2 . They thought it was going to be easy. A piece of cake. The band, Suenalo, were excited that they would present their skills to a group of troubled youth at a detention center (少管所).   

They arrived at the invitation of a friend, who was an adviser at the center. He had mentioned a career day where members of the community came to speak to the teens about their jobs. Usually the speakers were bankers or lawyers, so he thought it would be interesting for the kids to meet some musicians and maybe even hear some music. “They need something cool to get their attention” was the pitch from the friend.

The kids, about 40, were brought in, looking distant, some even angry. Chad Bernstein, the trombone player, started telling the career of a musician from touring to copyright to the business aspects, trying to draw their interest. However, it didn’t. Sensing that they couldn’t win, the band, a little thrown, decided to play one song. With music going, the kids seemed to respond, their heads nodding to the beat. One of them sang a lyric (歌词). The band sang it back. Then, one by one, the musicians began picking up the beat. Chad started free styling a rap, going back and forth with the kid, and in no time, other kids jumped in. Suddenly the band and the kids were creating a song from scratch and all of them were in musical heaven.

For Chad, that moment inspired him to found Guitars Over Guns, an organization that pairs at-risk middle-schoolers with professional musicians. As both music teachers and life coaches, the musicians give the kids a way to find their creative voices and get through dark times. Over time, the kids have dropped their tough fronts and shared personal stories, from family tragedies to ordinary struggles at school with friends.

“So far we’ve helped over 2,700 students. Our work is highly satisfying because it shows us that a music career is more than a job, it can have more impact,” says Chad Bernstein.

3 . MUSICAL HERITAGES FROM ANCIENT CHINA

Since remote antiquity, Chinese people have used music to record their lives and describe the ideals in their hearts. Catchy tunes are not only played on precious instruments, but also visualized in carvings, paintings, and buildings. Feel free to explore here!

Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220)

This period marked the significant development of the manufacturing of gugin and its music. The example unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb in Changsha, Hunan province, proves that gugin had developed into the form known today during that period. It shows 7 strings and 13 markers indicating the pressing positions of overtone series.

Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534)

Buddhism and its musical culture spread extensively during this period. Buddhist temples provided places for musical activities, which were recorded in many of the existing stone carvings. Located in Gongyi, Henan province, the Grotlo Temple is famous for its reliefs representing musical events. They are precious historical materials reflecting the music characteristics of the dynasty.

Song Dynasty (960-1279)

With economic development, a variety of musical cultures emerged to meet the entertainment needs of different social classes. Part of the painting Life along the Bian River al the Pure Brightness Festival vividly reveals a storytelling performance. The painter adopted delicate techniques to truly record a street performer, whose superb skills are reflected by each listener’s show of appreciation.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

At this time, traditional Chinese operas developed rapidly, promoting the formation of many singing styles. People began to enjoy operas and drama stages were built. Covering a construction area of more than 160 square meters, the Fancun village drama stage in Shanxi province provides rich materials for the study of the local folk culture.

4 . The Music Educator Award, this year, went to Annie Ray, an orchestra(管弦乐队)director at Annandale High School.She was recognized for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities.Ray got to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles and bring home a $10,000 prize.

Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a parent orchestra that teaches nearly 200 caregivers a year to play the same instrument as their child.Ray also works with a local charity to give damaged instruments a second life in her classroom.

The orchestra is about much more than just making music.The most important is to give students a chance to develop their cooperation skills, make mistakes and learn the art of refining something.Ray pushes her students to be brave, go outside their comfort zone and realize they have to learn how to make bad sounds before learning how to make good sounds.And they teach her a lot in return.” They changed my educational philosophy.I understand what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and apply that elsewhere,” she said.

The warm reception on the ceremony was meaningful.Actually, not many people understand what exactly music educators do or how much their work matters.While her administration is supportive, that lack of understanding is a problem facing the profession in general.Another is resources.She says her school “desperately” needs new instruments.She will use some of her prize money to buy more.

Ray also plans to put some of the money towards an ongoing scholarship for students who want to pursue music when they graduate.She knows of several, those particularly interested in music, and aims to offer financial support needed to realize their musical dreams” It is hard but truly satisfying,” Ray said.“And there’s nothing else like it for them.”

7 . There are hundreds of genres (流派) of music, so while some might like one kind, others might like something completely different. Why do people like different kinds of music?

    1     At the same time, music can also help us feel like part of a group or a culture, especially one that shares an interest in a certain kind of music.

Music can also be nostalgic, that is, it creates a kind of longing for the past. Musicians leave behind a footprint with their music.    2     Even long after the musicians are gone, people still find something in the musicians’ recordings that they can enjoy.

We may also find that the music we like is strongly tied to our memory. Maybe there was a song that someone sang to us when we were little that brings up good memories.     3    

When we listen to music that we like, a chemical called dopamine is sometimes released in the brain, which can make us feel good.     4     There are some algorithms (算法) today that can help pick up on the kind of music we like. When we are streaming music, some programs will let us like or dislike songs.

People’s taste in music can remain the same in their whole life or it can change many times. But the truth is, we don’t know all the exact answers to why people like different kinds of music — or sports, or food, or colors.     5     We are all different people who like different things.

8 . Streaming Music

Nowadays, many music fans listen to songs not from records or CDS but directly on the Internet. This is called streaming, and it allows people to listen to what seems like an infinite variety of songs.     1    

The largest music-streaming website, Spotify, began in Sweden in 2008. It spread to other countries as major music labels(唱片公司)agreed to let Spotify users stream their songs. In return, Spotify gives the labels some of its profits.

    2     They can search for songs by artist or title. They can play entire albums, create playlists or listen to playlists from other users.

Many streaming services allow people to sign up for free accounts.     3     For example, you might not be able to choose every song you listen to. Or you can only skip a certain number of songs per hour. And the listening experience will likely be interrupted by advertisements.     4    

There are some disadvantages to music-streaming services. For one thing, people are only renting music, not buying it. This means if they stop their subscription to the service, they lose access to the music.     5     If users want to support their favorite artist financially, they’re better off just buying an album. On the other hand, streaming makes it easier to discover new music and enjoy a wide variety of songs.

Streaming is convenient and inexpensive, and it offers a huge selection of songs to listen to. It is likely to grow more popular and may even develop new services for users to enjoy.

10 . Giorgio is among the countless people who have made videos on the TikTok platform during the pandemic. Little did he know where they would lead, but surely they bring a touch of _________ to the fight against the suffering days.

In January, Giorgio would _________ hear muffled（低沉的）melodies through the wall of his home; it_________ that his neighbor was playing the piano. Giorgio was really enjoying the music and began _________ videos in which his neighbor's talents could be heard.

In February, he posted a video saying he left a/an _________ to his neighbor asking if the _________person could play the famous melody My Heart Will Go On. The neighbor's answer was _________when the piece came from the other side. So began a _________ . In another note, Giorgio _________ that they play The River Flows In You as a duo（二重奏）.The Italian was at first a little __________ when he started, but he felt happy the moment he heard the music coming from the other side.

The two went on to play many more duos but Giorgio stayed curious about his unknown neighbor. Finally, they __________ . It was Emil and he was 78 years old. __________ from Poland, Emil's wife had just passed away and he was staying alone in a temporary accommodation. The only __________ left to Emil was his piano.

But, on March 14, the sad news of Emil’s death __________ him. “Dear Emil," he wrote __________ his neighbor. knew very little about you, but you gave me back my passion, and we shared that with the world. You'll be in my heart. Bye, my friend, Emil.”