Question: Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro) It is believed by some people that music has an ability to bring people closer regardless of their cultures and ages. While I agree that music can connect people from different countries/backgrounds, it fails to bring people from different generations together.
(Body 1) On the one hand, it is justifiable to say that music can remove the geographical barriers between people. As songs are the combination of lyrics and melody, people can still enjoy the songs without fully understanding the message that the song conveys when they are exposed to that/the music. Take concerts as an example. It is not uncommon to see thousands of young millennials from a diverse range of countries to gather together at a gigantic stadium to enjoy a performance by chart-topping singers, such as Taylor Swift or Adele. In these cases, the power of music to connect people f is undeniable.
(Body 2) However, it seems to me that it is impossible for music to bridge generational differences. The reason for this is that people’s choice of music is based on their life experience and personality, which deeply differ when people enter different stages of life. While children are interested in songs with catchy tunes and animated visuals, senior citizens prefer songs which can arouse melancholy feelings and trigger memories of the past. When the taste in music of the young and the old is not in harmony, it is difficult to bring them together to enjoy the same songs together, but not impossible as some limited common ground can be achieved, for example songs sung at Christmas, or traditional songs updated by current pop stars
(Conclusion) In conclusion, despite the fact that people from different cultures can become closer thanks to music, I am of the opinion that music cannot connect people of different ages because of the stark differences in their music tastes. Given this situation, the kind of music played for a diverse age range should be carefully chosen to catch people’s interest and avoid potential offence. (332 words).
Essay: Student Essay by Lucas Nguyen, fully corrected and upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS Examiner.
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