| Quote |
|---|
I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to. Elvis Presley |
Dieses Zitat von einem der berühmtesten Musiker überhaupt soll Sie gleich zu Beginn beruhigen: Sie müssen sich weder in den aktuellen Charts auskennen noch in allen Musikstilen oder in der Musik des Landes Ihres Gesprächspartners, um Musik als Small-Talk-Thema zu nutzen! Auch bei einem deutschen Gesprächspartner kämen Sie ja nicht auf die Idee, von Neuer Musik bis zu Speed Metal alles kennen zu müssen, was den anderen interessieren mag.
Gemeinsamkeiten finden
Man kann mit jedem über Musik plaudern, denn sie umgibt uns immerzu und überall. Und zum großen Teil ist das neben der deutschen die britische und die US-amerikanische Musik – daher finden Sie mit Gesprächspartnern aus diesen Ländern jederzeit einen gemeinsamen Nenner.
Vorsicht: Nicht jeder, der in seiner Muttersprache Englisch singt, kommt aus GB oder den USA! Bryan Adams, Avril Lavigne und Shania Twain sind beispielsweise KanadierInnen, AC/DC und INXS kommen aus Australien.
So finden Sie eine gemeinsame Basis
1. Just ask.
The easiest way to find out whether you share any musical preferences with your conversation partner is to ask. Maybe he or she has the same taste in music as you do – e.g. Gothic rock or minimalist music. In that case you have an excellent basis for small talk. If not:
2. Refer to something up to date.
What is being discussed right now? You might address the music of a well-known movie, or the music of a musician who is in the news, or the top hit album.
3. Bring up a “classical” issue.
Music that lasts over the years is more likely to be known by many people than a one-hit wonder. It could be classical music by Bach, Beethoven or Mozart; or music from musicals like “Westside Story”, “Cats” or “Spamalot”; or music by musicians everybody knows like Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston or The Beatles.
4. Refrain from criticising music.
Maybe you think that country music is politically unacceptable or that German Volksmusik is just ridiculous – but don’t judge certain music styles or musicians in general while making small talk. Maybe your conversation partner feels otherwise. Instead:
5. Find something you both like.
Instead of searching for something you can condemn, find something you agree on! Everybody likes some sort of music, you just have to find some common ground. – If in doubt, go back to 1.
Britisch oder amerikanisch?
We all know a lot of British and US musicians – but we don’t necessarily know who comes from the US and who comes from UK. The following list is hardly representative, but it gives you some names and groups from different musical styles and eras.
By the way, do you know where Robin Gibb and Tom Waits come from? If not, take a look at the answer key below.
Answer key music
Robin Gibb is an English singer (of Bee Gees fame) who came to Australia as a child and Tom Waits is from California, USA.
| berühmte Musiker UK | berühmte Musiker US | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| klassisch | Henry Purcell, Elgar, Benjamin Britten | John Cage, Steve Reich (20. Jahrhundert, Neue Musik) | ||
| Pop und Rock | The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, David Bowie, Queen, Sting, George Michael, Spice Girls, Oasis, Robbie Williams, Motörhead, Blur, Des’ree | Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera | ||
| Jazz | Ronnie Scott, Jamie Cullum, Dave Holland, John McLaughlin | Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stacey Kent, Curtis Stigers | ||
| Musical | Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Noel Coward, Richard O’Brien, Elton John | Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, George Gershwin |
Lesen Sie weitere interessante Themen unter: www.english-work.com
