29 Reading
Before You Read
Complete these pre-reading activities before you read formal and informal reviews of a performance.
Expressing Opinions Directly or Indirectly
Roshan, Gilles, and Claire expressed opinions in this chapter’s video. Facial expressions, such as raising an eyebrow, can show people’s thoughts even when they don’t say a word.
Complete each row by writing words that someone might say. The first one offers two examples.
| A person may be thinking … | I may see … | He or she may say … |
| Example:
I didn’t expect to see this website open on Claire’s laptop |
“I don’t think we should be looking at this.” | |
| 1. I really like this! Or, I agree with you! | ||
| 2. You are so loud my ears are hurting! | ||
| 3. You stink | ||
| 4. Look at the table below. For each row, indicate the words on the right that have the same meaning as the word on the left.
| appeal | attraction | charm | fruit skin | request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| boundary | border | edgy | limit | outskirts |
| filter | clean | hesitate | screen | sort out |
Predictions
You are going to read reviews of musicians and their performances. All these opinionated reviews were published or posted in public. Magazine editors set boundaries for reviewers, who may be called critics. Do you predict that a critic will focus on what he or she likes, dislikes, or both?
Moderators of social media sites also set boundaries. People post their informal comments and exchange opinions. Which topics do you predict will be in the reviews?
| Appearance | Familiarity of songs | Stage presence | Voice quality |
| Audience | Instruments | Talent | Volume |
| Clarity of the words | Lyrics | Ticket price | Venue or location |
How direct or indirect will the comments be? Who do you expect to be more vocal in their opinions, admirers or critics?
Reading 1
Read this article published by a music reviewer.
Rural Roots and Rhythms
Jordan Cardinal, Our Ear on the Provincial Music Scene
This month, we continued our tour of musical venues outside big urban centres. We headed north for a performance in Maskwa County. There is no sugar-coating our experience at the Beaver last Saturday night.
Like some county halls, the Beaver in Maskwa was built as a country church decades ago. The solid wood construction and three storey high ceiling make for excellent sound. Of course, success on any stage depends on who is on it.
As a semi-professional musician, I have played almost every genre and enjoy listening to many. The Smashing Beats describe themselves as folk-pop. If folk music means telling a good story, the Beats came up short. Their lyrics were unoriginal. Seriously, the lead singer delivered line after line about life or love gone wrong that left me cold. His in-your-face attitude made it seem like I was responsible for all his troubles.
If there was a silver lining in the clouds over Maskwa last Saturday, it was the bass player. His amazing talent was highlighted in two toe-tapping solos. Clean and s