gwunspoken - Beyond the Plan
gwunspoken: Beyond the Plan
Hear the person beyond the plan.
This podcast is where NDIS participants, families, and supporters reclaim their narrative. We dive into life beyond the diagnosis, beyond the reports, and beyond the plans—exploring identity, strength, and voice.
Whether you're a parent seeking connection, a support worker craving understanding, or someone walking their own NDIS journey, this space is for you.
Because labels don’t define people—stories do.
gwunspoken - Beyond the Plan
Eight-Year-Old Songbird: Conversations with a Young Podcast Star
Arie, our youngest and most musically gifted guest yet on gwunspoken Beyond the Plan. At just eight years old, this grade three student brings a refreshing perspective and surprising talents to our studio conversation.
The moment Arie settled into our recording space, hoodie up and headphones on, it was clear we were in for something special. Despite his young age, he approached our chat with the confidence of a seasoned podcast guest, rating his current happiness a perfect five out of five. Our conversation weaves through his recent school challenges, where he reflects with remarkable self-awareness on having to take time off after a difficult moment. "My friends, my teacher," he responds when asked what he misses most about school – a poignant reminder that for children, relationships form the foundation of their educational experience.
What truly sets this episode apart is Arie's extraordinary musical gift. While adults consistently decline our invitation to sing on the podcast, Arie confidently performs not one but two songs – "Worlds Apart" by Marshmallow and Echo, followed by a stunning rendition of Kiss's "I Was Made for Loving You." His natural ability to capture the tone and style of the original artists is genuinely impressive. When asked about his technique, he shares his secret: "Sometimes, when I sing, I get their voice in my head." This innate musical intuition in someone so young suggests a bright future ahead, perhaps as the professional musician he aspires to become.
Between musical performances, we explore Arie's home life, his love for both cats and dogs (though cats are "more cleaner"), and his adventures in IKEA shopping. His candid admissions – including stealing marshmallows from hot chocolate while leaving the drink behind – bring smiles throughout. Listen as we make plans for Arie's future podcast appearances, each featuring a new song from his growing repertoire. Subscribe now to follow this young talent's journey and be reminded of the wisdom that often comes from our youngest voices.
Well, here we are with another edition of GWN Spoken Beyond the Plan, and we're here on behalf of EngageU and I've got my little mate over here in the studio itself. I've got Ari. How are you, mate? Good Mate, how do you feel you are the first one in Beyond the Plan to be inside the studio? What do you think of the studio?
Speaker 2:Very cool, very cool.
Speaker 1:You're very cool. You're here with your hoodie on. You've got your earphones under your hoodie. You under your hoodie. You've got your little white microphone ready to go. You ready to have a chat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah nice.
Speaker 1:All right, now let's talk about well, let's do a bit of a check-in. I don't know if you've had a check-in before. If I said to you, out of five, one, two, three, four, five, five is really good, one's really bad, how do you feel right now? Five, oh, that's high, that's the best of the best, that's good. What's something that you're really thankful for? What are you grateful for? What's something you're really happy for in your life?
Speaker 2:Doing podcasts.
Speaker 1:You're very good at podcasts, by the way. I want to tell the people who are listening to this podcast, because when we put it on Spotify, a lot of people get to hear young Ari here Tell the audience how old you are.
Speaker 2:Eight Eight.
Speaker 1:Eight years old in grade.
Speaker 2:Three.
Speaker 1:In grade three. Now Ari is a little bit of a DJ. When we hop in the car he uses my phone to put some Spotify on, and he actually remembered my password from a week ago to get into my phone. Is that true?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So my understanding is that you have a very good phone. Is that true? Yeah, so my understanding is that you have a very good memory. Is that true? Yep, do you know who doesn't have a very good memory? Who, goldfish?
Speaker 2:What, what Goldfish?
Speaker 1:You know, the goldfish that swim around in tanks are fish. They reckon. Their memory goes for 10 seconds. Imagine if that was true. That's like me talking to you now going hey, who are you? I forgot who you were already. That would be weird, wouldn't it? Yeah Well, let's talk about school. You've had a bit of time off school, haven't you? Yeah, do you want to talk about what happened at school?
Speaker 2:No, did you have a bit of?
Speaker 1:a snap. Yeah, got a bit angry.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so you had to have a bit of time off school. Yeah, you wish you didn't do that now. Yeah, has it been boring without school? Yeah, what's it about school that you've missed the most?
Speaker 2:My friends, my teacher.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you do with your friends at school? You guys play games and stuff. Yeah, what kind of games.
Speaker 2:I don't really know yet. We just play random games.
Speaker 1:Oh, do you? Yeah, do you play sock on the field?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Don't play sock on the field. Do you play like computer games or run around games, chasey games.
Speaker 2:I kick the ball to Lachlan and me.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's cool. And then, obviously, you miss your friend talking to your friends at school. Yeah, yeah, and tell us about your teacher. You told me a little secret on the way over here. What about your teacher? Something exciting is happening with your teacher. What's happening with your teacher?
Speaker 2:He has a baby.
Speaker 1:He's having a baby. Yeah, wow, I want to know when Ari is older, how many babies is Ari going to have?
Speaker 2:Probably like three.
Speaker 1:Thirteen.
Speaker 2:Three.
Speaker 1:Oh, three, three I thought you were going to say 13, like a whole football team. Three kids you'd like to have when you're older? Yeah, oh, that'd be pretty cool, nice, all right. And so you miss your teacher and you miss your friends. It must be pretty boring actually when you don't see your friends all the time. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay, all right. And then what about home? What were you doing today? Before I picked you up, it was in the afternoon. Now what were you?
Speaker 2:doing Rock, playing down rocks, playing down rocks, and I don't really know the other ones.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:I want gaming on Roblox.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:That's all.
Speaker 1:You're laying down rocks. Was that hard?
Speaker 2:Yep. Did it make you tired?
Speaker 1:No, oh you're strong. Yep, oh, very good. Were they big rocks or little rocks, little Little ones for your garden?
Speaker 2:Yep, oh very good, were they big rocks or little rocks, little.
Speaker 1:Little ones for your garden. Yeah, yeah, cool, all right, and so I do believe too, that you went shopping the other day Is that true? At Ikea? Yep, what did you buy at Ikea? Can you buy something out of here? You told me about.
Speaker 2:Doggy.
Speaker 1:You're a doggy Like a real doggy. No, you can't get a real dog at Ikea.
Speaker 2:No a toy.
Speaker 1:Oh, a toy poodle dog.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Was it a poodle, or do you know what kind of dog it was?
Speaker 2:Golden retriever.
Speaker 1:And if it's a toy dog, do you actually have to feed it as well? Do you have to feed the dog? Yeah, you have to feed it. Yep, it's a toy dog and you have to feed it.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:You just said yes.
Speaker 2:I forgot.
Speaker 1:What colour is it?
Speaker 2:Golden.
Speaker 1:Of course, because of Golden Retriever. That was a silly question, wasn't it? Yeah, hang on. Here's a question. Are all Golden Retrievers golden? No, can't you get black ones as well, can't you?
Speaker 2:Black Retrievers, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are dogs your favourite pet or do you have a different favourite pet?
Speaker 2:I have another favourite pet.
Speaker 1:What is it? A dinosaur.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 2:It is a Cat.
Speaker 1:Oh, like cats or kittens, or you like both.
Speaker 2:Kittens Little twins.
Speaker 1:Both.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so if you're older, and you have three kids and your three kids keep saying, dad, dad, dad, we want to have a pet, we want to have a pet. Please, dad, please. And you say no, please, please. Would you buy a cat first or a dog first?
Speaker 2:Cat.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:Because they're more cleaner than dogs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you like clean things, don't you? Yeah, is your room clean?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you like your room clean? Does it make you wild when people mess up your room?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:Would there be anyone in your house who messes up your room? Yeah, who would it be? You're not going to blame your brother are you no, brother. So when he listens to this podcast, will he go, yep, that's true, or will he say, hang on, that's not true. What?
Speaker 2:will he say? He will say hang on, that's not true.
Speaker 1:But is it true?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Now we've talked about school. We've talked about home, looking forward to school and going back to school. I think Tuesday next week.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And I might have to come and see you Tuesday afternoon, hey, and we'll have a podcast here. Yeah, yeah, yep, you might be really happy and have some school stories. What Yep you might be really happy and have some school stories. What do you think? Yeah, that's good. Oh, do you have a favourite thing at school? Do you have a favourite thing at school like a favourite subject? Oh, you like maths, yeah, anything else. What else do you like to learn about at school? Do you like science, science? Do you like Science, science?
Speaker 2:Do you like?
Speaker 1:English no, do you like PE? No, you don't like PE.
Speaker 2:Okay, yes, I do, I mean it.
Speaker 1:You do like PE. What's your PE teacher's name, do you?
Speaker 2:remember Mr Virtue.
Speaker 1:Mr Virtue, is he a good teacher?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, nice.
Speaker 1:That's good. Oh, what about?
Speaker 2:music.
Speaker 1:Yep, do you like music? Yeah, what's your favourite instrument? Music. Are you learning an instrument at the moment?
Speaker 2:Yeah, which one? I used to learn piano.
Speaker 1:Did you? I didn't know that about you. You play a piano.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's cool. What about now? If you had a chance, what would you do? Guitar, Ooh, what if I said I've got a guitar here you could play?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What if I told you I've got two guitars here. Wait what? Two guitars Doesn't mean I'm very good at it, though I need more practice.
Speaker 2:I'm still having practice.
Speaker 1:You are.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:For guitar or for piano. Guitar, Are you? Yeah, you're probably a better player than me, then yeah. Have you got a guitar at home?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Do you think in the future you could be like a singer and guitar player on stage? Yeah, would you be nervous? No, oh, come on. You're saying if there's like thousands and thousands of people and you're on stage at the front of the mall and playing guitar and singing, you wouldn't be nervous.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You wouldn't be or you would be.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, You're braver than me. I'd be scared. I'd be like singing with a quiver in my throat like this. You wouldn't be.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't be.
Speaker 1:Well, that does make sense, because you actually have been singing on the podcast, haven't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Can you remember the two songs you've sung so far?
Speaker 2:All my Life, and Right Foot First.
Speaker 1:Very good. And since you've been singing on the podcast, guess how many other people have been singing on the podcast? Zero, you've been the bravest one. Only who's sung on the podcast? I'll often say, hey, do you want to sing that on the podcast? And they'll go no, I'm not going to sing on the podcast, you're the only one who sings. So the big question that everyone's going to think about is is Ari going to sing today?
Speaker 2:Yes Ooh.
Speaker 1:Well, what is Ari going to sing today, do you think?
Speaker 2:Worlds Apart.
Speaker 1:Oh, do you know many lines from Worlds Apart.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Worlds Apart from Marshmallow.
Speaker 2:Yeah and Echo.
Speaker 1:When you say marshmallow, all I can think about is putting marshmallows on the fire and eating them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you like the pink ones or the white ones? Both of them Both. You like that. Yeah, do you like the pink ones or the white ones? Both of them Both taste the same to me. Actually, I know this about you too. I know a little person next to me who, when we make hot chocolates, eats the marshmallows out of the hot chocolates but doesn't necessarily drink the whole hot chocolate. Is that true? Yeah, what are you smiling for about that, is it yummy?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Got a big grin on your face over here If I said the word hot chocolate, would that make you smile? Are you smiling again? All right, oh well, before we sing, do you want to sing first? Sing first.
Speaker 2:Are you ready to go? Yeah, you go whenever you before we sing.
Speaker 1:do you want to sing first? Sing first. Are you ready to go? Yeah, you go whenever you're ready. Do you want me to count you in or are you just going?
Speaker 2:to sing.
Speaker 1:Sing Go. Oh, you're not singing all night, you're singing a marshmallow song.
Speaker 2:World's a pie and I feel the world's a pie.
Speaker 1:That is so good, so good. I love how your tone goes up and down and perfect.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's really good. Yeah, you know there's really good. Yeah, you know there's a big challenge for you now, don't you? The big challenge is next time you're going to come on, you have to have another song ready.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Well, that's your thing. You're the only one who sings, so I look forward to every time. So do our listeners. That means that me as a teacher I have to give you homework, and that's to learn a new song each time. Does that sound like good ones?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool, all right, well, before we get off the podcast, tell me about your favourite song. Like, you've told me mum's favourite song and dad's favourite song, and you've sung a few songs yourself, but do you have like an overall favourite song that you like?
Speaker 2:I was made for loving you by Kiss.
Speaker 1:Well, maybe you can sing that one next time.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:I can feel like you're tempted to sing it now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to sing it now.
Speaker 1:You're not going to wait for me to sing it right now. Yeah, all right, let's go, let's go, do, do, do, do, do, do do.
Speaker 2:Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do Can you get enough of me? And I can't get enough of you. Baby, Can you get enough of me?
Speaker 1:Oh, you sound exactly like them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how do you do that? Sometimes, when I sing, I get their voice.
Speaker 1:In your head and you can sort of remember it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, even when you did like the bit of the intro when you're humming it, it sounded exactly the same too, didn't it Like? You get used to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So let me get this right You've now had three podcasts, but you've sung four songs.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And each song has been different.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you've sung them all very well.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you've sung them all very well. Yeah, you've got a bit of a talent. Yeah, are you going to be like on Australia's Got Talent or Australian Idol or American Idol or something? No, you wouldn't do that.
Speaker 2:I would go on to singing.
Speaker 1:You would.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:How's this, when you're a professional singer and you're making millions of dollars? How about I can be your manager? You can give me 10% and I'll just carry your bags for you and your guitar for you. Yeah, is that a deal? Yeah, okay, perfect, awesome, all right. Well, I'm thinking we should go for a walk soon and feed the turtles. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Is there anything else you want to talk?
Speaker 2:about on no.
Speaker 1:Have you enjoyed it again? Yeah, you smashed it again Very good. Any last words? No, all right. Well, thank you for coming on the podcast and I'll talk to you again on Tuesday.
Speaker 2:Well done, Ari you.