About Masterclass Lady
Rosanne (Giallonardo) Simunovic began her musical career in Timmins, Ontario. She studied piano with Anne Pizzale and later, at an advanced level, with Soeur Anita Vaugeois (Sister Cecile of Les Soeurs De L’Assomption in Timmins). Her vocal and accompaniment skills were nurtured by her aunt, the late Dorothea Mascioli.
When Rosanne graduated from O’Gorman High School, she moved on to the University of Toronto where she continued her piano and vocal studies while attaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She was hired as a piano accompanist for several musical companies, most notably, the National Ballet Of Canada. She presently holds an A.R.C.T. Teacher’s Diploma in Voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Rosanne has studied choral conducting with numerous well known Canadian Conductors, including Wayne Riddell of Montreal, Quebec and the internationally renowned Dr. Elmer Iseler.
She has been a founding member of numerous community-based arts organizations: the Timmins Arts Council, later known as Arts & Culture Timmins, the Timmins Symphony Orchestra, and, the Timmins Youth Singers…as well as the TYS Alumnus choir, the Timmins Concert Singers. In 1987, she was also selected to be the conductor of the Timmins Board Of Education Choir, comprised of talented students from Grades 5 to 8.
In 1988, she was elected to the Board Of Directors of the Ontario Choral Federation (now known as Choirs Ontario), where she served as Chair of the Festivals Committee for six consecutive seasons. In 1996, in honour of the Ontario Choral Federation’s 25th Anniversary, Rosanne was selected as one of 25 recipients of the OCF’s Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contribution to the choral art. The ceremony was presided by Lieutenant Governor, Hal Jackman.
In November 1997, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Rotary Club Of Timmins to receive the prestigious Paul Harris Award for her years of dedication to the artistic development of young musical talent in Timmins.
In August of 2002, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Board Of Directors of Choirs Ontario to serve as Conductor of both the Provincial Junior and Teen Choir Camps, now renamed in honour of the Camp Benefactors, Don and Lillian Wright.
In November 2002, Rosanne was the one of the recipients of the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, honouring her work in the development of the arts in Timmins.
Under Rosanne Simunovic’s direction, the Timmins Youth Singers and the Timmins Concert Singers have been featured in numerous choral festivals and performing opportunities outside of Timmins. In 1985, they were selected to partici
July 12, 2008 
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Over at Rickey’s it says Archie was on vocal rest today. He did an interview but wasnt talking to the fans at all today, just signing. Ill post vids when they come up.
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He was probably just saving his voice for tonights show.
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I am glad that he is smart enough to rest his voice. Very important. I wonder if the other singers are following his lead? They should all be advised to do this.
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Are we going to get the full video of WYSYLM from Portland. I like to see each one to compare David’s variations and his progression. I am grateful for whatever people are able to give us on each of the wonderful young performers. They are all unique.
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Good morning, MCL!! I haven’t been able to find anything but little snippets from Tacoma so far (I’ll keep looking, though!), but I thought you might find it interesting to compare Jason’s tour “Daydream” with his top 24 perfomance on AI–he now has it on his MySpace page. I’m thinking the growth is quite startling, especially considering the short amount of time, love to know what you think!
And hey, if we don’t come up with too much today, maybe you’ll have a chance to listen to some of the CD! 🙂 I’m mean, I nag and you have a life!
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It would also seem that I’ve forgotten that periods can end sentences, too. 🙂
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Here is a partial of apologize, about 1:43.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KunvGWbopAE
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Oh hahaha gosh wheres that edit button when you need it. Accidently sent it.
The above has some nice closer shots. But here is the FULL song, the part at 1:48-2:05….
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Seperate post for this, since I figure maybea few other songs are entitled from a few other idols.
Michael- dream on – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVf9e2sdFQ
Carly- bring me to life – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABsm7smnH4
Brooke- yellow – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdrGcRduvds
Syesha- umbrella – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9rYoVrlQc
Cookie- Dont wanna miss a thing – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knIq4DXWiCc
(this user has all of Cookie’s songs from tacoma)
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=freakinpuertorican
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Frogcooke – awesome links. You came through once again. I have my work cut out for me, but I am lovin’ it.
Have to run out for a bit, but will listen to everything later.
Rereader – Jason’s CD is right beside me here. I will review it next week. I have not forgotten. 🙂
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Woo hoo! Thanks for not being annoyed!
I did find a video on YouTube of Jason’s whole set from Tacoma, uploaded by castromania. The video is kind of not there, since the person who filmed it seems to have been quite far back and on the side–but it is the whole thing, straight through!
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Whoops–by castromaniac (lost the “c” first time)
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Frogcooke Says:
July 13, 2008 at 12:48
Separate post for this, since I figure maybe a few other songs are entitled from a few other idols.
Michael- dream on – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVf9e2sdFQ
Carly- bring me to life – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABsm7smnH4
Brooke- yellow – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdrGcRduvds
Syesha- umbrella – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9rYoVrlQc
Cookie- Dont wanna miss a thing – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knIq4DXWiCc
Masterclass Lady’s Review
Michael- Dream On – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVf9e2sdFQ
First of all, let me start by saying that I thought that this was one of the best songs that Michael sang during the Idol competition.
Now, on with the live performance from Tacoma. His voice is so beautiful, isn’t it? It’s just a naturally endowed instrument – very rich and extremely centered.
And I love how he adds the raspy inflection to his pure vocals. He has a naturally bluesy rock style and sings with an unbelievable amount of passion.
And that high falsetto toward the end was jaw-dropping moment. The fans went wild.
Performance-wise, he is totally in the moment – moving with rhythmic ease throughout the stage area. He really knows how to effectively communicate the emotion of this song – both visually and audibly.
He receives thunderous applause – and rightfully so. This was a spectacular performance.
Carly- Bring Me To Life – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABsm7smnH4
There is a warm and enthusiastic welcome for Carly as well. And she has that “Barbra Streisand sound” that I love so much – extremely distinctive, crystal clear and bright, with tons of head tone throughout her range.
I ma having a hard time locating her – the video is distant, but the audio is very good indeed. However, I have no doubt that she is commanding the stage as always.
And now I see her – on the stairs and not really moving forward, but wisely staying in position. The song is a challenging number, so she reduced the stage movements in favor of stellar vocals – smart decision! It’s all about pacing and knowing what works and Carly understands this process oh so well.
She is using her expressive body language, not only to effectively communicate the emotion of the song, but also to assist her technical support. And, boy does it work!
The crowd responds rather feverishly to her astounding vocal performance, as a great deal of this song sits in her upper range. She makes it sound so easy. And those expressive arms, moving up and to the side, ensure that the rib cage and rib cage muscles remain elevated and energized throughout the performance.
Stellar performance. Brava!
Brooke- Yellow – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdrGcRduvds
Brooke is at the piano and, as I have said in my Vocal Masterclass articles throughout Season 7, she makes certain that this arrangement retains her proclivity toward her vocal comfort zone. And that’s all well and good. A singer has to feel comfortable on stage. However, I would have enjoyed a more challenging and creative approach to her phrasing – certainly more dynamic contrast.
However, she manipulates the keys very well and I applaud her for developing this multi-faceted approach to he rsinging style. I like to see the diverse musical talents of the singers – it lends greater interest to, not only their individual performance, but also the entire show.
I’m not too sure whether I like this song or not – I find the arrangement a little one-dimensional. Brooke sang withing her natural singing range – very relaxed, almost a rustic sound with the rasp and all – but I was waiting to hear some variation in the melodic line and it never happened.
I think that this reflects her lack of technical expertise in her vocal development and I hope that she does pursue to guard and develop her voice with effective coaching.
However, she sings from her heart, with lovely sincerity. Good work!
Syesha- Umbrella – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9rYoVrlQc
Here comes Miss Syesha and she sounds a little “flat” at the beginning of this song. She tends to lack support when singing throughout her lower range and, therefore, her voice lacks focus and energy.
I wonder why she selected this song? It is so low for so long and it does start to sound the same after a while.
Finally, she briefly manoeuvers through her upper range at the end of this song, but it is still “too little too late”.
The key of this song should have been a little higher -a tone for sure, maybe even more. At least then she would have been singing throughout the strongest part of her range – her upper mid-range.
I wish I could say that I was in love with this performance, but, overall, she sounded tired (perhaps bored?) and listless throughout the showcase.
I have heard some of her other numbers and they were super, so perhaps this was not the strongest song in her set. Who picks these songs for the singers? Are they-arm twisted into performing these “current” song selections?
Cookie- Dont Wanna Miss A Thing – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knIq4DXWiCc
Yea – finally, some more Cookie crumbs from the fans (Frogcooke). And, through this song, David highlights the absolute strnegths of his performing and vocal abilities.
He is such a committed artist and sings with so much passion and fervor. He is compelling to watch and has unbelievable respect for the music and for his audience.
His voice sounds great -head tone meets raspy vocals and the two shall never part. I have no doubt that he will care for his voice in the correct manner. His intelligence alone is a testament to this statement.
Also, the clarity of his diction is a welcome presence from the usual garbled sound I hear from rock singers. His communication skills rise to new heights because of this. It’s not about running around the stage screaming, it’s about telling your story and David values this aspect of performing above all else.
Finally, I loved his minor 3rd interval glissando at the end – it was an excellent call on his part.
This was a strong performance – excellent in every aspect. I loved it! Bravo
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Next Up – Jason Castro. Later on today. Followed by David Archuleta
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Tacoma Angels(she’s a little spaztic in the begining with the video.. lol do they stop screaming??) lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK1911bMqb0
Sbm- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0H6Hi2y5k
Wys(most of it)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekOP0alvyfU
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Hang in there everyone. I will review Jason and David A. later on tonight. I have been inundated with company. Summertime schedules – so chaotic! LOL
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hahaha because im like addicted… Bianca has all 4 performances with good audio and decent close up video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/missbianca55
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Rereader Says:
July 13, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I did find a video on YouTube of Jason’s whole set from Tacoma, uploaded by castromania. The video is kind of not there, since the person who filmed it seems to have been quite far back and on the side–but it is the whole thing, straight through!
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
The person videotaping this song had great seats. And Jason’s voice sounds great tonight. I still wish he wouldn’t separate so many words within a phrase line. Phrasing – that is the biggest faux pas with this performance.
Love his head tone – it’s spectacular and it confirms the enormous potential of Jason’s capabilities.
He looks great on camera, doesn’t he? And he is wonderful with the audience.
Crazy
Wow, his voice sounds really strong in the refrain. His upper vocals appear to have adjusted to the high tessitura of the key. This song really challenges his upper range and he is doing a splendid job with this song.
Once again, he needs to work on the phrasing elements in this and many of his songs, but this will come with time and experience.
However, this was a a strong, solid performance.
Daydream
Great song performed by a great artist. His voice sounds stellar in this song – just super.
I still think he should encourage the audience to sing along with him or encourage them to sing the words during the instrumental section. It would help diversify the entire performance.
However, overall, I think there has been some noticeable vocal improvement. Perhaps Jason is feeling more confident with his performances and has physically adjusted to the rigorous pace of the tour.
Good work Jason. Excellent!
Tomorrow – Davuid Archuleta
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MCL, since you seem to get so few Cookie crumbs sent your way, here’s “Hello” and “Billie Jean”:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kcNWTUlmz48
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b4-j9RFZY7o
(Unfortunately, I don’t know how to post links in WordPress, so I’ll have to ask you to copy and paste. Sorry!)
Also, for something a bit different (in case you hadn’t seen this over at MJs) here’s a side of David we don’t always see. These were his acoustic performances at the Taste For A Cure cancer research benefit. The Bon Jovi song was the highlight, I think.
http://mjsbigblog.com/david-cook-taste-for-a-cure-performances-video.htm#more-5181
(Once again, sorry about not knowing how to link URLs!)
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Oops, MCL, I guess I didn’t have to do anything to insert a link. My bad!
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Archies version of “Crazy” he performed on Good Day Utah. Audio only:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AulcSU2tsIg
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Frogcooke Says:
July 14, 2008 at 11:25 am
Archies version of “Crazy” he performed on Good Day Utah. Audio only:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AulcSU2tsIg
Thank you so much for adding this. I will add a Utah blog topic in a bit and post this comment there as well.
I may not have time to review the rest of the Tacoma performances. Very busy with meetings and family stuff.
I truly appreciate the links, so keep on adding them and, if my schedule lightens, I will review David A.’s performances and the rest of Cookie’s performances in Tacoma.
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Hi, MCL–
I was at the Tacoma concert (frogcooke posted the link to my videos above) and would be especially interested if you possibly could review at least one of David Archuleta’s performances from that night. I totally understand how busy you must be–it’s just that he was on vocal rest that day and I was wondering if there was any sign of fatigue in his performances. I couldn’t detect anything in his singing, but it did seem like he was avoiding using his upper register. Thanks for all you’ve done!
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here is an mp3 download for he Waiting on The World to change, he performed on Good DAy Utah this morning… one word: Awesome.
http://www.mediafire.com/?bwnwlmp00xb
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MissBianca – I will! Probably a little later, but most definitely. Now you’ve peaked my curiosity. Thanks for your hard work. These videotapes are so valued by the fans! 🙂
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Frogcooke Says:
July 13, 2008 at 10:08 pm
hahaha because im like addicted… Bianca has all 4 performances with good audio and decent close up video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/missbianca55
When You Say you Love Me
The video is a up close and personal of our man David and the audio is excellent as well.
And, as always, his voice sounds spectacular and his relaxed arm motions and body language work so well with the performance of this song. The performing elements propel the vocal elements to supreme heights and this performance was just so perfect in all respects.
David seems to gain momentum with each stop of the tour and, if nothing else, I admire the extraordinary work ethic of this young man. To see a young singer consistently raising his standards night after night is a reason to celebrate.
David’s voice is crystal clear and free as a bird. I loved those purely sustained vowels intermingled with the liberated soulful style – an amazing combination to see and hear. This is the Archuleta signature style – stellar technique blended with a relaxed pop style of singing. At this moment in time, no one does this better than David and it will take a very special person to surpass David’s prodigious abilities.
An exquisitely passionate and artistic performance! Bravo David!
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Stand By Me filmed by MissBianca
He speaks in a very genuine and appreciative manner to his audience. So sweet! And he is becoming increasingly more relaxed in his communicative efforts with his audience. He walks effortlessly across the perimeter of the stage and has a great time with the audience.
And he segues so wonderfully into that upbeat portion of this song. It is so evident that he loves that section of the song and the audience, as well, is eating it up, especially when he points to all the “beautiful girls”. Oh dear – the screams.
His voice is under stellar technical control and David vocalizes with seamless ease throughout every area of his vocal range. Whether he is sustaining his notes or moving through one of his many, his pitch remains perfectly centered.
There were rumors of vocal fatigue prior to this concert, but he sounded extremely strong at this performance in Tacoma.
Also, may I once again add that this was an excellent visual and aural recording, by the way. The best yet! Nice and clear! Brava Miss Bianca and of course, to David Archuleta – bravissimo!
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Apologize filmed by Miss Bianca
Once again this was another exquisite performance. His voice sounds energized and rested, so that vocal fatigue rumor confuses me.
Wow – that head tone is as clear as a bell. Love all the extra runs he adds to the mix – excellent work. He finds new and exciting possibilites within the song’s basic harmonic and melodic structure and exposes them to the world. Has this song ever sounded so good?
David takes a very bare bones, almost monotonous song and elevates it to a very high level indeed. Under his vocal guidance, the song now sounds like a work of art – but then, look who the artist is!
What a night David had in Tacoma! Perfecto!
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Thank you so much, MasterClassLady! David had been on vocal rest, I was one of those fortunate to see him out by the buses before the concert. His pantomime was adorable, LOL.
Sounds like he was as perfect as ever! I have no ear at all, so I’ll have to stick to video post-production work. My husband was the able camera person and I think our super seats contributed the most to the video/audio quality.
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Oh I see, Miss Bianca. This concert was after the vocal rest period. So, now it does make sense. His voice sounded renewed and energized.
Your husband did a fantastic job with the video – please convey my thanks to him.
And, your post-production work was most appreciated. Great great job. 🙂
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Wow! I’m skipping the videos off and on, so that I can see how they are changing over the tour, and I am floored at how Archie has gone from an awkward ‘little boy’ on the stage on TV, to a confident (dare I say it – almost sexy!?) young man!
Did I miss something … on that clip posted above of Carly, one of the comments say that she’s pregnant?!?! If so, that may be why she’s standing still and not negotating the staircase. I can’t imagine being in the first trimester with that sort of schedule!
I agreed with you, MCL, about Syesha from the video clip posted up-thread, but look at this one which is much, much closer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZlsKlfYCrM and it seems she is enjoying herself and actually performing the number. Maybe she hasn’t figured out that actress thing of playing to the back of the theater!
Michael Johns is pure sensuality in Dream On … mmm-mmm!
Brooke – what the hey was that?!? Nasty song, boring performance – and I LOVE you girl! She’s a bit better behind the guitar, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWTu-LlvqU (L.A.) but not by much. Where is that sparkle I adore?
Thanks for all the work you all are doing (oh, and enjoying the concerts, no doubt!!).
Anita ~ Indianapolis
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As I mentioned, I did get to hear some performances. Jason was just sweet as can be with that very unique, folksy style! Frogcooke, I used your links from another city.
With limited time, I played David A.’s “Stand By Me” and was so surprised at how comfortable he looked, and he was moving very, very well. Yes, the boy is growing up! I also played “Imagine.” I am an Oldie But Goodie, so I love these songs. David has a beautiful voice, but how can anyone hear what he is singing? The girls’ screams are often louder than he is.
How is it when you are actually there, listening to him?
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