Article in 2003
Why Guy's our idol
Australian Idol Guy Sebastian gave the University of Adelaide a taste of his undoubted musical talents earlier this year - as a student.
Before becoming a national star, Guy Sebastian grabbed the attention of classmates at the University of Adelaide
Photo courtesy of BMG Music Australia
While most students wait until they've finished their studies before making a name for themselves, Guy has gone from studying at the university's prestigious Elder School of Music to becoming a national star —and all within a matter of months!
Along the way he's earned the praise of former classmates and staff at the Elder School.
Australian Idol, watched weekly by millions of television viewers nationwide, has provided Guy with a lucrative recording contract, a high profile and a ready-made fan base eager for more of his vocal talents.
The 22-year-old music teacher and recording engineer had been studying as part of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) program at the Elder School of Music. VET offers hands-on, pre-degree courses as a thorough grounding for further music studies.
Specifically, Guy was enrolled in the Certificate IV program in Music Technology. But events overtook his studies, and he took time off to pursue his Australian Idol dream.
According to Elder School of Music lecturer Dr Mark Carroll, those in Guy's class were unexpectedly treated to a marvellous showcase of his ability earlier this year.
“Guy was fairly low key around the place—the quiet guy with the beanie and the ’fro,” Dr Carroll said.
“The event that brought his talent to the attention of myself and the other students in our theory class was when, towards the end of the first semester, I asked the students to give a short presentation on a piece of music of their choice, and to talk about the way the tune ‘worked’—a reasonably ambitious, but intentionally thought-provoking ask.
“Guy volunteered to go first, sat at the grand piano, and proceeded to sing a tune by NSync to his own piano playing. We were all amazed—I didn't even know he could sing, let alone that well.
“It wasn't simply the beauty of his voice that touched us all (and it really did) but the perceptive way that he then explained what was going on in the music—the light and shade, tension and release, the lyric curve and the form. It was immediately apparent that Guy had an innate understanding of pop music, that special something that allows truly great performers to bring a song to life.
“Every time I watched him on Idol I saw and heard that understanding,” Dr Carroll said.
“I gave him 100% for his presentation—not something I do lightly, but it was simply so far over and above what you would expect in that sort of situation that I had no choice, I'm happy to say.
“Not long after that the Idol roller coaster started and we lost touch (although he asked one of the other students to thank me for the mark). But we, the whole class, still remember that day.”
The Dean of the Elder School of Music, Professor Charles Bodman Rae, said he and many others at the university were proud of Guy's achievement.
“Staff and students of the Elder School of Music have been following Guy Sebastian's remarkable progress through all the different stages of the Australian Idol competition—and barracking for him,” Professor Bodman Rae said.
“It is heartening to see that his outstanding talent has been recognised, and with such huge media exposure. Guy Sebastian is not only an outstanding performer, he is a very intelligent musician. In fact, his performances demonstrated this,” he said.
Professor Bodman Rae said the Certificate IV program in Music Technology was an interesting choice for a student who would go on to win the hearts of millions of Australians.
“This is a program with strong vocational relevance for budding singer-songwriters—because these days popular songs tend to be composed (and often performed) with the aid of computers and sound-synthesis equipment,” he said.
“We hope that Guy will continue to build on the inclinations he has already shown and perhaps write his own material. He has all the talents to do so and make his success a long-lasting one.”
There’s little question that Guy thoroughly deserved to win the Australian Idol competition, with his combination of personality, unique looks (go the ’fro!) and great talent.
“Guy’s undoubted charm shone through all the stages of the competition, even under the harsh spotlight of ever-present TV cameras,” Professor Bodman Rae said.
“It is great that his talent has been identified and that it will be developed. But his achievement is really the tip of an iceberg.
“There are many very talented musicians around Australia—in both the classical and popular fields—and we are fortunate to have a lot of them here, in Adelaide. The lesson, I suppose, is that talents need careful nurturing and channelling.
“Guy will undoubtedly be an inspiration to a new generation of talented young people who will realise that ‘nice guys’ really can win!”
While it is uncertain whether Guy will continue with his studies at the Elder School of Music now that he has shot to national stardom, there’s little doubt that he will always be fondly remembered at the university.
And who knows, returning to study someday is always an option further down the track for Guy.
After all, Australian Idol judge and former pop star Mark Holden began his studies in Law at the University of Adelaide in the 1970s, and later graduated in 2001!
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the url for this came up a little on the large side putting it very mildly - so here's part - but the same article was in a university paper so I might be able to find that and put it here instead
http://images.google.com.au/imgres?i.../publications/
adelaidean/2003/issue11/images/guy_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.adelaide.edu.au/pr/
publications/adelaidean/
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