Soundbite 06: Speak like an opera singer

Delve into an unexpected lesson from one of Simon's opera singing mates. A powerful idea is not always about impacting millions of people: it's about impacting the right people. Tune in with Speechless co-hosts Simon Bucknall and Maryam Pasha to learn why leaving just one audience member speechless with your story is a win. 

Transcript

Maryam Pasha  0:02  
In this week's species of sound bite, we delve into the unexpected lessons from one of Simon's opera singing mates. I wasn't expecting this one, but it's good.

Simon Bucknall  0:16  
So a very good friend of mine from school days, we known each other since we're about 1314. He's an opera singer, lovely guy. He is brilliant. It was obvious he was pretty good. You know, he did his grade eight singing and he got a distinction. And then it turns out he got the highest distinction the examiner had ever heard. And he's pretty good at singing went to the Royal Academy of Music and done that I'm that I'm that I'm there. So it was not a great surprise to me to go and actually see him sing professionally in Royal Festival Hall. And he sang a duet. It's a male duet from The Pearl Fishers or fondue temple songs, I think it is. And it's and it's quite an emotional piece. And it was right before the interval. And I recognise the music, I'd certainly never heard him sing, sing. And I mean, even now I'm feeling and it's the performance finished. And I was literally in bits afterwards I made a speech I just wept. And it was the most extraordinary experience. And I could not articulate what I was feeling as a result. And I can remember over the years because so we've noticed that since school days, we've retired, we shared a flat together when we first moved to London on and I remember saying to him, Alex, your guy who's got he's actually a scientist by background is all these different things you could do your skills, your abilities will be so transferable in all sorts of domains, how come singing? How come what's kept that going? And he said, you know, he said, If even one person leaves the concert or leaves, the opera leaves the recycle the oratory or the whatever it is to choral performance. If just one person leaves in some way, uplifted in some way enriched by the experience, then it's worth it. And I can see him saying that to me, suddenly, I thought, wow, that that is a compelling mission. And my hope is that if you're listening to this podcast, you that you can relate to that, if just one person leaves in some way, having had that moment of Yeah, and it's a speechless moment is something you feel it's something you think it's something you might subsequently do, then that's that success, that victory that's meaning as a speaker every bit as much as it is for Alex I know as a singer.

Maryam Pasha  2:23  
That idea so powerful. The idea that it's not always about impacting millions of people. It's about impacting, you know, one person and sometimes the right person. Yeah. Yeah, I it reminded me of it reminded me of a story that a speaker I've worked with recently just WhatsApp to me. That like really blew me away. So this is a speaker, you'll probably hear me talk about it on the podcast a few times. She's incredible young campaigner, pz Mahmood, she campaigned successfully, to raise. So basically to end child marriage in England and Wales. So to make it illegal to marry a child under the age of 18. In this country, the UK, hugely successful campaign hadn't been done before. She did it in two years, which is huge. And she got invited to go to this really fancy event. In New York, I believe, and, and winner Award, which is just what so well deserved. And she sent me a message, as she gave a talk at TEDx London women in 2019, you know, talk about leaving an audience speechless. Like 900, people walked out of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in silence. After hearing her speak, you know, it was that powerful. But the thing about leaving one person when she was in, when she was in at this event, the prime minister of Norway, came up to her and said, I saw your talk. And because of it, we change the law. I was like what hadn't spoken to this person, one to one before I hadn't, like interacted hadn't had to convince them had had spoken powerfully for 15 minutes, and change the law, not just in the country, that she was hoping to change it but in another part of the world, and I think, you know, that's not something she would have even imagined as possible. I think that's the, the, for me, encapsulates the power of if you tell world changing stories is they have an impact beyond your wildest dreams. So to recap, here's what you can learn from speaking like an opera singer. First speaking is not always about impacting millions of people. It's about impacting the right people or person. And second, if you can leave just one person uplift in some way and enrich their experience. Well, you've won.