Music Monday: Susan Boyle

Whose Susan Boyle? About a week ago, she was an unknown woman who lived in a village in Scotland. Then she came to the auditions for a popular British television show, Britains Got Talent, 2009. Susan was interviewed before the show. This is what she said.

My name is Susan Boyle. I'm nearly 48. Presently unemployed, but still looking. I'm going to sing on Britains Got Talent...I live alone with my cat, Pebbles.....Never been married. Never been kissed....Shame.

She's been singing since she was 12 and always wanted to perform in front of a large audience.

When you watch Ms. Boyle on T.V., be sure to observe the audience and judges body language before, during and after her performance. To go to Susan"s Boyle's performance, press here. Then come back. There's more.



Thank you Susan Boyle! You have warmed hearts and put a smile on so many faces. In the last week, millions of people from around the world have been wowed by her song. Here's a couple of sincere responses from ordinary people.






I'd like to leave you with one more video. This time you will see a family watching Susan's performance.(Sorry, it was disabled today.) It was the same in our house. Sharing the moment is a really positive experience. My son and husband shared it with me. Then I enjoyed sharing the video with my daughter and watching her reaction. Some people have said they cried. Others said the performance gave them goosebumps.

The song is "I Dream a Dream" from the musical, Les Miserables. The lyrics or the words for the song are under this last video. Susan said she would like to be as successful as the famous singer, Elaine Page. Here's Page's version. Which do you prefer? You can listen and follow the words if you like.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

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• Music Monday

Film Festivals 2

"Rabbit" is a short animation film by Run Wrake. "Rabbit" has been shown at film festivals all over the world including Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and Japan. One of the film's first screenings was at Trafalgar Square in London, England as part of the London Festival. The next summer, in 2006, it was shown on the giant 50 foot open-air-screen in Hyde Park, New York City. "Rabbit " was shown before the main feature film. Run Wrake's film has received many animation and short film awards.

"Rabbit" feels like a 1950's school reader. According to Photoshoppix, Wrake found some old stickers in a junk shop and used them in this film. He started with about 200 stickers and it took him about a year to make this short animation film.

This animation film is not meant for children. While colourful children's illustrations are used, "Rabbit" has a serious tone. The boy and girl in the story have a major flaw and there is a clear moral or lesson for the viewers.

For English language learners, you may like the unusual setting. It's a bit like a picture dictionary. You'll see what I mean by watching it. Rabbit is a strange artistic film.





Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

Talk Show Tuesday: Ellen Degeneres

Watching television is a great way to learn English. It trains your ear to listen to the faster paced English. It keeps vocabulary alive. Real conversations teach social conventions, slang and pronunciation.

Choose a talk show you enjoy.

Take a look on television and watch about three different talk shows. You can find them in the T.V. guide. Take a look at each and choose your favourite. That's the one you can watch regularly. Two or three times a week is good if you have the time.

But I don't understand?!

Give it some time. After about five or six times, you will get comfortable with your talk host. You'll start to understand her routine, her body language and her personality. Some students like to tape shows and watch them again.

I wish I could hear all the words.

No, you won't understand every word, but do you need to hear every word? I often half listen to people on T.V. and don't worry what I miss. Pick up clues from the body language as well. Be satisfied with parts of conversations. If you can laugh at the following talk show, then you enjoyed it and you were socially engaged in English.

I'm not learning.

Yes, you are. Communicating is not just words. It's understanding behaviour, predicting what will happen next and reading cultural clues. People are generally very social and polite on talk shows, so talk show hosts can be good role models.

Also, the guests are sometimes famous Americans. So the next time someone talks about that person, you won't be lost. You will know who they are, what they look like and little bit about them. Culture adds a lot of vocabulary to the English language.

Most important, talk show hosts find topics of interest and talk about current events. Some are able to find the unusual to perk our interests. Ellen Degeneres has a lot of fun with her Hawaii chairs. You'll enjoy it too.



Now, that makes me laugh! Ellen can be really funny:)

According to TV.com, the five most popular talk shows are:

1. The Tyra Banks Show
2. The Oprah Winfrey Show
3. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
4. Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
5. The Ellen Degeneres Show

The American list should help you get started, but there are lots more. In Canada, you can catch some talk shows on CBC. Add a comment if you have found a talk show you enjoy. Others will appreciate your help. Do you know any of the top five talk shows?




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Speaking: The Weather

Canadians are always talking about the weather? Why?

• We have four seasons about three months each. March 20th was the first day of spring!
• The change from one season to the next can be gradual or abrupt. It's never the same each year. This spring, we had a few warm days, but now its cooler again.
  
• We have a lot of extreme conditions. Too hot. Too cold. Too much snow....
• The precipitation changes year to year. This year, we shovelled a lot of snow! Last summer, it rained a lot.
  
• The weather can change from morning to afternoon, day to day and week to week.
  

Small talk: Weather is a great opener for small talk or short two or three minute conversations. Here's some common questions to ask about the weather.

• What's the weather like? or What's it like out?
• Is it hot/cold enough for you?
• Is it going to rain/snow today?
• Is it going to warm up today/ this week?
• What's the forecast for this week/ the next few days?
• What's the temperature?
• Isn't it beautiful?

Now it's April, and it's colder than usual for April. Yet, it's not unusual to see snow in late March or early April. Take a look at April 7th in Toronto.




So, when will spring arrive in Toronto? I hope earlier than in 2008. That year, it seemed like it was never going to stop snowing and I remember skiing in late March. Follow the change from winter to spring in 2008. At least, spring started a bit earlier this year.



One thing for certain. Spring means rain. Here's some vocabulary and expressions for rainy conditions.

• There is a light drizzle: very light rain
• There are showers: light rain
• It's pouring: heavy rain
• It's raining cats and dogs: heavy rain
• There is thunder and lightening: usually during a storm, you see light and hear noises in the sky

But remember, April showers bring May flowers!




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How To Flirt With Men

Watch this 'computer program' with a boyfriend and girlfriend who are computer people. The couple move around like dolls or puppets and the narrator uses a mechanical voice. There are five questions and you are to choose the correct answer a, b or c. The questions are about appearance, eye contact, body language, conversation and touch. It's meant to be entertaining and not to be taken seriously.

The listening quiz is to help you with vocabulary. Check the answers for the quiz.




So, what kind of flirt are you? The ice queen, the desperado or the minx.

Wanna be Wednesday 4/8

www.superpoop.com


I want to be a small furry animal with long ears and short fluffy tail. That's right a rabbit, but not just any rabbit. I want to be the Easter Bunny, so I can deliver chocolates and candy eggs to all the young children all over the world. In Canada, the Easter Bunny hides these sweets during the night and the children search for them on Easter morning. Some children find their goodies in a basket and others discover one or two chocolate presents often in the shape of spring symbol like a bunny or an egg.

What is Easter?

Easter is important to Christians because it is a religious date. Here is an introduction to Easter.

Easter

View more presentations from indezine_powerpoint.

Why is Friday a holiday?

It was started by the many Christians in Canada. Good Friday is the day Jesus, the son of God, died. People buy white lilies which represent the flower of hope and life. On Easter Sunday, some also have hot cross buns which are small round bread with a cross on the top representing the cross Jesus died on.

Why is Easter considered a spring holiday too?

It's roots go back to pagan times when people celebrated the goddess of dawn and fertility called Eostur. Spring and fertility is represented in popular Easter images such as chicks, bunnies, lambs and eggs. Also, people decorate with spring flowers like crocuses, tulips, and yellow daffodils.

Another tradition is decorating eggs. I have decorated eggs with my children. First, we would prepare the egg by removing the raw egg. You can make a small whole at each end and then blow hard into the top hole. This pushes the raw egg out the bottom hole and the liquid can be collected in a bowl. We'd save the raw egg for the next meal. Some people hard boil the eggs. Then the eggs are dyed with food colouring in glasses of water. The pastel eggs are often displayed in baskets or hung on a branch.

Easter is Sunday. Happy Easter!



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Spring in Toronto

Toronto Pillow Fight by Reza Vaziri


March 21, 2009, Torontonians met downtown for some fun at Dundas Square near the Eatons Centre. Everyone brought a pillow for a massive pillow fight! There were lots of young people and parents arrived with their children. Some of the participants wore silly costumes to celebrate the free cultural event. At 3:00 p.m., the signal was given and the annual Toronto Pillow Fight began.

The participants had to follow some simple guidelines. Newmindspace helped organize the annual event and here's their suggested rules.

Rules: Please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and fun pillow fight for everybody!

+ Soft pillows only!
+ Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
+ Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
+ Remove glasses beforehand!
+ Wait until the 3:00 to begin.
+ Pillow fight ends when the sun sets.
+ Do not abandon your pillow at the location.

Cleanup: Please limit your use of feathers. As the pillow fight grows in size, so does the mess. By participating, you are pledging to clean up twice the mess you made :)

Good news for those outside of Toronto: Tomorrow is World Pillow Fight Day!

In Canada, Quebec City and Vancouver have signed up for Saturday, April 4th. Many cities all over the world from New York City, US to Paris, France to Cape Town, Africa will hold massive pillow fights.




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Wanna be Wednesday 4/1

superpoop.com

I want to be farmer. Then I could train chickens to mother puppies. This farmer decided to give the puppy, Lucy, to the hen after the mother dog died in a tragic accident. The hen kept Lucy warm and looked after the poor little thing. The dog thought it was a chicken and would follow the mother hen everywhere. Lucy had to be given puppy food, but she would peck at it like the mother hen.


Also, I want to be a modern cowboy. I saw this commercial on television. Now that cats are worth more money than cows, cowboys are finding jobs herding cats. I love cats. Watch this video and you'll see the cowboys describe their new work. Press here.


So, maybe you don't believe these two stories? April fools!

The real truth is I want to be a practical joker, so I can try to trick people. It's fun to play practical jokes and on April 1st until noon, people get tricked. Even newspapers have fun on April Fools.

Music Monday

Did you watch the Juno Awards?

Sunday night, many Canadians watched the Juno Awards in Vancouver, British Columbia. Last year, more than a million television viewers watched our talented singers and musicians on stage. For the 38th Annual Juno Awards, the lighting, the sets and the performances were the best yet. The big names, Nickleback, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, performed. The duet by Bryan Adams and Kathleen Edwards was awesome! Presenters included multiple Juno Award winners, Buffy Saint-Marie and K.D Lang, Dianna Krall and her husband, Elvis Castello, as well as Michael Buble`.

Who won?

The two big winners were the band, Nickleback from Alberta and Sam Roberts from Montreal, Quebec. Nickleback got three Juno Awards, The Fan Choice Award, Group of the Year and Album of the Year for "Dark Horses". Sam Roberts received two Juno Awards, Artist of the Year and rock Album of the Year for "Love at the End of the World.

Who was the first Canadian artist chosen to sing at the Juno Awards?

Sarah McLachlan. So let's here one of her most popular songs, "In the Arms of an Angel".

Here's some English tips before you listen.

1. Relax and enjoy.
2. Don't try to hear all the words. You'll pick up some repeated phrases.
3. Songs have verses like stories have paragraphs. The repeated verse is called the chorus. Listen carefully and you might hear the chorus.
4. Songs are like poems and they can be difficult to understand. It is not important to understand every phrase
5. You should be able understand the main idea and the mood of the song.
   

What's special about this performance?

Sarah McLachlan sings "In the Arms of an Angel" as a duet. Sarah plays the piano and sings and the American singer, Josh Groban sings the song with her.





So, What is "Angel" about?

The song in about dying and going to heaven. You can listen to it again with the lyrics or words.





Would you like to know about Sarah McLachlan?

If you would like to hear some higher quality recordings, you can go to Sarah McLachlan's web site. Her latest album is "Closer, The Best of Sarah McLachlan". You can learn more about Sarah there and enjoy some of her songs. It has music, photos and her biography. Press to go to other music by Sarah McLachlan.




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Related Post:

• Juno Awards 2009
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Wanna be Wednesday 3/25

I want to be a supporter of the historic event, Earth Hour. To vote for the earth, turn off your lights at 8:30 pm for one hour on March 28, 2009. Leave your lights on and you vote for global warming.



Why is Earth Hour Important?

People care about the environment. The organizers wanted 1,000 cities and towns to sign up for Earth Hour 2009. March 12, 2009 the organizers reached their goal. In fact, 2,712 cities, towns and municipalities in 83 countries want to participate in Earth Hour so far.

What is Toronto doing for Earth Hour?

WWF-Canada and City of Toronto are presenting a free concert a Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall. It starts at 7:00 pm with lights out from 8:30 to 9:30pm. No, it's not in really in the dark , but the energy used is green, renewable energy from Bullfrog Power. Performers include Suzie McNeil, Crash Parallel rock band, The Matt York Band and Samba Squad.

Have a look at last year's concert. The Canadian singer and song writer,Nelly Fertado sang at Toronto's Earth Hour. You can hear her singing in the following video at City Hall. Also, watch the city go dark.





What will you be doing for Earth Hour on March 28, 2009.

Candles are a good idea. Last year, my family ordered pizza and it came just as everyone on the street was turning off the lights. We had a candlelight dinner. I was surprised how many people supported Earth Hour.

What else can you do for Earth Hour?

The organizers would like people to VOTE EARTH. There is an Earth Hour symbol on the right side. Press on "sign up now" below the big number,60 and type your name. WWF hopes to get one billion names or votes for the earth to give to the world leaders in Copenhagen, 2009. They are meeting at an important conference to discuss climate change .




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