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
May 6, 2009 
Masterclass Lady On MySpace.Com
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I’m expecting an excellent show tonight!
No Doubt in the house! I;m going to their concert in June!
Daughtry. Woot.
Slash playin guitar.
Adam Lambert the Rock God in attendance (best part). LOL.
And nervous about the results. This is the time of the season where it gets really hard. I’m predicting Kris to go home, but it’s hard to tell anymore. I think Danny should go home, but it’ll sadly be Kris (with an off chance that Allison goes)
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Awww! I’m so happy for Kris. He looks so much more relaxed and happy tonight.
I’m so nrevous for Adam!
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See! told ya I was NERVOUS, I can’t even spell it.
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I am so upset for Allison. I think all the boys and the judges are all upset. Wah. I really wanted to see an Adam/Ally final. She took it pretty well. Adam looked a little upset. 😦 😦 😦
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Very disappointed to see Allison go.
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There goes my dream of allison adam final 2. That result sucked big time.
She will have a career though. Someone will sign her.
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What a tragedy. Obviously Danny was by far the weakest link in the top 4. This reminds me of season 3 when Jasmine Trias made it to the top 3 over Latoya London. Like Danny, Jasmine was excruciatingly disastrous that week, and also consistently subpar the weeks before it.
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The elimination was definitely a big surprise–one I definitely wouldn’t have predicted. I checked Dial Idol today and Allison was in the bottom, although that usually doesn’t mean anything. So there goes my theory that Idol was setting up Adam and Allison for the finale.
Hopefully Danny will redeem himself next week after this week’s clunker. And I hope that all three guys get to sing two songs. Does anyone know what the theme will be? In years past, it was great when they could do an up-tempo song and a ballad in the same night.
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Last year they each sang 3 songs-
– judges pick
-own pick
-producers’ pick
I’ll bet they only go with 2 this year
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I really dug the show. I dug the No Doubt with the bird singing “I’m a Girl” and the last lyric “And I had it up to here.” She was speaking for all the birds in the world who’s had it up to here….g-8-t. Dudes, move over. Danny stuck out like a sore thumb in that plaid shirt, didn’t Kris wear that a couple of weeks ago? It was kinda cool to hear Danny’s story about laughing after he heard his song afterwards and agreed with everyone who thought the last note was, ahem, let’s say mute-able on the remote–even his aunt muted him. But I wish he would have said that he felt like a fool. Kris was just thrilled to make it to the three seats; he is so sweet about being “blessed to have made it this far.” He laughed about Simon’s remark about eating ice for lunch, a very good sport. I HAVE no clue what Allison said to Simon at the beginning of the show when it was “beeped out.” OMG, what could it have been? I thought the song they did with Slash was ex–cell–ent–whoa baby whoa they had me hopping. They all showed their talent respectively right there. Way far out. I dug Paula and remembered her hey days when she was such an ex-ceel-lent entertainer. She seemed to be on the road to recovery. Chris’s song was…….mmmmm, a tad bit too long and not able to keep my attention. But proud of his success and that wow, platinum plaque…too cool for words.
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Louise, unfortunately, Allison had the least fan base as anyone can see on the AI forum. Too bad, she should have had a fan base going when she first audition or before then. She was really too young to take on something like stardom. Same thing with Jordon Sparks–too friggin young–they freaked out and won’t come out of their room at home when it is all over.
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Oh, what an EXCELLENT show tonight! I am so relieved that America got it right and kept Danny in based on his previous performances! I have to tell you, my heart was thumping about 90 mph when he and Allison were standing up there! Phew . . . honestly, the Bottom 3 that I hoped would be there many weeks back has actually worked out that way, and I couldn’t be happier! That said, I will REALLY miss Allison. She was a very fun, enjoyable performer and added a fun ingredient into the mix. However, I am by NO MEANS worried about her future. That girl is a natural performer and will give the likes of Miley Cyrus a run for her money. I predict she will be very successful a year from now!
As for tonight’s performances, I truly enjoyed ALL of them for the first time this season. Daughtry is (as always) amazing, and if that new single is any indication of what his sophomore album will be like, I predict another monumental success! No Doubt was my least favorite performance tonight, but I still somewhat enjoyed it. I like Gwen Stefani as a person I think more than a performer. I was truly afraid she was going to trip and fall the way she was running helter-skelter around the stage. Oh, how priceless that would’ve been! LOL Oh, and did you get a load of that guy wearing a tutu? Strange.
However, I have to tell you what my favorite part of this show was (other than Danny making the Semi-Finals). I LOVED Paula’s performance! She is incredibly talented and has an amazing singing voice that is completely different from her speaking one. Add to the killer dance moves, a catchy song, and that funny picture of her and Simon, and you have one heck of a performance! In all honesty, she is by far the most qualified person to judge the contestants’ performances.
It was truly just a fantastic night, and I look so forward to next week!
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Seriously Surely, hasn’t Jordin Sparks been fairly successful? I know she has certainly not let me down! I hear her songs on the airwaves all the time! She’s definitely one of the more successful Idols in my estimation! Still, I do get what you are saying about Allison, though I think she does have a bright future ahead.
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Another one gone…sniff, sniff. You rock Allison, I’ll miss you.
AI TOUR PRESALE PASSWORD CODES ARE NOW UP AT
http://www.getpresales.com
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auntieaudie, I so appreciate your efforts in getting those dang passwords. So, I’ll be going to an AI concert for the first time — and hope I won’t be relegated to sitting in the heavens. I want to get up close and personal!
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Seriously Surely, more Hispanics should have voted for her. Having church support also help. Allison belonged in the TOP 3. We have seen her best performances in recent weeks. I am really sad about the results but do believe she will have success.
Fourth place Idols do get a full media blitz. Third place Idols don’t get the same opportunities.
I think Paula did a pretty good job, but it sounded a lot like the Madonna/Cher type of electronica music – without their good voices.
Season 8, they have plenty of time to do three songs. There have been so many flaws this season. They better not eliminate this tradition.
Kworb, I think this year’s line-up is weaker than Season 3. Well, I better wait and see what happens. There may be some surprises ahead! 🙂
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I should add that Paula had a very nice dance presentation! She is so petite…maybe 100 pounds?
Galen, I liked your comment about Allison, “That girl is a natural performer and will give the likes of Miley Cyrus a run for her money.” She is the rocker chick AI has been looking for all these years.
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Galen, you are right about Jordan, my apologies.
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I am so relieved for Kris! I don’t know why. As I said before, I don’t have any favorites this season, but a huge part of me did not want to see Kris go. He’s refreshing.
That said, I don’t know how I feel about Allison’s elimination. For all the hard time I’ve given her this season, I did not think she was the worst last night, and I could see that she really wanted to win. Weird. Any other week maybe, but just this week, Allison’s departure just didn’t feel right to me. *shrugs*
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Paula is petite.Abdul has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. She had an eating disorder. Mmm…being that small, I wouldn’t want to eat much either to keep from gaining weight
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Galen wrote:
Oh, and Kariann, you wrote: “Galen, in the past Top 3 included Clive’s Choice, Idols’ Choice, and Judges’ Choice. Danny WILL have the opportunity to sing a song he loves. I am sure you’ll love his performance!”
Thank you for those encouraging words, Kariann! I definitely look forward to next week! Though unfortunately it seems as though there will only be TWO songs and not three. Still, I expect Danny will be MUCH better next week!
Galen, I apologize for the typos. I believe you are a writer, yes? Your posts are so grammar perfect.
Where did you hear that there will be only two songs? That would be horrible!
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Paula is 5 foot 2 inches.
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Oh ezooze me…she is 5 foot tall.
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She is like my cousin, 5 foot “small but so is dynamite” (which is under her graduation picture in her yearbook).
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In 1987, Abdul used her savings to make a singing demo. Although her voice was relatively untrained, her exceptional dancing proved marketable to the visually-oriented, MTV-driven, pop music industry.
In 1988, Abdul released her pop debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album took 62 weeks to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart — the longest an album has been on the market before hitting #1 — and spent 10 weeks there. The album eventually became multi-platinum in the spring and summer of 1989, and it spawned five American Top Three singles, four of them #1s (three in 1989 and one in 1990): “Straight Up”, “Forever Your Girl”, “Cold Hearted”, “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me”, and “Opposites Attract”. A remix album, Shut Up and Dance, was also released and reached #7 on Billboard’s album chart, becoming one of the most successful remix albums to date.
Paula kicks ass!
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Kariann, I believe that Ryan himself mentioned that they will only be singing TWO songs next week right as the results show concluded. I DVR’d the episode, so I will watch it back and tell you for sure. I definitely think he said that though. I don’t know why I would imagine that since it has never happened before. I agree with what you said though. Not having three performances seems like a bit of a letdown. I think the whole issue is time and Kara respectfully. One, they do not want to exceed an hour in length. And two, having four judges this season makes the math all wrong. Normally, each judge would pick a song for each contestant. Now, however, with Kara’s addition, that well-oiled machine develops a few kinks. I like Kara well enough, but I think three judges will always be the best formula for this show.
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Seriously Surely wrote: “Paula kicks ass!”
AGREED!
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I really really wreally thunk that Paula and Simon are in love with each other. Mark my words. See them still sitting together after all these years? See how giddly Paula is now that his girlfriend is out of the picture? What about her song? so full of emotion and the teasing picture of her and Simon, hey, what’s up with that? four letters L O V E
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America got it right because that is the only determination of right or wrong on this show, not because Danny did so well. He was not that good, but lucky for him, he has a bigger fan base that Allison. Not many girls her age are into classic rock. She was born in the wrong decade!
I am not going to complain, but say I really wish that dear Ally had made it through. That’s personal opinion.
Another personal opinion: if my favorite had a crappy performance, I would, of course, cross my fingers that he or she stayed. However, I would feel bad. I wouldn’t want my favorite squeaking through on a sub-par performance. It’s a little embarrassing, frankly.
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Galen, maybe it was just me..
But now you have your DVD, can u tell me what was going on in the beginning when all four were sitting up there in those bleachers and Ryan was asking Allison something and Allison gave Simon a look (I think!) and she said something that was bleeped out.
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oops my manners, please and thank u, dude.
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Galen, you brought up a good point about all 3 judges who are well-oiled after the 8 years together and having Kara as a fourth. Because I was standing in line at the grocery store and picked up a TV Guide to read it as it had Simon’s pix on the front about him quitting AI (not true, just a jive for you to buy the rag). But what was interesting what he said about Kara; he said, yes, she is nice and all that, but after 8 years of Ryan, Randy, Paula and he sit
ting at the dinner table every night of the shows, auditions, it was different when Kara came.
He did not want the 4th, and thinks that woman talks too much (heh). He said that he thinks that Paula is secretly in love with him because of the way she looks at him. Gotta love that dude.
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So sad to see Allison go. She really should have been in the final. Such a fabulous voice – and she’s really come out of her shell these past couple of weeks. I’ll miss her bubbly presence. I am glad Adam made it, however. No dragging it out this week I saw (thank god!). They just moved the show along.
Did anyone else find Paula’s dancing tonight a bit lack-luster? It was so perfunctory – turn, turn, kick turn, step around, kick turn. Almost by the numbers. She used to dance with such abandon. I guess that neck injury is really bothering her. She keeps saying she wants to go on ‘Dancing With The Stars’. If she’s in that much pain – she really ought to give it a go-by.
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Galen, I have been informed that, “This is no rumor, lost in the middle of Allison’s elimination, Ryan said that there will be 2 songs: 1 judge’s pick and 1 by the contestant.”
This clinches my belief that this is the worse season ever!! I think the viewers have been cheated out of at least 5 less performances because of the changes the show has made this season.
I know, I know – it is just a TV show. However, I have watched this show since Season 1, and felt it was my guilty pleasure. :frown:
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I am sorry to hear that there will only be two songs per contestant. I feel incredibly cheated. All because we have to listen to four judges blather on incoherently at times, when we could be listening to our great final three. Too bad.
Galen –
Congratulations on Danny making it into the final three! I am thrilled that Adam has made it, too! Good for Kris for getting through! This should be a real treat next week.
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Next week, Adam should be safe.
After his apparent chemistry and gallantry with Allison, as well as their shared taste in music, it is quite clear who some of Allison’s fan will now vote for.
Moving ahead, assuming the outcome that either Danny or Kris will likely be out, Adam will now need to perform as one of his songs something more pop or middle of the road to win over some of their fans.
A ballad will work great. And Adam will be great with a heartstring pulling slow rock or ballad number.
Really looking forward to it.
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I’m sad to see Ally go. I don’t think she deserved it. But I agree with most people, Ally’s fans will probably switch over and vote for Adam now because of their performance the other night. So, there is a positive to her leaving.
I really didn’t like Paula’s performance last night – too much for me. It was well choreograped, but the performance itself was just “meh” for me.
As for Daughtry, now that was awesome! THey did so well and I loved the song. Looking forward to the album coming out.
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Good Morning!
Congratulations to Kris, Danny, and Adam fans!
Allison, Chin Up Girl! Success is right around the corner for you!
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Sigh. I was really hoping for an Adam/Kris/Allison final 3. Ah well. Allison’s sing-out was probably the best I’ve ever seen on this show. Go forth and make millions, girl!
For those of you wondering what Allison said that got bleeped, she let out a frustrated, “Jesus!” when talking about Simon. Can’t say I blame her. Heh.
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This season, some of the “goodbye” performances have been SO MUCH BETTER than the Tuesday ones. I am thinking of Scott’s, Lil’s, and Allison’s in particular. I have to give kudos to Allison for performing so well right after she saw her journey and was crying. My personal opinion is that AI should show the journeys AFTER the farewell performances. Allison did great, and what stage presence she has at age 17! If people were voting based on the “goodbye” performances, who knows what would have happened!
It’s sad to see Allison go. To be honest though, I’ve been sad to everyone leave from the Top Eight on, with the exception of Lil (no offence intended to her fans), so that might not say much. I wanted to see a girl in the Top Three, but oh well.
Go Kris!!! I am pleasantly surprised he gets to stay for another week. I have incorrectly predicted he was going home for the past two weeks! His fan base must be huge, which is awesome. When I saw the bottom two, I thought for a split second Danny was leaving, but I thought he had too large of a fan base for that.
Wow, so goodbye for now, Allison, and on to next week’s Top Three. What is the theme anyway?
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This has been a wide open competition all season. How fabulous is that? I think it’s very cool.
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Yeah! Danny. I was so happy to see him laugh and joke about his final note last night. Great sense of humor, Love it!
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idleidolfan, here is where the judge’s choice can really help Adam. For that performance, I hope he goes light with the eye make-up and wears a suit again! He really is a nice looking man, isn’t he?
Kris reminds me so much of the 1950s – 1960s (early) pop idol. Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Vee, etc. It is easy to see why he would be a tween/teen favorite. I would like to see him do some Bob Dylan.
Danny could probably do John Fogetry or John Mellemcamp. His voice would do well with their stylings.
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Kirstin and all, please face the reality: the competition this year is NOT wide open. IT IS ADAM ALL THE WAY!!! Sorry, people, it is always a matter of taste, but there are objective vocal and artistic criterium – NO ONE, NOT ONLY ON AI BUT ON THE WORLD SCENE IS AT HIS LEVEL !!! His versatility is inhuman!!! ADAM is the onloy one who clearly demonstarted the scope of his talent – again it is imhuman, GOD GIVEN TALENT!!!
Everything else – is “politics” at this stage…compaining….
OK, I am bracing for “Galen” attack..LOL!!!
Love you all
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I was disgusted with the results show last night. I was disgusted with the show the night before. I am very disappointed with Danny and his behavior during his duet with Kris. Masterclass lady says the duets were “revealing,” and what his revealed to me about his character was not pretty. And then there’s the horrendous high note at the end of his solo. What was that? Why was he aping Adam? Why not have some respect for himself, if not for anyone else? Don’t get me going. How Danny made it through and Allison did not is a mystery.
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To people who are not following the other thread, here are MCL’s remarks regarding personal comments. Read it before you respond: https://masterclasslady.com/2009/05/05/american-idol-season-8-top-4-vocal-masterclass-discussion-rock-music/#comment-11455
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Stella, agree with you totally. Except I do not think it is a mystery – at this point we are not in a singing competition but in “dedicated voter indurance” competition. In Danny’s case – his fan based is well organised, supported by some organisations, promoted by those organisations… He has much more than a cheering squad behind him – it is based on considerations that have nothing to do with singing. Thats a sad fact, it was commented and discussed in numerous posts, and thats that. SO, no mystery at all… I remember a post (from Nanine?) pointing out that it feels like the elections… which is true…(BTW: Adam and Obama have the same date of birth – how cool is that?)
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The thing is, nica, “artistic criterium” is a VERY subjective thing. And Adam is actually my favorite.
Emotional connection to a performance and the audience, style (rock is not better than R&B, which is not better than pop, which is… you get the idea. Personal preference and all that), and flat-out whether or not you like the tone of a performer’s voice all factor in. When Adam first started in this season, I recognized that he is ridiculously talented but just didn’t care for his tone at all. I “got used” to it rather quickly, but I still prefer the tone of Kris’ (and Allison’s, for that matter) voice to Adam’s, even though neither of them have Adam’s range.
American Idol isn’t *really* a singing competition, unfortunately — it’s a TV show designed to find a music star. And a music star, for better (Bob Dylan, for example) or worse (Britney Spears), doesn’t always have the greatest voice in the world. And that is fine by me, because if “flawless technical skill” were the only criterion to determine who made it in the industry, I’d be bored to tears with what was on the radio.
Sometimes I feel a little out-of-place reading and posting here, because I’m pretty sure that my musical taste differs VASTLY from the majority of the posters. I know that there is a lot of love for David Archuleta here, for example. While I think he’s a sweetheart with a great voice, I found him very dull on Idol last year and hated most of his song choices (he almost always went to the “inspirational message ballad” place, and I find 95% of those to be cheesy and poorly-written). He was the best technical singer of the competition, sure, but I didn’t like the kind of music that he chose to perform. So while I wished him well, I didn’t want him to win because that’s not the kind of music that I would buy or see in concert. And that’s a perfectly valid reason to not vote for a competitor.
So while nobody else left in the competition can match up to Adam technically, that doesn’t mean that Adam should automatically win. While some viewers do vote for silly reasons (i.e., they think a contestant is attractive), I’m pretty sure that most vote for the contestant who best represents their own musical taste, and represents it well. Which is exactly how it should be. I love Adam and want him to win, but if a viewer prefers more low-key singer-songwriter types — I’m thinking along the lines of Damien Rice and Amos Lee here — then of course they’d vote for Kris and they wouldn’t be wrong to do so.
Artistic integrity has nothing to do with vocal range.
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Erin, agreed on all points. I am an opera person (classical music in general), Adam is the first non-classical singer ever, that actually got me interested in all kinds of music, I now research styles, listen to various groups just to understand what it is that he is singing…
He will not automatically win, i.e. get the ‘crown”, I know that…But he’s won already – hasn’t he? The WORLD is going crazy about HIM, not anyone else. And being that AI is a money making machine by design – they got their golden goose – haven’t they?
I got to run, thats why I am a bit incoherent here – I’ll get back later and try to express myself a bit better…
I love conversations on this board, just the best!
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We all know Adam is SUPER talented. None of us is denying that – in fact, I don’t know who could. Many of us have acknowledged that nobody is at his level. Even the other contestants themselves may acknowledge it, although I’m not sure on that.
This is more a question of whose fans vote the most. I was aimply pinting out that in the last few weeks I have had less of an idea of who was going home, taking Adam out of the equation. I always knew he was going to stay, even last week when he somehow got in the bottom three. In past years, maybe it was more obvious who was going home each night by this point. I feel like the show is extra unpredictable this year. That’s all I meant by that comment.
People can and do have favorites but at the same time acknowledge the others’ talents, which I think is what is happening here.
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Correction: I was “simply” pointing out that…
The curse of the typos, lol.
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Kariann1 said, “Kris reminds me so much of the 1950s – 1960s (early) pop idol. Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Vee, etc. It is easy to see why he would be a tween/teen favorite.”
That was a great observation!!!
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Erin . . . excellent post (“. . . I’m pretty sure that most vote for the contestant who best represents their own musical taste, and represents it well. . . . Artistic integrity has nothing to do with vocal range.”) I’ve been trying to make that point here but not communicating it nearly as eloquently as you. Thank you.
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Vonnie, I answered your FUN QUESTION on the other thread. Actually, because there are so many particpants, it could be a thread within itself.
Nica, I do believe Adam is your favorite this season. Are you and Nanine ready to purchase your tickets?
Seriously Surely, thank you for the reminder of Paula’s unique career.
Erin, looking at my list on the other thread, you are correct. There is no such thing as a positive winner this season. Simon still has the capability to influence casual voters and those that believe every word he says. I do believe Adam has added uniqueness and excitement to this season unseen in other seasons.
Thank you, Louise.
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I’d like to change the discussion for a sec:
I listened to both live and Studio versions of WWL probably 1000 times by now… I find the studio version to be much “softer” than the live one. It does not have that “aggressive” quality, its sort of more “Adam” – from his soul… and I am thinking thats why he changed the words… it is part of him, and he as an artist has to express himself…
I am happy though that the live version was so raw… – we now have two emotionally different renditions of one song.
I wonder if anyone feels the same way…comment please
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Kariann, yes, Nanine and I are ready to go…thank you. This will be the first one for me… totally out of my comfort zone actually (as most of the music on AI) – but thats the beauty of it! I am really looking forward.
Also, you might’ve noticed – I am obsessed with Adam (LOL), so its kind of more that a favorite…there is no one else to compare him too – that’s my personal deeply rooted opinion/feeling…I totally and fully respect everyone else’s … (with the exception of the ones that have alternative motives – but this does not apply to the MCL site community at all).
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I hope my little tips have helped you both. Now, what kind of a camera do you both own?
I had a similuar obsession with Anthony Fedorov and Jason Castro. LOL! I understand!
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Yes, thank you very much Kariann, I am happy you shared your experiences with us…I have a cannon with 1MB of memory…I am not sure if its worth recording thpugh due to the noise – how did that go for you?
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Galen,never mind. Someone in here already said that Allison said “Jesus” when Ryan asked her about her reactions Simon said the night before. Wow….she probably had a point, Simon at first said that she could be another Kelly Clarkson, and then ran her down from there. Woot. A flash of anger that bird. Notice that she did not hug Simon when she was hugging the other judges. Simon gave her that “look” like “too bad, too sad.” I wonder this would hurt her future career?
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Kariann, you are welcome.
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I’m glad you got your answer, Seriously Surely. I would’ve checked it out for you when I got the chance, but it has definitely been a busy day for me!
Nica wrote: “Kirstin and all, please face the reality: the competition this year is NOT wide open. IT IS ADAM ALL THE WAY!!! Sorry, people, it is always a matter of taste, but there are objective vocal and artistic criterium – NO ONE, NOT ONLY ON AI BUT ON THE WORLD SCENE IS AT HIS LEVEL !!! His versatility is inhuman!!! ADAM is the onloy one who clearly demonstarted the scope of his talent – again it is imhuman, GOD GIVEN TALENT!!!
Everything else – is “politics” at this stage…compaining….
OK, I am bracing for “Galen” attack..LOL!!!
Love you all”
*Jaws theme plays, and then Galen emerges from the water and eats nica!*
Okay, I’m sorry, but the whole “Galen attack” thing made me laugh! LOL
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Now, this is right spirit to embrace on this site. Lots of humor goes a long way to creating goodwill between and happiness for all the fans. And, you never know. The singer that you presently love LOve LOVE may take a backseat to an emerging singer over the course of time.
It’ s been known to happen. It’s happened to me and, trust me, it takes a lot for me to admit when I was wrong. I was wrong about Carrie Underwood’s future success and, even though I am still not a fan , I will give her a standing “o” as being one classy, genuine, rooted artist.
And Katharine McPhee, who I did appreciate while on Idol, could not win my heart over Taylor Hicks. But now? Still love Taylor but love and appreciate Katharine even more. She is on her way to an enormously successful career – the sky’s the limit.
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Thank you, MCL, for those very sobering words of wisdom. You are absolutely right. Nobody can know how successful or unsuccessful a particular Idol contestant will be after his or her season concludes. I really believe Adam is EXTREMELY talented and has an amazing career ahead of him whether or not he wins Idol. However, I also believe that there definitely others this season who could really surprise a lot of the doubters, and I believe Danny is one of them. I will truly make an effort to not overreact when someone says bad things about Danny. I am the sort of person who sometimes likes to get the last word in. If someone posts something I don’t agree with, then I definitely call them out on it. I still will speak my mind, but I will try to keep my cool at the same time. And you are right, MCL, a little bit of humor DOES go along way at keeping things peaceful.
Oh, and Nica, I just wanted to say that I don’t have a problem with you liking Adam THAT much. To be honest, I am a huge fan of Danny fan, and I have nothing but utmost respect for a devoted fan. I still believe that you do not have to knock the other contestants to support your favorite though. Though I hope Danny wins, I honestly can find NOTHING bad to say about Adam and Kris as well. They’re ALL extraordinarily and talented and ALL have God-given gifts.
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Okay, that entire last paragraph was butchered! I am sorry, everyone! Would you believe that I actually DID proof-read it before posting? LOL
Anyway, this is how it was supposed to read: “Oh, and Nica, I just wanted to say that I don’t have a problem with you liking Adam THAT much. To be honest, I am a huge fan of Danny, and I have nothing but utmost respect for another devoted fan regardless of who they like. I still believe that you do not have to knock the other contestants to support your favorite though. Though I hope Danny wins, I honestly can find NOTHING bad to say about Adam and Kris as well. They’re ALL extraordinarily talented and ALL have God-given gifts.
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MCL said, ” . . . It’s happened to me and, trust me, it takes a lot for me to admit when I was wrong. . . . ”
I was really glad to hear that statement from you MCL. I’m very much the same way. As a matter of fact, I find myself digging my heels in about Danny not because I necessarily think he deserves to win after Tuesday night’s performance, but because I am just so bothered by all of the negative comments about him–and I’m not just referring to comments here. Actually most of the comments on your site are quite tame compared to those I read elsewhere. And I think this negativity is undeserved. I am not someone who likes arrogant people and I can usually spot that instantly. I am also someone who is usually not drawn to an overly religious person–sorry to those of you here who are deeply religious. I respect that in others, and I’ve been there and done that, but just came to a realization that I was turned off by religions that think their beliefs are the only correct ones. My view of religion is a much more ecumenical one. So my point is that usually I would be inclined to stay away from someone like Danny. But I truly like the sound of his voice (except for the last note on Tuesday) and have never found reason to be turned off by his personality. That is why I am so baffled by the hatefulness that is flowing freely on the web about him. And I find it especially hateful because of the unfortunate matter of his wife’s fairly recent demise. I am not saying that he deserves special treatment because of that, but I do think he doesn’t deserve the hate that he seems to have inspired. If there are people who actually KNOW him who have reported that he is not a nice person, then I would be willing to reconsider my position. But otherwise, I just don’t get it and I find attacks on his personality to be really offensive.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t remember a contestant except for maybe Taylor Hicks who has inspired such dislike as Danny has. And I’m not talking about dislike for their singing ability. I realize there have been many of those and the first one who pops into my head is Sanjaya. But dislike for singing ability is something quite different than what I’ve been reading about Danny. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with people just not appreciating someone’s singing because we all have our own tastes. It’s the other that is such a mystery to me because it just seems so mean-spirited. Can anyone shed any light on this?
MCL, I realize that you just commented about how humor can bring everyone together and I wish I could think of a humorous way to brooch this subject, but I just can’t. Sorry.
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Galen, it is funny because I am sure that I am much younger than you and I am in no position to say this, but I feel so proud of you for your last couple of posts! To see you exhibit such a sense of humor (with the Galen attack) and not succumb to your usual desire to “get the last word in” (in your words) is so refreshing. I really feel that the mood has become much lighter thanks to MCL’s posts. I feel so much happier for some reason, even though I don’t think I wasn’t at the center of any conflict. Conflict just saddens my personality type, lol. I always feel that I need to mediate conflicts.
Anyway, I feel that your posts are becoming more measured and balanced already, and I just wanted to encourage you to keep up the good posting, Galen! And God bless! =)
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*I don’t think I WAS
Gah, not being able to edit posts is frustrating, lol. I am such a grammar fanatic, but you would not be able to tell with all the typos I’ve been making on this site, lol.
Also, I don’t mean to imply that there was anything “wrong” with your posts before, but as a general statement, I love the lighter atmosphere from everyone, and I am so glad to you see participating in and helping to foster that atmosphere.
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Louise – Thanks for your most recent comment, Louise. I feel that I understand your position much better now. You know what, this really is a tricky subject because I think many people’s perceptions are colored by external factors outside of Idol. There was an “expose” written about Danny’s church that spoke of his supposed arrogance, and I am not saying whether I believe it or not, but I definitely think that it has affected people’s perceptions of Danny. And it’s a shame, really. Based on his actions on Idol alone, I don’t think Danny really deserves all the negativity surrounding his personality, but I think once the notion has been committed in people’s minds that “so-and-so is arrogant,” it becomes easier to read into every little detail and write it off as arrogance. Really, people (as in Idol fans) haven’t been giving Danny any free passes or chances because of this already internalized notion. Also, Idol fans perceive that the judges have unfairly pushed for Danny as a “chosen one,” and that has caused a certain amount of backlash, and unfortunately, the issue of his character gets brought up in that mix. I have to give a whole lot of respect for Danny fans who’ve had to put up with all of this because while the judges’ opinions of Danny are positive, the Idol community has been very hostile towards him. It’s very sad.
Also, I completely understand not liking arrogance in people and being baffled at my favorite contestant’s characterization as such. All the comments about Katharine McPhee being arrogant on the show really frustrated me because this was a woman who had battled body image issues; how could people her mistake her insecurity for arrogance? That really saddened me.
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J, thank you SO much for responding to my post in such a helpful way. I read the link and it has helped me to understand a little more where the negativity about Danny is coming from because that is exactly the kind of religion that I run far from. However, I am also someone who would need to know much more about Danny before I could develop such intense an dislike for him that I’ve seen from many other web posters. I sometimes wonder if people who can’t think for themselves read some of the posts and automatically believe everything they read. And then it just snowballs . . .
J, I just can’t thank you enough for responding with such an intelligent post.
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I just want to clarify something I said in the post above. When I said that I wonder if people who can’t think for themselves read some of the posts and believe everything they read, I was NOT referring to the MCL posters. I am impressed with the intelligence of the posters here. When I made the statement I was thinking about some of the other poorly written, mean comments that I’ve read on other comment lines.
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I have gotten involved in the comments here, especially regarding Adam and Danny. As Vonnie said, it is good to have various views on favorites. It has been torture not being able to comment further about Anoop Desai. I cannot locate the post right at this moment, but thank you to the person that said, “Anoop is going to be a Superstar!”
Thank you also, to those that have joined the discussion on favorite Idols, songs, and best seasons!
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I know most of you that post here have a lot of musical knowledge. I have little to none! But I do know what appeals to me…so I’m hoping someone can answer a few questions. When I read fansite comments, a lot of the negativity directed at Adam and Danny seems personal, but the negativity towards Kris is concerning his singing ability (and to a much lesser extent, his looks). My personal taste runs toward the singer/writer…James Taylor, Simon/Garfunkel, etc…so it’s easy to see why Kris is my favorite. I love his voice, he seems to use voice inflection very well, and adds different little pauses and unexpected emphasis on various words and such. (there is probably a term for this, ha! I don’t know what it is, but I can recognize it…is this what they mean when they talk about phrasing?). I find his style quite enjoyable and interesting.
However, I’ve begun to wonder if it’s b/c of the fact that I’m a “music moron” that I like him. Maybe If I knew more I could understand some of the negativity.
Among the criticisms are: He has no range, he is pitchy (I guess I really don’t know what “pitch” means), his voice is weak,falsetto is bad, his skills with guitar/piano are rudimentary,…and these…(which I think are probably just personal taste)…boring, bland,average talent,everything sounds the same (which I don’t get at all, b/c I don’t think it does).
Is there a basis for these criticisms? Of course, I think NO! but like I said…I know very little about music(Ican’t even play “Chposticks” and my voice could clear a room faster than that last note of Danny’s!)
Thanks for any help!
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MCL I have a question about Chris Daughtry’s performance…. very happy for him with all his success and looking forward to hearing the new cd…. but when I watch him perform it really bothers me that he has the microphone stand so high and he lifts his head to sing into the mic…..
for me it does 2 things… makes him look visually shorter then he actually is…. and too me it looks like his neck muscles are tight and straining…. I love Daughtry and want him to succeed for a long, long time but can you tell me if singing in that fashion…while I guess to some looks like a real rocker???…. too me just seems like a very bad idea for his voice.
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Just got my AI concert tickets… pre-sale started today! This is first time I’ve really wanted to go, all because of Adam. I’m so excited!
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Dede, admittedly there have been contestants in the past of whom I’ve thought, “Gosh, only people with no musical knowledge would like this singer,” but Kris is NOT one of them. He really is not. Kris has steadily grown on me throughout the competition, and even though I am aware of his vocal deficiencies, I am still drawn to his voice. He has a gorgeous tone, and his arranging skills are also very admirable.
To answer your questions: Yes, adding different pauses and emphases on the text is what people mean when they talk about “phrasing.” *nods*
Pitch: Every note is a defined pitch of a certain frequency of sound. (The “A” above Middle C has a frequency of 440 Hz, for example.) Being centered on pitch means hitting a note spot on, very close to the actual frequency. When the note is slightly off (whether above or below), people with very fine hearing (good relative or absolute pitch) can hear the difference.
To address the criticisms: On the level of vocal technique, a lot of these criticisms are related: namely that of his supposed lack of range, being off-pitch, and lack of vocal power. These issues all stem from the extra sources of tension in his voice, namely the tension in his face, neck, and jaw. If you read MCL’s past articles, she mentions how Kris consistently sings with a “horizontal mouth position” (a circular mouth position would be ideal), and to fix this, he would need to drop his jaw more. However, considering all of this, he still manages to produce his tone with enough balance as to allow us to glimpse the beauty of his voice and remain relatively secure in his pitch. (MCL mentions in her newest article that she suspects that Kris has perfect pitch) Considering the tension he has in his voice, his sense of pitch is very good! (Also, I should add here that “pitchy” is not a real word, at least not the way that Randy intends anyway. What people mean by “pitchy” is consistently being slightly off the center of the pitch.)
Having extra tension in one’s voice also prevents a person from accessing his/her full potential vocal range. Considering this, Kris’ range on the show has not been too shabby on the scale at all. Many untrained male singers I know cannot even hit the Bb above middle C (or any notes above middle C for that matter). Yes, if you compare Kris to, say, Adam, his range is clearly not as wide, but Kris’ range is not bad considering his unfamiliarity with vocal technique. Also, extra tension in one’s voice definitely detracts from one’s vocal power. Singing freely with proper diaphragmatic support produces a much louder and more resonant sound than pushing the sound out of one’s throat with a lot of tension.
All those other criticisms are subjective. (And I don’t agree with them.) I feel that Kris is a very promising talent; he just needs some polishing of his vocal technique. The issues that Kris has with extra tension can be readily fixed with some vocal instruction. (And his falsetto or head voice would improve tremendously as well. That coordination is very free, and when he gets use to the feeling of freedom in his voice in his chest voice, his head voice will naturally get better too.)
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Kateri315 – I’ll quote MCL’s Twitter comments on this:
LadyMadonna51 asked MCL if this was a good or bad thing, and MCL said:
So, basically, she noticed the exact same things as also agrees with you that the head-raising issue is not a good thing.
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*the same things as you and…
And the more specific link to the second post is: http://twitter.com/MasterclassLady/status/1722999617
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Thank you “J”. Your explanations were very helpful to me. I know that Idol employs at least one vocal coach.I’m sure the contestants are being helped with these things…or at least you would think so. Maybe they just don’t have time to work wonders in such a short time.
I felt bad for Kris in the duet on Tues. It seemed as if his voice failed him a couple of times. (possibly trying to sing louder?)The recording though, sounds very good to me. I also read somewhere that they did not get to practice, and that Danny sang the wrong lyrics and Kris covered for him. This was why he was so upset at Simon’s comment about Danny being better. Some people interpreted his attitude that he was upset at Danny. (At least that’s one blogger’s opinion.) I never noticed it, but I suppose it makes sense.
Thank you again for being helpful, LOL,I guess my instincts were right, I didn’t think my taste could be THAT bad!
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To be honest, for all these years I’ve been watching Idol, I feel that most of the singers go in with a whole bunch of vocal issues and leave with the same vocal issues. Any vocal coaching they receive seems to be a complete non-factor. Maybe the vocal coaches are limited in the advice they’re allowed to give?
I think Kris’ misfortune is that his technical deficiencies are more obvious than some of the other contestants’. Allison has some fundamental technical issues in her voice, but she is hardly ever called out on them. I really feel that for all these contestants, they need to experience how singing freely feels, and then they wouldn’t want to go back. 😉
Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it, apparently, Danny did forget the lyrics. The very last line is supposed to be, “I’m so far from my home,” which you can hear Kris singing, but Danny is singing, “I don’t have very long.” Danny also sang the line incorrectly the first time around (during one of his solo bits). And because of the stage issues, none of the contestants were able to rehearse, so that is also true.
No problem! I’m glad I could be helpful. lol!
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Wow, talk about super choppy transitions in the last post. And judging from the other artists you mentioned, I would say that your “taste” is fine. =)
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The adjustment on the mic sound (I don’t know the term) has been discussed in past years regarding Group Performances. Specific incidents involved weaker singers. Is there any possibility there was a volume change on Kris’ microphone?
I will be honest, I had this thought on Tuesday, but since no one mentioned it, I did not bring it into discussion. Just another way AI has manipulated in the past. Food for thought…
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^ A volume change to make Kris louder or quieter? Could you elaborate? I don’t have enough context to comment on the issues, but I can say from personal experience that mic volumes can be deceiving. (When I sing in a group setting, the sound technicians tend to turn me down because I’m overpowering, lol.)
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Thank you all for the MCL Twitter comments to answer my question…. like someone said just a few posts above mine… it does seem like a lot of the contestants start Idol with issues and leave Idol with the same issues…. very strange….. with all the professional help out there you would think these contestants want to last a long time in the industry and would take the advice and learn the correct way to sing and protect their vocal cords at the same time…. as bad a singer I am….. I don’t raise my head while singing or tip it up or back when “reaching” for a high note.
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You’re welcome. I was the one… in both cases, lol. (I posted the Twitter comments, and I made the comment about Idols’ coming and leaving with the same issues.)
Amen to that! SO true. A singer’s voice is his or her instrument. People go to great pains not to scratch their guitars, and yet, they batter their voices with improper technique all the time! I’ve heard about singers not wanting to take vocal lessons because they’re afraid that learning correct vocal technique will “ruin their style,” which is completely untrue if one finds a good vocal coach. As I have said before, there is a technically efficient way to produce any sound (yes, including growls, metal “screams,” etc.), and the best vocal coach won’t try to change his or her student but simply help him or her find the “best” way to produce his or her sound.
I like how Sophie Shear (who works with Brett Manning, vocal coach of Hayley Williams from Paramore) put it: “I’m not out to turn anybody into something they’re not, but to help them find the very BEST possible version of themselves, vocally.”
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J, thank you for explaining the vocal training. MCL, will often include this in her advice to the contestants.
There was a discussion on another forum of how the the sound technicians would fool around with certain contestant’s volume for the group performance. Sometimes it seemed obvious. At the moment, the only name that comes to mind is Leah LaBelle.
So, my question is could the sound technician have made Kris sound a little softer than Danny deliberately? I am sorry, but there have been so much manipulations in this show, I wouldn’t put it past them.
Oh, I know that sounds just terrible.
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One more question regarding this from MJs Blog:
Anoop Desai performed “Crazy Love” with Amos Lee last night at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. This was a song he performed with his Chapel Hill, NC a’capella group, the Clef Hangers.
Too bad Van Morrison doesn’t clear songs for American Idol…
Who is Amos Lee? Wasn’t this the song Jason auditioned with, and maybe David Cook?
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another masterpiece – enjoy!
MCL, J would you please comment?
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Love Adam’s version of the SSB. Very, very good. But, you know what struck me the most – his last note when he sang “brave”. Love to hear how he grabbed and dug into” his lower range. Nice “crisp “br” before the “aye” diphthong – but he sustained on the purer “eh” vowel. Perfect!
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Wow, I am incredibly humbled to be asked for my opinion by name. What can I say? Adam’s singing in this video is faultless—if not only for his technique but the clear feeling and reverence he holds for our national anthem. A lovely, respectful version of the SSB. I also agree with MCL that I was struck by Adam’s skillful vowel modification. I believe the vowels in this song are what make this song tricky (even more so than the range in itself). One of my favorite parts is there; the vowel and his tone are so pure here!
The “ee” vowel is very easy to “splat,” which is to sing a vowel too wide, sounding strained. The reverse is also true; it is easy to lose compression and break into head voice for this note if the vowel is too close to “ih.” Finding the right balance on the “ee” vowel can be very difficult.
I also thought it was refreshing to hear Adam sing this song in a more subdued key. I liked hearing the lower notes from him.
Again, what I can say? Bravo, Adam! Any “criticisms” I can make would really be exerting preferences more than anything else. Skillful phrasing, seamless registers. Classic, really.
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Thank you, Adam Lambert. We got to hear him sing without those ultra high notes. It was GORGEOUS. I know he loves those super high notes and has said so himself. However, he has a nice lower range. I’m not a fan of super high notes, although Adam does them amazingly.
Anyway, point is, I liked what he did with the national anthem, especially on the word “brave”, as others have noted. There weren’t too many extra frills, so the audience could stay focused on the words. It was very good. Way to go, Adam!
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MCL and J, thank you so much. I am now going to listen with your comments in mind. Like MCL – I loved the sound in “brave” – it is so rich and strong…Now I want Adam to sing in the baritone range…I wonder why he tends to go up so much – is it his “taste” or is it just easier for him due to his technique? I used to think that he is just not as powerful in lower register, but this rendition clearly proves otherwise…what a wonder!
Someone posted another recording of the event – the quality is much better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IczgFvPvCQg
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I noticed that about Galen too; having a sense of humor goes a long way.
Now, I want to explain about my remark about arrogance. Arrogance can have many meanings and it does not have to be negative.
I am pointing out their “arrogance” because what makes them think that they can win AI if they don’t pick the “right” songs that might come up on AI–usually rock week, disco week, country western week, and all genres…. AND PRACTICE your face off. If they are not up to par yet, wait til next year! Know who you are and be an artist with your portfolio of the “right” songs that fits you. I would be embarrassed in front of millions of peeps if I am not ready. Puh-leeeeeze
You would think after watching 8 years of AI, you would know what is the criteria. LOL >smilehigh 5<
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nica –
My feeling is that the reason leans more towards the first, but the latter may play a role as well. As a soprano, I find it easier to project well on higher notes than low because I have the technique to do so. That said, if I really concentrate, I can get a certain richness to my low notes as well (although they’ll never be as rich as when a mezzo sings them!), and in reality, those notes are probably “easier.” They just don’t project as well.
However, all of the stuff I wrote above is peripheral in light of how much I simply LOVE singing in my upper range. I love the feeling of soaring on the high notes! It is an incredible feeling to sing a strain-free G5 in full voice! I feel that I express myself more fully in that part of more range; the emotion of what I am singing is most real for me in that part of my range. And I like the aesthetic of well-done high notes. Of course, I speak only for myself and not Adam, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Adam had similar feelings about singing high notes.
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J, thank you so much for your personal insight. I have the same feeling about Adam – its not that he can not go low, or that it is difficult for him…it’s just that he LOVES being up…thx again
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Since Adam has proven he can get those lower notes, he would show diversity if he sang a song with his usual stylings, and then change his range for the second song.
Sorry I asked a dumb question regarding Anoop. Through research I was able to get the answers I needed.
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Karianne1:
Amos Lee is WONDERFUL. A very laid-back singer-songwriter with some fantastic songs. Tommy Daniels auditioned with an Amos Lee song a few years ago, “Arms of a Woman”:
“Shout Out Loud” (forgive the shaky video, but the audio is good):
“Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight”:
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Whoa! Sorry, I didn’t realize that just posting the links would automatically embed the videos.
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That’s okay Erin. It’s a new feature that WordPress.Com has recently offered to their blogging clients. Nfity, huh?
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Thank you, Erin!
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