Young Musician

Part 4: Young Musician

You will hear an interview with a young musician called Marcus.

Interviewer Marcus, you’re becoming quite well-known as a musician. How did it all start?

Marcus Well, I grew up in a musical family. My older brother played guitar and was always practising in his room, which was next to mine. I enjoyed listening but it wasn’t really my thing. Then when I was about twelve, I saw this amazing documentary about jazz musicians, and something just clicked. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. We had a piano at home that nobody really used, so I started teaching myself.

Interviewer So the piano was your first instrument?

Marcus Yes, exactly. I spent hours every day just figuring out how to play simple songs. My brother offered to teach me guitar, but I was completely focused on piano at that time. Later, when I joined my first band at university, I learned drums as well, but piano will always be my main instrument.

Interviewer You studied music at college. What was that like?

Marcus It was brilliant, actually. The teachers there really knew their stuff. I was technically quite good when I arrived – I could play difficult pieces without too many problems. But they said I needed to work on my stage presence and not be so nervous when performing in front of people. They were right – I used to get really anxious and it showed in my playing.

Interviewer Tell me about your first professional performance.

Marcus Oh, that was terrifying! I was so nervous I could barely sleep the night before. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong – forgetting the music, playing the wrong notes, the equipment breaking down. I knew I was well-prepared, but that didn’t stop me worrying. In the end, it went really well, and after that first gig, I felt much more relaxed about performing.

Interviewer You’re currently in a band called “Urban Voices.”

Marcus That’s right. It’s the best part of being a musician for me – working with other creative people. Sure, we get to perform in some great venues and travel around the country, and yes, we’re starting to make some decent money from it, but the real joy is when we’re all together in the studio, creating something completely new. That’s when the magic happens.

Interviewer What’s next for you?

Marcus Well, I’ve been thinking about branching out a bit. I’d love to teach music one day, maybe open my own school, but that’s way in the future. Right now, I’m really excited about writing music for films and TV shows. I’ve already done some small projects, and I think that’s where I want to focus my energy next. It combines my love of music with storytelling, which really appeals to me.

Interviewer Thanks, Marcus, and good luck with everything!

Now listen again.

That is the end of B1 Preliminary Listening Part 4. You now have two minutes to check your answers.