Lesson 5_Opinions_Listening 1

Oksana:Ivan! In front of all these people.

Ivan:What? They're friends. It's not like they haven't heard an old man fart.

Oksana:Break wind.

Ivan:Fart. Please excuse my wife. She's too sensitive to these things, but it's no secret. One bowl of her homemade soup, and I'm in the bathroom for a week.

Oksana:Forgive my husband. He thinks his bathroom habits are news for the whole neighbourhood. He has no filter between his head and his mouth.

Ivan:Ahh, go home before I tell them the real colour of your hair.

Gilles:All right now you two. Mr. Broz, come on in. Thanks, Mrs. Broz. We'll send him home in time for dinner.

Oksana:You can keep him.

Ivan:Have you ever been married, Mr. Doucette?

Gilles:Uh, I can't say that I have.

Ivan:Once you get married, all you ever hear is what not to say, when to pull the hair from your nostrils … I'm telling you, I miss the freedom of my youth. You could wear the same socks for a week, and nobody would say anything. By the way, you know you have a large piece of lettuce in your teeth?

Gilles:Oh. Uh, yes, thanks. Now, Ivan, you've met Roshan Mehta before?

Ivan:I have. That young man who comes to put up the poles. I know you. What could he know about folk music?

Gilles:I asked Roshan to be on this panel. He's actually a very talented musician.

Ivan:Talent! He hasn't been alive long enough to even know what talent means.

Roshan:Hey!

Ivan:Young man, I am an accordion player. I have played in towns and halls across this county. I have met all the great folk musicians of our province.

Gilles:I'm sure we all have something to add to this discussion. We want both a seasoned and a fresh perspective on all these musicians. Now, since Claire and the other two panelists couldn't be here today, I have their feedback about the music here. So, let's see. The finalists are three groups: the Ian and Sylvia Revival, the Smashing Beats, and the Ghost Tree Ensemble. We've all watched the videos they submitted, and now we have to choose a winner for the best emerging artist. The decision will be announced tomorrow in the Maskwa Times. So let's talk about the Ian and Sylvia Revival.

Ivan:Let the young man go first.

Roshan:They have an unusual name, but I liked them. They had a really simple style. Clean. Like, how they went all acoustic. Guitar, piano, a little fiddle, and great vocals.

Ivan:Ahh, they're depressing.

Gilles:Well, they were a little … dark, I guess.

Ivan:Depressing, I tell you. I couldn't sit through it. Just a bunch of people complaining about how terrible everything is. Makes you want to jump off a cliff.

Gilles:Come on now. Maybe it was a bit pessimistic, but …

Ivan:Tell me you sat through the whole video.

Gilles:Well, maybe not the whole thing. Okay, so the Ian and Sylvia Revival are simple, clean, acoustic, and …

Roshan:Moody?

Ivan:They are depressing.

Gilles:Let's say dark.

Roshan:I thought they gave a really personal performance. Like, can we say they sound sincere?

Gilles:We can, but you saw their video. They sound sincere, but sometimes they seem to … forget about the audience. Like, they're … a little too distant.

Ivan:They completely ignore the audience. They are too disrespectful, if you want my perspective.

Gilles:True. They don't make a lot of eye contact, so … not so appealing to me.

Ivan:Come on. They close their eyes. And … the guitarist dresses like … me.

Gilles:Sorry, gentlemen. This is a personal call. I should take this outside. Please excuse me. I'll be back in just a minute.

Ivan:Very mysterious. Do you think we should listen in?

Roshan:Maybe not.