Sitting at his kitchen table early one morning, tucking into breakfast, savouring the aroma of a freshly-brewed cup of coffee and contemplating the day ahead, Head of the Krylatskoe Upper Campus, Ian Storey, wondered what it was about his favourite BBC Radio Two breakfast show that helped get his day off to such a positive start; was it the quirky tunes ranging from the 1970s to 2020? Was it the special guest interviews or was it just the way that the presenters enthusiastically bounced off one another with that easy style of chit-chat?
Whatever it was, he couldn’t help himself from calling up Head of Music, James Langford, and suggesting that the ISM community may benefit from having its very own broadcast during the Virtual School months. Without any convincing needed the ROAR Radio Breakfast Show was born!
For around thirty minutes every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 08:00 (MSK), Mr Storey and Mr Langford have been streaming live into the homes of the ISM community and beyond, with listeners joining us from the UK, Ireland, South Korea and even Australia.
The format is simple yet fun and dialogue is never scripted, which keeps the flow of exchanges between the presenters quite spontaneous. Nevertheless, the audience also enjoys the familiarity of having regular segments like Strange But True Facts, On this Day and Thought for the Day.
As with any good radio show its jingles are what make it recognisable. Having heard about our idea James Allen, a student in Year 11, immediately put together the catchy chime that plays out during each broadcast.
One of the highlights of the show is undoubtedly the special guests who join the virtual studio at around 08:18 to talk about their subject of choice. Our visiting teachers, students, parents and former staff members have talked about everything from reading apps to their first jobs and from their time at ISM to self-drive cars. No guest leaves the show without their chosen song being played.
The success of what was originally an impromptu idea has left the door wide open to bring in new shows involving the wider school community. The opportunities for student-led broadcasts with staff and parental involvement are vast.
Click on the link to listen to previous shows and keep up to date about what’s coming up in the weeks and months ahead.
Written by Ian Storey, Head of Krylatskoe Upper Campus
