I watched much of the previous two years of 'Idol' - the excitement, the hype, the tears and the ecstasy, and it made me proud to be Australian. Our amazing young people. – Guy, Shannon, Casey and Anthony, and the rest of the top twelve who performed at the spectacular final night at Sydney's beautiful Opera House.
The Sydney Opera House is, to me, a symbol of the fact that, like with the aspiring Idols, what we see on the outside does not always reflect what is inside.
The story of the Opera House is this:
John Utzon, a relatively unknown Danish architect, entered an anonymous competition to design the Opera House. He was audacious in his design, breaking all architectural rules, and he was energised by his passion for the project. This is how he described it:
"... I saw the roof, like sails, white in the strong day, the whole thing slowly coming to life as the sun shone from the east and lifted overhead. In the hot sun of the day it will be a beautiful white shimmering thing - as alive to the eyes as architecture can make anything, set in the blue-green waters of the harbour. At night the flood-lit shells will be equally vibrant, but in a softer, more majestic way."
However, 'flat earth thinkers' stepped in, and sent him packing back to Denmark. The interior was completed by someone else. But John Utzon's dream for the outside of the Opera House did come true. The white sails gleam in the sunlight, and it has become as much an icon as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, affectionately known as ‘The Coat-hanger'.
The Opera House creates beautiful shells on the outside, just as some of the aspiring Idols are just shells without the pearl inside. They lack the star quality the judges are seeking.
Thousands of hopefuls from around Australia have been put to the test in order to come up with the initial top 100.
The three'Australian Idol' judges are now ‘seasoned’. For Marsha and Mark this is their third time round, and they are looking at 'the whole package'.
They've travelled all around Australia - to all the capital cities and then some. Places like Alice Springs and Albury have been included this year.
Many young people have presented with passion - full of energy , but they can't sing. Others have good singing voices but their dress is slovenly or their personality and energy level is bland. Others have false confidence and enthusiasm, but like the Opera House, what is inside just doesn't reach the standard.
Many were called and responded, but few were chosen, and next week their number will be cut in half. Thousands have walked away disappointed, deflated and discouraged, but some still have their dreams intact and are determined to pursue them.
For some it was a brief moment of fame, for others just a bit of fun. Some didn't even want to show their faces, preferring to hide inside costumes, an egg, Spiderman, monsters and clowns.
What did it show us about the youth and spirit of Australia, and what does it tell us about Natural Energy Boosters?
It showed that in the true Aussie Spirit our young people are still willing to 'have a go', and it shows that there is still a lot of incredible musical talent in our vast country.
Whether the contestants got a buzz or a Natural Energy high, from performing, competing or winning, it doesn't matter.
Australian Idol is an event that gets the youth of today singing across the nation.
Despite the cutting remarks of some of the judges, the musical energy waves, as well as the laughter energy, that has been released in the last few weeks will have swept away much of the negative energy from news broadcasts and political agendas. After all, isn’t having fun and giving it a go what life is all about?
And hopefully, like the Sydney Opera House, the participants who are like the shell - more beautiful on the outside than the inside, will respond to the music inside to discover the real person.
Australian Idol’s larrikin attitude is epitomised in the saying by James Kannis, who was the first wildcard to be put through to the final twelve in 2005:
"Music is food for the soul, the world is hungry and I'm a giant kebab with everything on it".
Live with Energy
Joan
Joan Small is the author of ‘The Energy Book for Life’, the Guide to Energetic Living, and the book series, ‘Allow Yourself… You Deserve It’, How to Free Yourself from Stress and Control and Live with Fun and Love. She empowers people to make positive changes in their lives. See http://www.natural-energy-boosters.com/ 'Allow Yourself...You Deserve It' four-book series http://www.joansmall.com/
