Shadowing Practice: Can this Pop Star Actually Sing Opera? - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Yeah!
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Yeah.
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I don't know.
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I've heard this sound before.
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Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of TwoSet Violin.
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Today we have our friend Sana, right here.
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She's an opera singer.
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We decided to react to the very viral and popular song that popped off recently from Rosalia.
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And what's the song called?
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The...
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Berghain.
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Berghain.
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Berghain.
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Does that mean anything?
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Yes, it's the nightclub in Berlin.
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Oh!
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Oh, wow, I didn't know that.
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We haven't actually seen this whole video in its entirety, but we see so many clips of it, and people tell us to react to it, so we're gonna react to it now.
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Looks like a German apartment.
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A fancy one.
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Oh, yes.
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A really fancy one.
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Oh, fancy.
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Wow, okay, wow, wow, wow, wow.
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Oh wow, wow, wow, wow.
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Okay, wow, um...
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Okay, I feel like Vivaldi.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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I love Vivaldi.
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I'm actually very impressed they can even fit an orchestra into a single apartment.
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That is so tight for an orchestra.
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How do you even...
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I can imagine the musicians being like, Oh...
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Yeah, yeah.
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Just like, try not to poke each other's eyes out with their bow sticks.
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And also this, the girl here, she's getting blasted by a trombone.
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.
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True!
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That's actually not good for musicians.
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Aren't they actually playing here?
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Well, I don't know.
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Actually, I didn't...
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That's a good question.
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So, I think they look like legit musicians.
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Mm-hmm.
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For sure.
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But I don't know if the actual music is...
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It sounds a bit interesting.
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Okay.
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No one's playing the actual main...
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Like...
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Yeah.
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It's very fast.
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Yeah.
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You can see people doing...
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Which is fine, and someone's doing...
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Oh yeah.
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Which is doable, but...
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That's really fast.
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That's some like, Hilary Hahn type sheet.
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Yeah, but it's too...
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The articulation and the volume is too like...
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Perfect, yeah, yeah.
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Everything's too flat.
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It shouldn't sound that...
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I don't know, it sounds...
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Sounds a bit process to me.
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I don't know.
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Maybe...I'd be curious if we recorded the violin part, but damn, they'll teach me how to play so fast.
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Anyway, anyway, the whole point is the singing part.
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I'm not the hell with me, I'm not the devil, I mean, so one of the things, when I saw this clip go viral, is so many people praising her for her kind of like classic...
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I don't know, is she classically trained or...
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I mean, clearly she's using a more classical type of scene.
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Yes.
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But as an opera...
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Yeah.
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How do you feel?
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I feel like it's in the...
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to operatic style, like to this direction, a little bit like classical singing, but it's not fully that.
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Like, I think she has her like own unique sound.
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Okay.
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She's using more air in the sound.
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What does that mean, more air in a sound?
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Because I feel like the viewers might not know.
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Yeah.
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What does that mean?
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When you sing, you can sing like...
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Oh, that's...
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That's more air.
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Yeah, you can use more air when you put like...
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not so much closure...
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with your vocal cords.
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Damn, guys, that projection was huge.
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That was crazy.
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Yeah, you guys...
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Whoa!
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Yeah, I guess it's like...
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Flortando.
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Yeah, normally we play.
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Yes.
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She might be playing.
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Exactly.
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Yeah.
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So it's kind of the sound.
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Yeah.
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I think she wants this kind of sound.
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Okay.
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That's why she's singing this way.
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Would that type of sound work in traditional opera scene in a big hall?
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No, you need the projection.
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Yeah.
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But I think in baroque music, Mm-hmm.
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For example, you can use more air in some parts to express something.
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And it reminds me also like from Vivaldi, like the beginning.
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I hear you right.
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And also the lyrics are this kind of Sturm und Drang, like giving the raw emotions.
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Oh, Sturm und Drang?
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Sturm und Drang.
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Sturm und- Oh, Sturm und Drang!
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Yes, I remember that word from- I've studied that!
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Yes!
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Sturm and Drang.
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Oh, you remember this.
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Professor Stephen Emerson taught us.
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Sturm und Drang.
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And what does that mean like specifically?
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It's like late 18th century.
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It's about more expressing the art through raw emotions, more than rational thinking.
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Ah, it's more emotional.
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We are not serious.
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I'm a taronga, I'm a taronga When you're born, you're a taronga So what about the singing?
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I think it's interesting It's because she has her own sound, own choices But then she also changes to the more pop-ish sound Oh yeah, okay, the second verse felt more pop-ish Spanish, yeah.
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Oh, that was Spanish!
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When she sings...
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Yeah, in Spanish.
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Oh, I didn't realize, I'm just...
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My bad.
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There are some little bit coming, but not that much, but...
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I think it's good.
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It's not too wide.
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I like asking that question.
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Yeah...
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About vibrato.
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Yeah...
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We can talk about it later!
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I see!
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Cool, should we try it and play it?
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To play?
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And sing it?
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Yeah, let's do it.
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This is our version.
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Sight reading version.
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Dude, that's...
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Ooh!
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That's so fast!
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Oh my god.
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Oh god, I got it.
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Okay, okay, ready?
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Okay.
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I love you, I love you, I love you.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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I love you so much.
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Ah!
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Wait, what?
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That was epic!
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Bro!
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Should we try it again?
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Okay.
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I wasn't quite like...
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Not sad.
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Damn, that's just— Okay, that felt so good.
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Okay, sure.
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Should you start, like try the beginning as well?
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We'll go from the beginning.
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Do you want quickly that I tell you what...
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Oh yes, please.
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Yes, okay.
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Oh, okay.
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When you sing...
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Yes.
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Seine Angst is meine Angst.
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His fear...
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My angst.
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Yeah.
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My angst, yeah.
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Your angst is my angst?
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His fear is my fear.
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Okay, his fear is my fear.
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Seine Angst is my...
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Mein angst...
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Meine Angst, seine Angst...
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Seine Angst is meine Angst...
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Seine Wut is meine Wut.
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Seine Wut is meine Wut.
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What does that mean?
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His hate is my hate.
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Oh, seine...
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Seine Lieb is meine Liebe.
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Okay.
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His song is my song?
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Seine Lieb is mine Liebe.
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His song is my song.
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Love.
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Love.
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Love.
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His love is my love.
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Seine Lieb is...
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Seine Lieb is...
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Seine Lieb is...
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Seine Lieb is my blood.
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Seine Lieb is my blood.
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Okay.
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Okay, now you know the lyrics and how to sing there.
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Yes.
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Okay?
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So you need a little bit more support.
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So it's all about breathing.
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Like feel it here in your diaphragm.
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and then just like let the air flow but you can go to your like head voice like you need your chest and then you need your head voice and the balance like the chiaroscuro like the dark and the bright bright balanced at the same time so you can like play with like think about that you're a siren like an ambulance or I've heard this sound before.
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Let the woman stand!
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You!
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You!
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Yes, there is it.
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You can call it your head voice.
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Wow.
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There you go!
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And there's one trick.
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Think about it, you're really surprised.
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Better?
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Wow.
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Yeah.
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Yes, great.
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One thing is that when you go up, you can think that you're going down.
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So it's like an elevator.
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You need the...
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Yeah!
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Whoa.
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That's my whole verse.
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That's awesome.
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I'm just like an opera singer.
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So I sing it my style.
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I don't try to imitate her because I cannot do what she's doing.
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So I just do it my way.
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The more I listen to it, the more I'm like, really appreciating and liking the inspiration, and how people these days are paying more homage and looking more inspiration to the past.
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You see it in artists like Leve, you see it here, you see it in like, the Nike ad.
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Oh yeah, let's talk.
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So I think that's really cool.
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So I guess the question that everyone is dying to know is, as a representative of the opera community, do you approve of this song?
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Absolutely.
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Great job.

Context & Background

In this engaging episode of TwoSet Violin, the hosts, along with their guest Sana, an opera singer, explore the intersection of pop music and opera. They react to a viral song by Rosalia titled Berghain, named after a famous nightclub in Berlin. The discussion highlights the unique setting of a classy apartment filled with musicians, emphasizing the humorous challenges they might face in such tight quarters. This context provides rich material for English learners to understand cultural references and the dynamics of conversations surrounding musical performances.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I didn't know that!" - A phrase for expressing surprise or learning something new.
  • "Wow, that's impressive!" - Used to convey admiration or appreciation for someone's skills.
  • "How do you even...?" - A way to show curiosity about a process or action.
  • "That's not good for musicians." - An example of offering an opinion based on knowledge or experience.
  • "I can imagine..." - This phrase allows for personal interpretations or hypothetical thoughts.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively apply the shadowing technique with this video and improve English pronunciation, follow this structured guide:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by watching the video without subtitles. Pay close attention to the pronunciation and intonation of the hosts and guest.
  2. Repeat Back: Use the shadowspeak method by repeating phrases shortly after hearing them. Mimic the rhythm and emotion in their voices to enhance your natural speaking style.
  3. Pause & Practice: Pause the video after each segment. Focus on pronouncing words clearly and accurately. This section is crucial for mastering nuanced sounds in English.
  4. Record Yourself: After practicing, record your own voice while repeating the phrases. Compare your recording with the original to identify areas for improvement.
  5. Engage in Dialogue: Incorporate these phrases into your daily conversations. This ensures that you are not only memorizing but also applying new expressions in real-life scenarios.

Through consistent practice with shadowspeaks, you can significantly enhance your speaking abilities and become more confident in casual discussions, just like the hosts in this engaging video! Enjoy the process of learning and expressing yourself in English.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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