Help with Japanese class presentation about ayu!

[Eewyi]

[I'm terribly sorry if this is in the wrong thread]

I need to hold this presentation in Japanese about ayu, but I'm lost!
What should I tell about her? And how I would even write it? [My Japanese knowledge isn't that good yet that I could hold pretty complex presentations. So, help in sentences would also be a great help!]

And, should I show something extra, like music clip of some kind? If so, which song or video I should present to my class and teacher? [It would be nice to have some kind of video that shows many sides of her...]

I need to hold this presentation on Tuesday. I think the maximum lenght for it is something like 10-15mins.

Thank you in advance, I really need help! (>///////<)

[Mai82Go]

You have to hold a presentation about a person at a beginners-level class that will last 15 minutes? Are your teachers crazy or what? I had the same task (Presentation about a person) at my japanese class last year, but I didn't choose Ayu so I cannot help you in that regard. I would definitely add one or two videos, maybe some concert performances you really like? You basically start with her birth, her early life and her rise to fame until today. I would show the videos at the end, if you still have time. (I did it that way) You could show some lyrics and explain they mean a lot to you because of this or that reason. While showing these facts and pictures with Powerpoint (I would use PP and add loads of pictures) the facts are in normal form, but during the happyou you only use desu/masu-kei. I know all teachers in the world will cry foul....but wikipedia really helps! Use the japanese version so you already have your kanji and stuff. That might be hard for a low level - but it can help you with simple facts vocabulary and is helpful to give your happyou a basic structuring.

[Eewyi]

Originally Posted by Mai82Go

You have to hold a presentation about a person at a beginners-level class that will last 15 minutes? Are your teachers crazy or what? I had the same task (Presentation about a person) at my japanese class last year, but I didn't choose Ayu so I cannot help you in that regard. I would definitely add one or two videos, maybe some concert performances you really like? You basically start with her birth, her early life and her rise to fame until today. I would show the videos at the end, if you still have time. (I did it that way) You could show some lyrics and explain they mean a lot to you because of this or that reason. While showing these facts and pictures with Powerpoint (I would use PP and add loads of pictures) the facts are in normal form, but during the happyou you only use desu/masu-kei. I know all teachers in the world will cry foul....but wikipedia really helps! Use the japanese version so you already have your kanji and stuff. That might be hard for a low level - but it can help you with simple facts vocabulary and is helpful to give your happyou a basic structuring.

Well, I'm on my second year now, but we definitely haven't learned vocalubary that would help with this kind of presentation. My word knowledge is quite fine, but I just...well, I know, ayu is kinda complex topic for this kind of class, yeah. [And my fellow classmate did it about Sibelius, so maybe I can do something too, hah]
Just that, all others did it more speech-like, but I would like to show actual clips of her music too.

I thought too that this is kinda complex task [considering what our book has teached us, it's more towards basic "travel" kind of vocalubary, and well, basic things.] But seeing how well others in my class have done with theirs, explaining pretty complex things even, I would like to do something similar. [And with ayu, you really can't say something like "This is Ayumi Hamasaki and she's a singer, I like her."]

I try to come up with something~

[Mai82Go]

Maybe your teacher knows best. Even if you're in second year, if you keep it simple and your classmates have already done it before it is not that hard. I really understand where you're coming from, though. In my class, the presentations of my classmates were Winston Churchill, Robert Koch, Nobunaga Oda and others who are really hard to describe!

I think it is a good idea to focus on Ayu's lyrics. Have a few examples ready, thrown in after every point. This is also useful for your classmates, they get a sense of Ayu's abilities as a writer and understand her better - maybe even learn some new vocabulary with it. It is a point I would really focus on. Another thing you might do...print the lyrics of an Ayu song (SEASONS for example) and then listen to it with the whole class while reading the lyrics. This is a fun exercise and you need almost 5 minutes for it!

[Eewyi]

Originally Posted by Mai82Go

Maybe your teacher knows best. Even if you're in second year, if you keep it simple and your classmates have already done it before it is not that hard. I really understand where you're coming from, though. In my class, the presentations of my classmates were Winston Churchill, Robert Koch, Nobunaga Oda and others who are really hard to describe!

I think it is a good idea to focus on Ayu's lyrics. Have a few examples ready, thrown in after every point. This is also useful for your classmates, they get a sense of Ayu's abilities as a writer and understand her better - maybe even learn some new vocabulary with it. It is a point I would really focus on. Another thing you might do...print the lyrics of an Ayu song (SEASONS for example) and then listen to it with the whole class while reading the lyrics. This is a fun exercise and you need almost 5 minutes for it!

Oh, that lyrics idea sounds pretty nice! But what song I should play for them?
Yeah, I'm kinda on the edge here..everyone did so fine with theirs, even describing things in great detail that we haven't learned yet.. (; w ; ) And I just..there's so much to tell about ayu! What would be the most important and note worthy facts? This is so hard... (; ____ ; )

And wow, your classmates did complex ones too! How they managed? O - O [and what was your topic if I can ask?]

[Mai82Go]

^What is your favourite Ayu song? If you're unsure about that song, lyrically something like SEASONS or A Song for xx is nice. I would choose a ballad or mid-tempo song. Because evolution, for example, is sung REALLY fast so it is hard to pick up the lyrics even when you have them in front of you.

I was kind of embarassed everyone had like great political leaders or scientists.... Well, in the end I chose eyecandy in the form of Daisuke Takahashi. He is a japanese figure skater and I think he is the best! One good thing is I will never forget how to write 世界選手権 (sekaisenshuken) the word for World Championship. You really learn a lot of specific vocabulary when you focus on one theme/person so much. How did they manage? Well, I'm in an intermediate course and it is doable.... I have some talented classmates.

I know - there is so much to say about Ayu. I would focus on her beginning of her career and your favourite song/performance. Maybe some short part about what she's up to now. (15th year in the business) And then the highlights...like Asia Tour, Dome Concerts, single streak, record sales. You just generally say that she is considered a fashion icon and show a few magazine covers. You cannot even list all her albums. That would soon get boring. Just choose some highlights, that you think or feel are important.

[Eewyi]

Originally Posted by Mai82Go

^What is your favourite Ayu song? If you're unsure about that song, lyrically something like SEASONS or A Song for xx is nice. I would choose a ballad or mid-tempo song. Because evolution, for example, is sung REALLY fast so it is hard to pick up the lyrics even when you have them in front of you.

I was kind of embarassed everyone had like great political leaders or scientists.... Well, in the end I chose eyecandy in the form of Daisuke Takahashi. He is a japanese figure skater and I think he is the best! One good thing is I will never forget how to write 世界選手権 (sekaisenshuken) the word for World Championship. You really learn a lot of specific vocabulary when you focus on one theme/person so much. How did they manage? Well, I'm in an intermediate course and it is doable.... I have some talented classmates.

I know - there is so much to say about Ayu. I would focus on her beginning of her career and your favourite song/performance. Maybe some short part about what she's up to now. (15th year in the business) And then the highlights...like Asia Tour, Dome Concerts, single streak, record sales. You just generally say that she is considered a fashion icon and show a few magazine covers. You cannot even list all her albums. That would soon get boring. Just choose some highlights, that you think or feel are important.

Yeah, just, ayu, in this sense, is a difficult artist to manage in fine package. I mean, there's so much to tell about her!! [In that sense, I kinda thought if I should choose another singer/band which hasn't done so big career yet]

But aah..my friend did it about Sibelius..and his career is like..lol hundreds of years old XD I just.. (; ___ ; ) I would LOVE to present ayu out of all artist I love from Japan, but I just doubt if this is too tough cookie.

[Eewyi]

I can happily announce, that my presentation is now over! I'm super grateful to my Japanese friend who helped me a lot, to pull this text together! There's no way I would have been able to tell something so complex, if it wasn't for my friend. [I told him what I wanted to express, and he translated it in the final text] With these feelings of great gratitude, I present my presentation that we made together:
[only in kana/kanji]

浜崎あゆみについて発表する。

浜崎あゆみは、日本の女性歌手である。浜崎は1978年10月2日（34歳）に生まれた。浜崎は福岡で生ま れ育った。浜崎が幼い頃に、彼女の父親は家族を残して居なくなってしまった。浜崎は父親が居ない代わりに、 母親から多くのことを学び、また、彼女の祖母は、特に彼女に対して特別の愛情をそそいだ。浜崎は、10代の 頃から、家族のためにモデルや女優として仕事をしていた。

彼女の歌手としての活動は1998年にavex traxのもとで始まった。 彼女は、17歳のとき、クラブで、未来のプロデューサーであるMax Matsuuraに出会った。 彼女がカラオケで歌うのを聞き、Matsuuraは感動した。 彼は、浜崎にその気があるなら歌手になれると言った。 浜崎は、はじめは断ったが、あとで考えを変えた。 1998年4月8日発売の1stシングル「poker face」で「浜崎あゆみ」としてデビューする。 1999年1月1日に発売されたデビュー・アルバム「A Song for XX」は100万枚以上売れ、オリコン・チャートで1位になった。 また浜崎は最優秀新人賞も手にし、若くしてスーパー・スターになった。

その後浜崎は、50枚以上のシングルと4枚のミニ・アルバム、そして14枚のフル・アルバムを 送り出した。 最新作「LOVE again」は2013年2月に発売された。

浜崎は、売上が減っても、武道館や、ロンドン、パリなどでのコンサートでもファン・サービスを忘れず、今も たくさんの熱心な支持者がいる。

2013年で、浜崎の活動は15周年を迎え、それを記念したツアーが日本で行われている。また、4月8日に は記念シングル「Tell All」をリリースする予定だった。

私をふくめた多くのファンが、彼女の深い歌詞に惹かれている。 彼女はポップ・シンガーだが、ポップだけでなくロックやダンスなどのスタイルも得意としている 。 そして彼女は、ファンと身近であることで知られる。 どんなに離れていても、浜崎あゆみとファンの心はすぐそばにあるのだ。

浜崎あゆみの音楽を言葉にするのはむずかしい。 曲だけでなく、歌詞や雰囲気、そうしたすべてのものが彼女の音楽に含まれる。 たとえば歌詞がわからないのなら、それだけ大きなピースが欠けているといえよう。 Max Matsuuraはこう言っている。
"彼女が唯一であり、彼女が全てだ。"

日本だけで5000万枚を売り上げた浜崎は、まさに音楽界の伝説と言えるだろう。彼女こそが、 J-Popの女王なのだ。

I read my text out from romanji version, since there are so many kanjis, that I don't still remember just by glancing, or have never seen before. But I learned a lot of new kanjis in the progress, haha!

My teacher liked my presentation, commenting that it was fine and there were lot of things we hadn't learned yet. [I also told that my Japanese friend helped me to make it.] She knew who Hamasaki is [well, she's native, I was expecting that she was familiar with her], and so did couple of my classmates, which made me happy! Now whole of my class likes ayu, lol~ Some of my mates liked her already~

Also, my teacher said that "Hamasaki has had an harsh childhood, she's a great, widely known singer." [reflecting my text as well, as I told about her childhood in the beginning.]

I played this performance of A Song for XX in class. They seemed to like it, or at least thought it was okay, hah!~ I got the impression, that my teacher too, liked ayu.

But I'm happy that it went so well! I was also happy that my classmates seemed to understand what I was talking about, at least some of the main things, haha.

My head hurts now, 'cause I was so nervous! But I'm glad it's now over.