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Sam Margolis: This is Sam Margolis from Simple English News. Today I am speaking with Charlie Boswell, the director of media and entertainment for Advanced Micro Devices, one of the largest producers of microprocessors in the world. Mr Boswell often works with very creative people, such as film director George Lucas. He has a theory called “Global Nerding & the Autistic Planet”, which describes the connection and the problems in the connection between technology and creativity. Thank you for joining us today Mr Boswell. Can you explain some of your theory to us?

Charlie Boswell of AMD

A creative person, when he embraces high technology, really wants to sort of realize a vision that’s in his mind. He doesn’t want to become a technologist so much as he wants to really use the technology to help him produce his vision.

And I think that regular people all over the world maybe that have never embraced technology or maybe have possibly been excluded by technology really just want to use computers pretty much in the same way. They have — whether they’re a small business owner or whether they’re a student or whatever — they want to be able to use the technology to realize their thing without becoming a technologist.

And in the middle of both of those camps, I think there is a group of people that we like to call the nerds that just like to play with technology.

Words

embrace: to accept willingly, to take gladly (Random House Unabridged Dictionary).
to exclude: to prevent from entering.
nerd: (Slang) a person who is good in technology but not very good in communicating with other people.

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Simple English News: Can you tell us how you got started in music?

James Hunter: Yes, I drifted into it. Basically there wasn’t a huge plan going on, I just sort of fell into it. I was playing with some local musicians in Colchester — where I come from — and I got in contact with some musicians in London and then started a band with them. So I ended up moving to London, and we used to play on the streets. They call it busking. And gradually we got invited to play indoors at various places. And it kind of started to take off from there.

Simple English News: Who were your musical influences?

James Hunter: Well, at first it was Ray Charles. I think listening to him got me into the realm of music I do. Also, there was a vocal group called the “5″ Royales. They were a vocal group and they went from doing gospel stuff to rhythm and blues.They are sort of generally credited with having invented soul music.

Simple English News: And what’s next in your career? I understand you’re going to be touring shortly.

James Hunter: That’s right. Yes, we’ve got a fairly extensive tour of both sides of the country over in the States.

Simple English News: Thanks a lot again for doing this interview.

James Hunter: Thank you very much.

Words

to busk: to perform outdoors.
influence: (in art) a person or style that has a powerful effect on the work you do.
realm: an artistic domain.