Music and society

　　Q: Tell me about any traditional music in your culture.

　　构思：

　　二胡，古筝

　　folk music 民族乐

　　grassroots artists草根的艺术家

　　reflect Chinese tradition and culture, lifestyle反映中国古典文化和生活方式

　　very Chinese, exotic experience 异国情调的感受

　　Answer:

　　I’m a young person, and naturally I enjoy music from the west, such as hip-hop and rock ‘n’ roll. And I guess the traditional music in Chinese culture that I can think of right now, is played often with Erhu and Guzheng. These are Chinese traditional musical instruments with strings(弦乐器). And such music is folk music, which is created by grassroots artists long time ago. When you listen to it, you will have an exotic feeling, “Wow! This is so very Chinese.” Such music reflects Chinese tradition, history and culture. And also the lifestyle of people in China is shown.(105 words)

Q: How important is it for a culture to have musical tradition?

　　构思：

　　体现历史悠久

　　区别其它民族艺术风格

　　做自己

　　鼓励民族信心

　　贡献给世界音乐的多样性

　　Answer:

　　Tradition is history, the cultural past. It’s important for a country to have a musical tradition because it can show how glorious a history the country has. And I think the music of any country has a special tone, and such a tone distinguishes one country from others. So you can be yourself and not other people. This encourages a country’s national pride. And what’s more, since every country has a special kind of music, we put them all together, the world will have more variety and diversity in music. It’s a great benefit for music lovers, right? (98 words)

　　Q: Why do you think countries have national anthems or song?

　　构思：

　　国际舞台上象征，代表国家

　　鼓舞国民的爱国精神

　　Olympics Games

　　Answer:

　　I think the primary reason for a country to have a national anthem is the same as when a person needs a name. It shows you’re different from others. And similar to your name, national anthem is also a representation of the country. It’s a musical symbol of the nation.

　　This year, the Olympics will be held in Beijing. And national songs are practical because they will be played when an athlete wins a gold medal. It’s a moment of honor and glory.

　　I think in difficult times, such as disasters or wars, national anthems can encourage the citizens of a country. They promote patriotism among people.