Name: Becoming a musician ⏲️ 6 Minute English
Uploaded: 2025-02-02T11:23:21.000Z
Duration: 6 min 28 s
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This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Now, Neil, have you ever wanted to be a musician?

I've been playing my guitar since I was 14.

I think it would be a bit stressful, especially if you had lots of fans and were really successful.

I wonder what life as a musician is actually like.

We'll be finding that out in this programme as we hear from some people around the UK who would like to become successful musicians and will even listen to some of their music too.

But first, I have a question for you, Neil.

In the UK, we have a weekly chart of the best-selling songs in the country, and the top-selling song is called The Number One.

But which musical artist do you think has had the most UK number one songs?

Elvis Presley Oh, well, I think that's easy.

Well, I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme.

Now, getting a number one song is a dream for many musicians.

But if you want to become a musician, where do you start?

I grew up in a really rich music scene in St Ives.

I was going to open mics from the age of about 11.

She lives in St Ives in Cornwall on the south-west coast of England.

She says she was going to open mic nights from a young age.

Open mic nights are events where anyone can sing or play music.

Bailey talks about her life as a musician to BBC learning English programme My Song, My Home.

I would go to these songwriter's circles at the Kettle and Wink on like a Friday night after school where I'd be like the youngest person by like 50 years.

But I'd sit in a circle of a bunch of old men and they'd play James Taylor and Carole King and the Eagles and lots of 70s music.

But I guess everyone kind of took me under the wing growing up.

When she was younger, Bailey went to songwriter's circles.

These are meetings for people interested in writing their own music.

Bailey remembers sitting with a bunch of old men.

A bunch is an informal way to talk about a group of people.

The older men in the group would play music from the 1970s.

And Bailey says they took her under their wing.

If you take somebody under your wing, you decide to protect them or guide them.

So I learnt my first proper song on guitar when I was about 13.

I literally started busking the moment I could kind of do that.

This means that he performs on the street or in public places to earn money.

Busking is a common way for musicians to make money and perform to more people.

And as Josh told BBC Learning English programme My Song, My Home, it can help musicians to get new opportunities.

It's been kind of like my main earner that's kept me going for the last 10 or so years.

From that, it's then got me various different opportunities.

It's got me all my gigs, got me all my connections.

He says that busking has got him all his gigs and connections.

Gigs are musical concerts, and it's an informal slang word.

If you owe a lot to someone or something, you have success or happiness because of that personal thing.

So would you like to listen to some of Josh's music, Neil?

Well, here's a bit of his song That Side of the Wall, which he performed for BBC Learning English programme My Song, My Home.

Well, you can find performances by the musicians in the series on our website, bbclearningenglish.com, and we'll also put a link in the notes below this episode.

Yes, I asked which artist had the most number one songs in the UK charts?

The Beatles, Ed Sheeran or Elvis Presley?

But the answer is actually Elvis Presley.

He's had 21 number one songs, and the Beatles have had 18.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this musical episode, starting with open mic nights, events where anyone can sing or play music.

Songwriter's circles are meetings for people interested in writing their own music.

The expression take someone under your wing means to protect or guide someone.

Busking is performing in a public place for money, and a busker is someone who performs on the street for money.

Your main earner is your main source of income.

And the expression to owe a lot to someone or something means to have success or happiness because of that personal thing.

Once again, our six minutes are up, but you can find my song My Home on our website bbclearningenglish.com.

Watch the songs and sing along and learn more about the vocabulary in the lyrics.

We'll see you again soon for some more trending topics and useful vocabulary.