Thoughts on Singapore Idol Finals - Soak it in, soak it in!
Last night, I finally caught the Singapore Idol Finals. I have to say that Singapore did made the right choice by selecing Hady and Jon. You should see how electrifying the entire atmosphere was. Without discounting the months-long anticipation and idol-craze, a lot of it has to do with the showmanship and stage presence of the two performers too. I got goosebumps watching them perform even though I was in the comfort of my own home. That’s powerful!
Two things I have observed. One, both performers feel the music and the words. Hitting the notes became a non issue. Even at home, I could feel the connection they have with what they sing. As Florence aptly puts it in Jon’s evaluation, he adds a dimension of sincerity and depth to the song. In his rendition of “You give me wings”, I could feel his gratitude and amazement of the gift his fans gave him - wings to let him touch the sky and live his dreams. That totally blew me away.
Second, both performers enjoyed themselves tremendously. During the interview before their song renditions, you could see their excitement in their eyes and body gestures. Inside them, they are shouting: “LET ME GO AND DO MY THING! To the two performers, being out there with their audience is the single most important thing right there and then. Nothing else matters at all. As Gurmit jokes, the theme of that night was SOAK IT IN, SOAK IT IN!
As I have emphasized a lot before, giving a presentation or a speech is like giving a performance! What comes out isn’t just breaths of words and syllabus. They are the music of your heart and soul! When the words comes from your heart, when you feel what you said, the audience involuntary become moved by you. They too become part of your speech, part of your story, part of the inspiration.
Don’t look at your next speech as a speech. Look at it as a golden opportunity to share something that is important to you. Use your stories as a platform to re-connect with your audience. And most importantly when you are there with them, SOAK IT IN! SOAK IT IN! SOAK IT IN!
Related Posts
Speak from the Heart
