Level IV :

Say: - what you like at the theatre most of all;

- what you do if the performance is a success;

- how you get tickets;

-what seats you prefer.

The power of music

Can you think of a day without music? There's music every­where; at home, in a concert hall, in parks, at the seaside and even in the forest. People can't live without music.

They listen to mu­sic, they dance to music, and they learn to play musical instru­ments. . Nowadays it's almost im­possible to escape from music, even if we want to .It thunders out of every high-street shop, hisses horribly through other people's stereos on public transport, lulls you in hotels and restaurants.

But what is music? It's not only a combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art, which reflects life, people's ideas and emo­tions. There are different musical genres: symphony, concerto, chamber music, vocal music, opera and ballet.

Though music accompanies us, very few of us have any real idea of the effect music has on the human system. For many years it has been assumed that musical tastes are subjective, that one person will like jazz while another prefers classical. Those who prefer classical music think that it is always a complex of emotions, excitement; it contains the powerful appeal for listeners; it creates a special spiritual world for the listener which immensely enriches his inner life and makes him happy. But some people consider classical music complicated art difficult to find the way into.

As a result of changing times many young people today are fond of new rhythms and new styles. The new rhythms are full of vigour and force. It's simple, cheerful, and up-to-date. While listening to such music you can dance or just talk to friends.

But it has been scientifically proved in America and Australia that certain types of music will have a particular effect on us, regardless of whether we like them or not. Some music will help us feel relaxed; other types may be stimulating to the brain, encouraging curiosity, love feelings, hate, and violence.

Music can be divided into three types, and each one has profound effect on the body and mind. The first is low-energy music, the sort that makes you feel bad. Most rock music falls into this category.

The volume of sound produced by powerful music at some pop and rock concerts does great damage both to the sense of hearing and the nervous system. In Australia taped pop music is used to frighten the sharks off the public beaches. The work of some classical composers, such as Debussy and Schoenberg has also been found to be harmful.

The next category is high-energy music. This makes you feel better and it can help to normalize heart rate. J S Bach is excep­tionally high energy.

The third category is prayerful music. This is the most healing of all. Much of the classical music written before 1600 falls into this category. '

It seems that most Jazz and Country and Western is simply neutral, having neither a healing nor harming effect.

As a result music is being used in hospitals, and doctors have found that 20 minutes of soothing music is often far more effec­tive than tranquillizers or sleeping pills.

Scientific work on the healing power of music started with plant research in the 1970s. Many types of classical music speed­ed plant growth, whereas heavy metal caused plants to draw away from the speakers and die.

I often spend my spare time listening to classical music. It reflects my mood, helps me to relax, gives me keen delight.