2 . Getting older means greater maturity and wisdom.     1     In a society that is aging fast, it has become crucial to find ways to prevent related mental and emotional disorders. Music emerges as a promising tool for promoting well-being of the elderly.

Music has a great power to cause strong emotions and intense pleasure.     2     singing and dancing to music with others is not only fun but also improves mood. Musical activities are great ways to reduce stress because they take our minds off problems. They also help us feel less lonely and more connected with other people.

    3     A song may become a soundtrack for a particular time, such as a delightful party with friends that you had along time ago. Listening to that song allows you to remember all the happy memories from that time.

Finally, music contributes to keeping our thinking skills sharp. It makes our brains work hard in unique ways to understand the rhythm and melody.     4     For example, exposure to background music, particularly classical music, during cognitive (认知的) tasks is shown to improve older people’s cognitive processes, such as processing speed and working memory.

In conclusion, music is a powerful tool to fight against aging-related emotional and cognitive problems. It is an enjoyable and social activity, available to anyone regardless of their background or previous musical experience.     5    

4 . Guy Noble, one of Australia’s most famous conductors, who conducted the touring concert “East Meets West”, said he’d like to learn more about Chinese music. “I’m impressed by the history and the beauty Chinese music has,” he’s said in an interview recently.

“East Meets West” concert tour in Australia was resumed this year after being postponed twice due to the pandemic. It was hosted in Canberra last Saturday, bringing audiences some well-known Chinese and Western pieces such as Jasmine Flower, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, and The Yellow River.

While it was called “East Meets West”, music from China and the West with the same themes was brought together. Chinese singer Ya Fen and Australian singer Victoria Lambourn performed a duet (二重唱) Hope Betrayed, which was inspired by the Chinese classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions. Noble said he loved the duet as it showed completely different singing styles: traditional Chinese opera style and Western opera style. “They’re not exactly the same, but they came together,” he said.

Having been a professional conductor for more than 20 years, Noble called music an international language. He noted that most music at the concert was about love, which was also an international language. He also spoke highly of some Chinese musicians, such as pianist Lang Lang who he thought has inspired many kids in China to learn music.

Noble admitted his knowledge of Chinese culture was limited. He said that conducting the Canberra concert was “an experience that I’ve enjoyed”, which made him more interested in discovering the background and history of the music, as well as the stories behind it. Noble is ready to create more things that can involve dance or calligraphy or some of the other aspects of Chinese culture, and put them together with music.

8 . For more culture coverage and the new streaming services, www. vulture. com has prepared a wide range of funny things to see, hear, watch, and read.

TV: The Crown (Season Six)

Netflix, November 16.

The final season of The Crown is being divided into two parts, with four episodes on show before Thanksgiving and the remaining six landing on December 14. And, yes, those initial episodes will address the death of Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, a talented Australian actress.

OPERA: Later the Same Evening

Juilliard Opera presents. Peter Jay Sharp Theater, November 12, 15, and 17.

Composer John Musto and play writer Mark Campbell turned those moody scenes into a one-act opera that’s become a student favorite but rarely gets seen on a greater stage. It would be a once in a life time chance to have a feast for eyes.

MOVIES: Fallen Leaves

In theaters, November 17.

Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, a master of deadpan, returns with what might be his most romantic film so far — an unexpected meet up of an alcoholic construction worker and a headstrong supermarket employee.

MUSIC: Heaven Knows

Warner Records UK, November 10.

Pink Pantheress, 22, combines R&B, pop, and electronic music into relaxing but impactful tracks like “Do You Miss Me?” from December’s Take Me Home EP. This fall, her first complete studio-recorded album, consisting of 13 songs, will be released. Early tastes of Heaven Knows like “Capable of Love” and “Mosquito” suggest that we’re in for tighter hooks and longer, more ambitious compositions.

The xiao, a traditional bamboo instrument, is now attracting more and more attention with     1     (it) long history and rich cultural meanings. In ancient China, bamboo was a symbol of honesty, and a spirit of trying to make progress. So, many used it to refer     2     their pursuits (追求) in poems. For example, the poet Su Shi once wrote, “Better to eat without meat than live without bamboo”, suggesting the     3     (important) of bamboo. Therefore, the xiao,     4     (make) of bamboo, was not just     5     instrument, but something the ancient literati (文人) often held in hands or put on walls to remind themselves of their pursuits.

“From the Tang Dynasty on, usually the xiao was used for the purpose of     6     (gather) the educated. It was so popular,” says Shen, a xiao player. “The instrument     7     (keep) its unique attractiveness, which paved its way     8     (become) alive again. It produces pleasant music,     9     agrees with the traditional Chinese sense of beauty — the greatest music has the faintest notes.”

In Shen’s view, compared with others, the xiao is an     10     (extreme) simple instrument.

Since it is so simple that you can hardly make any changes on it, you can only change yourself to make your music performance better and better.

10 . Singer-songwriters write songs, but how do they do it? Where do musicians get their inspiration from? What comes first — the music or the lyrics (歌词)? It turns out that everyone has their own way of writing which works for them.

Bob Dylan

He is a musician with a unique musical style, which has been described as folk rock, gospel, country and jazz. He told the BBC that he gets a lot of his writing inspiration from novels like Don Quixote and Robinson Crusoe. He said “They give you a way of looking at life and understanding of human nature and a standard to measure things by.” He has had a career spanning six decades and has won many songwriting awards.

Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim, a musical theatre composer who died in 2021, said in an interview with The New Yorker that, when it comes to songwriting, the stress in a phrase is very important for him. “You can start writing a lyric, and then the inflection (变音) of the lyric suggests a tune.” Therefore, in his way of writing, the music and lyrics come at roughly the same time.

Taylor Swift

In 2022, Taylor Swift won a Songwriter-Artist of the Decade Award. In her speech, she said lyrics are her favourite part of songwriting. She describes the majority of her songs as having a “modern storyline or references, with a poetic twist” and commonly uses real life experiences and conversations as influence.

John Denver

Denver earned international reputation as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. John said, “I obtain endless muse from my experiences in environmental and humanitarian work.” John was one of the first artists to share an environmental message through his music.