Vocabulary

1. qualified

able to do sth. because you have the knowledge, skill, or experience that is needed

e.g. If you are a highly qualified doctor, what do you qualification have?

2. potent

adj. powerful or effective

e.g. The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.

3. constitute

v. to make up or form sth.

e.g. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland constitute Great Britain 

Synonym: be made up of/ be composed of/ consist of             

4. proclaim

v. to state sth. publicly or to announce sth. officially

e.g. They still proclaim that their policy was successful.

5. melody

n. a tune or song, esp, a simple one

e.g. The beautiful melody is lingering in my mind. 

6. rhythm

n. a regular, repeated pattern of sounds or movements in speech, dancing, music, etc.

He tapped out the rhythm on the table. 

7. clarity

n. the ability to be easily understood 

e.g. She was known for her quick wit and clarity of thought/purpose/vision. 

Noun: clarification

Verb: clarify

8. analogy

n. a comparison between two situations, processes etc that is intended to show that the two are similar

e.g. If you understand this point, you can understand the rest by analogy. 

9. theatrical

adj. 1) relating to the business and art of theatre 

e.g. The expert is writing a theatrical review.

2) (of behavior) showy; not natural

e.g. He has a very theatrical style of speaking.

Phrases

1. split up

to divide or brake sth. into several parts

e.g. They split up after a year of marriage.

2. shy away from

keep one’s distance from sth. 

e.g. Composers have a way of shying away from any discussion of music’ s expressive side.

3. pin down 

to understand or describe sth. exactly

e.g. As the wedding ceremony was approaching, Susan had become quite anxious. She could not pin down what exactly was troubling her. 

4. derive from 

to have sth. as an origin

Phrases with the same meaning: originate from/stem from/come from/date from

Sentences

1.  The only advantage to be gained from mechanically splitting up the listening process into these hypothetical planes is the clearer view to be had of the way in which we listen. (Para 1)

The word hypothetical means to be based on situations or events that seem possible rather than on actual ones. Here, the planes are not real, they are just part of a model for analysis and discussion.

2. Music allows them to leave it... dreaming because of and apropos of the music yet never quite listening to it. (Para. 3)

“Apropos of ”means “relating to” and it is used to introduce something else about the subject we are talking about. 

3. After all, an actual musical material is being used. He must hear the melodies, the rhythms, the harmonies, the tone colors in a more conscious fashion. (Para. 9)

The musical materials refer to the elements of music. They are melody, rhythm, harmony, tone color, and form.