrated by the ______these words lockdowns caused by the pandemic. EXCHANGE FIRMLY HEADLINES SURVIVE BACKING SUPPORTED CRITICISM FORMER DEEPLY FIGHT SUMMING PUSHING

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM 2. What would she do when someone dropped money LISTENING #1 into her hat?

Listen to the talk. Are the following statements True or False? 1. Amanda Palmer has always lived off her income as a musician. 3. With whom did she have the most profound 2. She says that she had significant encounters with encounters? Why? people when she was working as a street performer. 3. Everyone treated Amanda well when she was working as a street performer. 4. She made a consistent income as a street 4. What would people yell at her from passing cars? performer. Why did it hurt her feelings? 5. ‘’ was the name of a nightclub she used to perform at. 6. improved her life as a performer. 7. She likes what she calls ‘random closeness’ with 5. When did she quit being a statue? people. 8. She doesn’t like couchsurfing or crowdsurfing, because it’s too dangerous. 9. The music she makes is popular with everyone. 10. Their record company considered their album a 6. What did they use to do after their shows? Why? success. 11. She decided to make as much of her music free as possible. 12. She didn’t reach her target for crowdfunding for

her new band, Grand Theft Orchestra. 7. Why did Twitter make things more magic? 13. She forced people to pay for her music. 14. It’s not easy to ask for things, generally. 15. Some people were critical of the way she asked for things. 8. What are some examples of things people helped 16. She trusts her fans a lot. them with? 17. She thinks we have too much trust and not enough shame. 18. The internet is not important to her, as she prefers to connect to fans in real life. 9. What did the mother of the Honduran family say to her? LISTENING #2

Listen again and answer these questions.

1. How long did Amanda spend working as ‘the Eight- 10. What occurred to her as she was ringing the doorbell Foot Bride’? in New York? How did things turn out for her?

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM 11. Why does she think crowdsurfing and couchsurfing 21. What happened at the end of her Kickstarter backer are pretty much the same thing? party in Berlin?

22. What role have musicians and artists played for most 12. Why has the one band member reluctant to go out of human history? and pass the hat?

23. What is celebrity about? 13. What two forms of music does her band combine?

24. Does she see these exchanges as a risk? How does 14. How many copies of her album were sold in her first she see them? two weeks?

25. What’s the most important thing for us to do, even with all the internet platforms available? 15. What started happening all the time after she released her album?

26. What question have people been obsessed with? What question should they be asking? 16. How much money did she make when crowdfunding her next album?

17. Why is the number 25,000 people significant?

18. What happens when you connect with people? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #3

• What do you think about Amanda Palmer’s views about asking for things? 19. Why was she criticised online? • Do you agree with her that this type of exchange is fair? • Do you think this is a good future business model for musicians in the future? Why or why not? 20. Why does she think that her critics didn’t understand • Apart from musicians, who else might benefit what she was doing? from this type of business model? • How could you apply these ideas to your own life?

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM C. Now write ten sentences of your own, each using LANGUAGE FOCUS: PHRASAL VERBS one of the phrasal verbs.

A. These ten phrasal verbs come from the talk. Match them with their definitions. 1. TO PULL UP 6. TO GO DOWN 2. TO WALK AWAY 7. TO GIVE STH AWAY 3. TO LEAD UP TO STH 8. TO COME UP TO SB 4. TO COME OUT 9. TO TURN TO STH 5. TO TAKE SB ASIDE 10. TO FIND OUT

I. To arrive at a place in a car, and stop the car II. To decrease III. To discover information IV. To be released or made public V. To approach someone VI. To allow someone to have something without payment VII. To happen in the time before sth happens VIII.To rely on something in a time of need IX. To leave X. To take someone somewhere to have a private chat

B. Now complete the sentences from the text with the most appropriate phrasal verb. • My crew once 1)______our van ______to a really poor Miami neighbourhood and we 2)______that our couchsurfing host for the night was an 18-year-old girl, still living at home, and her family were all undocumented immigrants from Honduras. • And in the morning, her mom taught us how to try to make tortillas and wanted to give me a Bible, and she 3)______me ______and she said to me in her broken English, "Your music has helped my daughter so much. Thank you for staying here. We're all so grateful." And I thought, this is fair. This is this. • We sign, and there's all this hype 4)______our next record. And it 5)______and it sells about 25,000 copies in the first few weeks, and the label considers this a failure. • For my next project with my new band, the Grand Theft Orchestra, I 6)______crowdfunding. • They said, "No, the sales are 7)______. It's a failure." And they 8)______. • Right at this same time, I'm signing and hugging after a gig, and a guy 9)______me and hands me a $10 bill, and he says, "I'm sorry, I burned your CD from a friend." • And this is the moment I decide I'm just going to 10)______my music for free online whenever possible

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM ANSWERS

THE ART OF ASKING (PART 1) Source: TED talk by Amanda Palmer, ‘The Art of Asking’ Focus: Listening, Phrasal verbs

VOCABULARY #1 LISTENING #2

A. VII D. III G. I J. X 1. Five years B. II E. IX H. VIII K. V 2. She’d hand them a flower and make intense eye C. XI F. XII I. VI L. IV contact. 3. With lonely people, probably because they hadn’t talked to anyone for a while. VOCABULARY #2 4. They would tell her to get a job. This would hurt her feelings because she felt like she was doing 1. harassed 7. crash pad something shameful and unfair. 2. gig 8. counterintuitive 5. When her band started making enough money. 3. gestures 9. smorgasbord 6. Sign autographs, hug fans and hang out with 4. visceral 10. freak people. 5. hype 11. passed the hat 7. Because she could ask for anything, anywhere. 8. People would show up as support acts; they’d deliver 6. profound 12. prolonged things she needed (like a piano, the crate and the hat, and the neti pot); they’d bring food; they’d find DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #2 spaces for performances. 9. That her music had really helped her daughter. 1. FIGHT 7. CRITICISM 10. It occurred to her that this might be a very stupid 2. SUPPORTED 8. EXCHANGE thing to do. However, it worked out well. 11. Because you’re falling into the audience and trusting 3. PUSHING 9. SUMMING each other. 4. HEADLINES 10. FIRMLY 12. Because he felt ashamed. He felt like it was begging. 5. FORMER 11. SURVIVE He was afraid of judgement. 6. BACKUP 12. DEEPLY 13. Punk and cabaret. 14. 25,000 15. People started giving her money directly, and LISTENING #1 burning the album, rather than buying it. 16. Almost 1.2 million dollars. 1. F 10. F 17. Because it’s the same amount of people who bought 2. T 11. T her first album. 3. F 12. F (She exceeded it) 18. People want to help you. 19. For continuous crowdsourcing and asking for help. 4. T 13. F (She asked them to) 20. Because they didn’t get it - they weren’t there, so it 5. F (It was the name of 14. T was alien to them. her group) 15. T 21. She stripped naked and had the crowd sign her 6. T 16. T body. 7. T 17. F (The opposite) 22. They have been part of the community - connectors and openers. 8. F 18. F (The internet makes 23. Having people love you from a distance 9. F (“It’s not for this possible.) 24. No, she sees it as trust. everyone”) 25. We need to ask without shame. 26. We’ve been obsessed with ask ‘how do we make people pay for music?’ We should be asking ‘How do we let people pay for music’?

ENGLISHDOTCOMMUNITY.COM LANGUAGE FOCUS: PHRASAL VERBS

A.

1. I 6. II 2. XI 7. VI 3. VII 8. V 4. IV 9. VIII 5. XII 10. III

B.

1. Pulled … up 2. Found out 3. Pulled … aside 4. Leading up to 5. Comes out (present tense used here to tell a past story) 6. Turned to 7. Going down 8. Walked away 9. Comes up to (present tense used here to tell a past story) 10. Give away

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