Gareth Malone
Every time Gareth Malone appears on the TV, leading a group of teenages to perform at a major event, I am there watching the series.
Gareth is a great marshaller of people talent. He gets a whole group of young people who have not heard of the term “opera” let alone sing the classics. He teaches them not only to sing but also assists them to perform a modern opera “Knight Crew” at the famous Glynedebourne Opera Theatre. The Knightly Crew were about teenage gangs and in fact, they were the “stars” of the sell out performances and good reviews.
My interest in the series was how he achieved it using all that raw talent and what benefits were there for the participants.
Let’s go through some of the members of Knight Crew
Korrell – He has the raw talent and the charisma for the role but, he does not have the self discipline to go through the “training” and eventually drops out.
Stefan – When starting, he did not have the singing ability but when just grit and determination, he did it. What was impressive about Stefan was the sheer perseverance to achieve his aim. He has a superb attitude and this will take him far in life
Kiya – Appears to lack self confidence and not appear to try. Perhaps, she needs to be pushed and shown the reward for the effort.
Gaile – Her passion is in the Creative Arts.
What do the teenages benefit from this event? They are shown that working together for a common purpose, they can achieve great things that singly they cannot. It is the achievement that gives them the confidence that they so need at this stage of their lives.
There should be clones of Gareth dong this throughout the country. All the energy of misspent youth going in the direction of achievement and confidence building.
The next time Gareth is appearing on the television –
Gareth Malone’s Extraordinary School for Boys
Thursday, 21:00 on BBC Two (9th Sept 2010)
In an ambitious new series, Gareth Malone teaches in a primary school for one term. His mission is to re-engage boys who don’t like school and who, like many across Britain, lag behind their female peers. His method is to bring risk, competition and adventure back to the classroom. Known for his previous successes as a choirmaster in The Choir, the school classroom is a new challenge for Gareth
Dr Michael Oon
