The cue card
Describe a song or piece of music that is special to you.
You should say:
- what it is
- when you first heard it
- how often you listen to it
and explain why it is special to you.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
The piece of music that means the most to me isn't something you'd find in any charts. It's an old Bhatiali song, which is a kind of folk song that boatmen in Bengal traditionally sang while they rowed along the rivers. This particular one is about a boatman far from home, watching the water and wondering whether he'll ever see his village again. It's slow and rather haunting, with long, drawn-out notes that seem to drift like the river itself.
I first heard it when I was about seven, at my grandfather's village home in Kishoreganj. There was no electricity in the evenings back then, so after dinner the whole family used to sit outside on mats in the yard. My grandfather had worked as a boatman in his youth, and one night, without any warning, he started singing it. I can still remember the frogs croaking in the background, the glow of a hurricane lamp on his face, and everyone falling completely silent.
These days I listen to it perhaps once or twice a week. He passed away a few years ago, but luckily my uncle had recorded him singing it on an old mobile phone, and he sent me the file. The sound quality is terrible, with a lot of background noise, but I wouldn't swap it for a polished studio version. I usually play it late at night when I'm studying, or when I'm feeling a bit homesick here in Dhaka.
As for why it's special, I suppose it connects me to my family history and to a way of life that has largely disappeared. Very few people make a living rowing boats now, and hardly anyone my age knows these songs. Whenever I hear it, I'm transported back to that yard, and it reminds me where I come from, even though I'm living a very different, very urban life now.
Useful phrases from this answer
- drawn-out notes
- musical notes that are held for a long time
- wouldn't swap it for
- would not exchange it for something else
- feeling a bit homesick
- missing your home and family a little
- make a living
- earn enough money to live on
- transported back to
- feeling as if you have returned to a past time or place
- a loyal fan base
- a group of supporters who stay faithful to an artist
- a living record
- something that keeps history alive in the present
- turn to piracy
- start illegally copying or downloading music or films
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
What kinds of music are popular with young people in your country?
There's a real mix. A lot of young people in Bangladesh listen to international pop and hip-hop, and Korean pop has a surprisingly large following, especially among teenagers. Hindi film songs have been popular for a long time too. At the same time, Bangla rock bands and independent artists have a loyal fan base, and their concerts at universities are often packed. What I find interesting is that some young musicians are now blending folk songs with modern instruments and electronic beats, which has made traditional music feel cool again to people my age. So I'd say tastes are becoming more global, but local music is far from dead.
Should children learn to play a musical instrument at school?
I think it would be very beneficial, as long as it isn't forced on children who genuinely have no interest. Learning an instrument teaches patience and discipline, since you have to practise regularly to improve, and it can also build confidence when children perform in front of others. Many people believe it helps with concentration and memory as well. In Bangladesh, music lessons are usually seen as an extra that only some families can afford privately, so offering them in schools would make them accessible to children from poorer backgrounds. The main obstacle is cost, as instruments and trained teachers aren't cheap, but even simple instruments like the harmonium or tabla would be a good start.
How has the internet changed the way people listen to music?
It has completely transformed it. In the past, people had to buy cassettes or CDs, or wait for their favourite song to come on the radio, whereas now almost any song ever recorded is available instantly on a phone. Streaming platforms also recommend new music based on what you already like, so people discover artists from all over the world. That's a huge advantage, but I'd argue it has made listening more casual. People often skip songs after a few seconds, and fewer seem to listen to whole albums. The internet has also given independent musicians a way to reach an audience directly, without needing a record company, which is great for creativity.
Why does traditional music matter to a country's culture?
I'd say traditional music is like a living record of a country's history and values. Folk songs often describe the everyday lives of ordinary people, such as farmers, fishermen and boatmen, and they preserve local dialects, beliefs and stories that might otherwise be forgotten. In Bangladesh, for example, Baul songs carry a whole philosophy about love and humanity. Traditional music also brings people together at festivals and gives them a shared sense of identity, which matters even more in a globalised world where so much culture is imported. If it disappears, I think a country loses part of its memory, and that's very hard to recover.
Should musicians receive more money when their songs are streamed online?
In principle, I think they should, because at the moment many artists seem to earn very little from streaming unless they're extremely famous. A musician might have a song played many thousands of times and still struggle to pay the rent, which hardly seems fair given how much value their music creates for the platforms. On the other hand, streaming is popular partly because it's cheap for listeners, so if subscription prices rose sharply, some people might turn to piracy again. Perhaps a fairer approach would be for platforms to change how they share the money they already collect, so that more of it reaches smaller artists rather than just the biggest names.
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