Stan Walker

The Arts, Music, Drama, Dance and Visual Art

I have chosen to blog this because I am curious about the arts. I think there is alot happening aroung the school supporting this event.

This Term our school is studying the ARTS. So far we have done things like an art trail around Parkvale, researched artists (So far I have researched Jamie Curry and Stan Walker) and have planed our art for an art exhibition coming up, there is lots more for us to explore later in the term.

I have been blogging a lot about Jamie Curry, so this time I am going to give you a brief about what we are doing for Literacy in the class and how it revolves about the ARTS. My teacher for the next three weeks is Miss Plimmer and in my group I am studying Stan Walker.

This my report writing

Who is He

Stan Walker is one of 5 children to parents April and Ross. Walker is an international artist. He was born in Melbourne Australia on the  23rd of  October 1990. Stan Walker is of maori descent and is from the Ngati Tuhoe and Tuwharetoa tribes in New Zealand.

Early Life

His family moved to Mt Maunganui and grew up on their whanau marae. Stan and his siblings were schooled in New Zealand. Walker's father and mother were jailed for dealing illegal drugs, and Stan’s father was also jailed for robbery. He started attending church after hearing about a girl who had a similar upbringing to him. It was at church when Stan began to use his voice for music and showcase his raw talent. He says his passion for music and church made him a good boy again. Ever since the age of 12 Walker has admired Guy Sebastian as he won the first season of Australian Idol. Later in life, Stan Walker moved back to Coolangatta Australia where he worked in a men's clothing shop. Early in 2009 Stan lost a daughter to his then-partner; the tattoo on Walker's neck symbolises Ataahua which in Maori means beautiful.

Fame

At the age of 19 Stan auditioned for Australian Idol. As nervous as he was he blew the judges away by singing John Legends, ‘Ordinary People’. Throughout the Australian Idol series, Walker was applauded for his voice and the song choices he made. He received praise from the judges, with Kyle Sandilands saying, “you are the only person I talked about after the auditions, I told my friends, family and people I saw about you.”

Stan made it to the semis then the grand final with fellow competitor Kate Cook. After the viewer votes had been counted, it was announced Walker had won. He was the first person of New Zealand descent to win the Australian Idol. Walker was then signed to sony music and received a development found of $200,000. During this time he established his own company called Stan Walker Music Pty Ltd which is managed by his mum April Walker.  

Other successes and awards

Stan’s first album was ‘Introducing Stan’, where his song ‘Black Box’ hit number 1 singles in New Zealand and  number 2 singles in Australia. He has published over 80,000 albums in New Zealand and Australia. Walker has been nominated twice for Kids Choice Nickelodeon Awards, and has also won the Waiata Maori Award. Walker just released a new album called ‘Truth and Soul’.

Conclusion

The background of Walker's childhood has attributed to the international artist he is now. He has come a long way after being a terrified young man at the Sydney Opera House.

 

Miss Plimmer has made reading and writing very fun for me as I enjoy singing and writing. We had to chose a song of Stan's, and remix it into our own words. I had to work out the syllables of the verses and chorus. My words were about the upbringing of  Stan Walker.

Listen here 

Lyrics

Verse 1

Growing up in the MT with my 5 siblings (9 syllables)

Verse 2

Its pretty hard cause I dont know what I’m doing (11 syllables)

Verse 3

The bible in my head as my voice is singing

My face is turning red

and I can’t control it.  (12 syllables)  

Verse 4

A girl caught my eye and it said straight now listen carefully

Verse 5

I was brought up the same my parents were to blame and now I hear you

(Chorus)

My Parents gone to jail and I’m stuck here now, I don't know what to do, staring at black walls my future is gone and I’m playing it cool and everybody's looking like what should you do yeah(13 syllables)