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
March 4, 2010 
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MCL Those are my top 4 this season. But I still think Adam Lambert broke the show. Everyone is so boring in comparison.
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I think Crystal, Lilly, Siobhan and Katelyn are the obvious top four in this group. What will be intriguing, is the battle for the final two spots. I cannot believe that these four won’t get through. I certainly hope so.
Now Didi, Katie Stevens, Paige and Lacey will be competing for the final two spots. I am not at all impressed with Lacey and thought she might well go home this week. I am okay with Michelle going. I don’t think she stood out in this talented group. Haeley needed to go home as a humanitarian gesture. This girl needs some time to grow up and mature. She was so not ready for this competition.
Next week will be the determinative week as to who gets to be in the finals. The pressure will be high and a lot will be at stake. I will be shocked if Lacey manages to crack the top six. So far I haven’t been impressed with Paige. She has a good voice, but I just don’t think she has chosen the right songs. I have reservations about Katie, because she seems too young. She definitely has a voice, but I just think she doesn’t know who she is as an artist. Maybe she will get through despite her age.
If Didi can get it together and find the right song, I think she deserves a spot in the top six. She needs to do better next week, that’s for sure.
As long as my top four get into the finals, then I think we are in for a treat.
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Jeanne and Mindy — I wanted to point out MCL’s post above, where she said that Siobhan “has a beautiful timbre to her voice – it just needs a bit more depth and less constriction from the throat.”
That lack of depth is what both of you are noticing. She has a great timbre, but she doesn’t yet know how to tap into the full power of her instrument. (Unfortunately, I can say that about SO many singers.) For me, the “size” of a singer’s voice is determined, objectively, by a his/her genetics (the length/thickness of his/her vocal cords, the size of his/her vocal tract, etc.). I think, naturally, Siobhan has a big enough voice, but she (as Mindy noted) hasn’t learned to really mine all the depth she can from it. She really does have raw, natural talent, though. Her official contestant page says that she hasn’t had any formal vocal training!
I definitely agree with Mindy that Siobhan’s fearlessness is really what sold this performance. There were some patches in the performance that lacked power, but the big note was crazy! And as mentioned before, she has a really great timbre (tone color) that helps make her voice sound fuller, even though her tone doesn’t quite have as much “meat” and depth as it could.
And Jeanne, since you mentioned Katharine McPhee’s version, I’d like to point out that “Think” was probably one of Katharine’s best vocal performances in my opinion. She was able to tap into the depth and fullness of her voice to a greater degree than Siobhan did.
This is where I make the related detour than even small voices can have a lot of power. Operatic soubrettes still sing over orchestras (and so do leggerio tenors). It’s all a matter of technique. Singers who really sing into their voices and discover the maximum fullness and depth of their voices are going to sound powerful, no matter how objectively “big” or “small” their voices are.
And in fact, big-voiced singers often have a harder time really tapping into the full power of their voices because without training, their voices can feel very unwieldy and cumbersome. (There’s a whole host of reasons I can list about why people never discover their full potential. It’s really sad, actually.) I’ll say that the ones who do tend to grow up in nurturing environments that allowed them to be as loud as possible, have a natural skill for imitating some legendary powerhouse singers, and/or had excellent vocal training! 🙂
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Oops. I meant to reply to the previous discussion on the Top 10 Female Semi-Finalists. Oh well. =P
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I don’t like results night…I feel so bad for the one’s who are eliminated. Even though I was ready for Haeley to go home, it was still sad, I felt bad for her. I really didn’t think Michelle would have gone home this soon. I was really thinking that Didi would have gone first. I really like Didi but I don’t look for her to stay around for a long time! I was happy, but a little surprised. The boys I wasn’t so surprised at who went home, still sad for them!
I wish insted of voting two people off a week, they would let them sing for what six weeks (isn’t that how long top 24 is?) let them build fan bases and then the seventh week do a two night result show…eliminate six per night! Calculate the voting for the six weeks as usual, then at the end whoever has the most votes stays!
I say this because I think if John Park were to have more air time he would gain a huge fan base!
I think Katelyn is the girl to watch, she could win this whole thing! Just my opinion!
The fun thing for me this year is that I like so many of the contestants…I should be happy with whoever wins!
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Sorry, MCL but I think John and Jermaine deserved to leave this week based on performances.
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Erin — I agree with you, based on how the performances have gone over with the public. Jermaine oversang in all his performances. That’s that. (And many people disliked his personality, but that’s another topic.)
I understand John Park’s elimination, but I wish we had the opportunity to see him grow more. He has the potential there, but for some reason, he couldn’t really get his performances to “gel.” I think it was probably nerves. His sing-out performance was much more relaxed and better for it. It’s really difficult with nerves and the national stage and everything. Many contestants never get over their nerves to really shine.
I think Todrick Hall and Tim Urban might be the most in trouble (fairly or not), based on the judges’ comments they’ve received. And I’m not sure if Alex Lambert’s lack of screentime will hurts him in any way. I really want to see Andrew Garcia in the top 12, but otherwise, although I like some other male contestants, I wouldn’t be devastated by any of their eliminations.
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I missed the results show. What happened? I like Lily and Crystal, best. That’s more the kind of music I like but they seem so down to earth and real.
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Jessica T — Here’s a good recap:
http://mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-9-top-20-results-video.htm
John Park, Jermaine Sellers, Michelle Delamor, and Haeley Vaughn were eliminated, and they all sung encore performances.
Danny Gokey was the guest performer, and the group song was “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas.” And that’s the results show in a nutshell. =P
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I am happy to read that people like Siobhan because I really do. I liked her version of “Wicked Game” better than this week’s performance – I just felt more connected to her & the song – but I certainly enjoyed the reckless abandon of this week’s performance. My big hope for her is that she will make it into the top 10 so she can tour. I think that would be an amazing experience for her & I would definitely pay to see her. I agree with the comments regarding her voice thinning out sometimes, especially in the middle part of her voice; her lower notes & higher notes, for me, are a joy to lisen to. I think she is someone who could benefit from even a small amount of formal teaching & I hope that she will pursue some training no matter what the outcome of this season is.
I also like Lilly a lot. She has a unique, authentic style & a genuine connection to what she is singing that makes the listener believe in her. I don’t connect to Crystal quite as much; she is certainly a superb vocalist & instrumentalist and definitely has a shot at being the winner. But it feels just a little bit “packaged” to me. Finally I think Katelyn is adorable & has a wonderful coie; I hope she does well.
The guys are, in my opinion, pretty forgettable although to be completely fair I have not seen their performances this week & I understand that Big Mike was good.
I agree with Vonnie that the present format is not great & like the idea of allowing the singers more time to build up a fan base. The major drawback to that type of situation would be having to listen to a single like Haeley sing for 6 weeks & be ripped to shred by the judges. In all fairness, what were they thinking by allowing her to make it to the top 24? Their comments that “I wish you had waited a few years” and “You need some serious vocal work…” were disingenuous given that the judges put her in the top 24 in the first place. But I would have liked to have heard someone like Joe a few more times.
So those are my thoughts. And I have to also agree to some extent about Adam Lambert having broken the show. The bar has been set very very high. But I think that this season will pick up some momentum in the weeks to come.
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I meant that Katelyn has a wonderful voice. Not sure what a cole is :).
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My thoughts on the eliminations – all in all, I think America got it right. I was disappointed to see John Park leave, because I heard a voice with a good deal of potential. It was quite interesting that his farewell version of the song was so much better than on performance night. But that’s how this competition goes – you have to be able to conquer the nerves, difficult as that may be. If you can’t handle the pressure now, then you won’t be able to handle it when it gets really tough in the finals.
I was pleased to see Jermaine go home. Not only did he absolutely butcher Marvin Gaye’s brilliant song, “What’s Goin’ On”, having not a clue as to the meaning of the lyrics, but he came across as kind of mouth with attitude and that God business and self-righteousness was just too much for me.
I do agree that Todrick needs to step in up next week. Another wretched cover of a signature song done by an icon, will certainly spell doom for him. I have this bad feeling that Tim Urban is actually going to get to the finals, mainly due to the cuteness factor that will appeal to the tween vote. I don’t think he deserves to be there, but I am preparing myself.
I say that if Alex Lambert can produce another performance like his John Legend song this week, then he will get through. I think he and Aaron might be appealing to the same fan base, so we will have to see who steps it up the most. I think Michael should make the finals if he delivers again next week. He has a lot of personality, but needs to watch himself with that “I am just way too great” attitude.
I definitely want Andrew to get it together and pick the right song, please! He has the voice, but just needs to get the song to show it off. I really want to see him in the finals. Lee Deweyze has been rough around the edges, but I still would like to see him get through to the finals. There is something there, potential, star power, I am not quite sure yet.
Let me sum it up – Andrew, Lee, Michael, Alex are the four I really want in the finals. As for the final two spots, well, I have to think that Casey will get through due to the looks factor. I have some real doubts about his voice. That leaves Aaron, Tim and Todrick batting it out for the final spot. To be honest, I don’t care which of those three make it.
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I thought I would make a separate comment about the girls who should get into the finals.
As I have said before, my top four are Crystal, Siobhan, Lily and Katelyn. Those four just have to get through, or I will be terribly disappointed. As far as the last two spots, it’s between Didi, Katie Stevens and Lacey. Lacey does not deserve to get there, even if she has pretty eyes.
I really can’t predict whether it will be Didi or Katie. They have both had problems with song choice. Katie has the voice, but seems too young to really know who she is as a singer and artist. I think she needs some more time. Didi has been inconsistent in her performances. She has a very unusual voice that demands the perfect song.
It would unbelievable if Lacey get through over those another two, but stranger things have happened.
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We’re definitely on the same wave-length so far this season, Mindy. Your comments pretty much summed up how I’m feeling. But I think you forgot about Paige. She’s in the mix with Didi, Katie, and Lacey. Of the four of them, I hope that Lacey goes for sure. Then of the other three, it’s sort of a toss-up for me. I agree that Didi is inconsistent but there is something appealing about her voice. Katie’s voice is good, but I agree that there is just something missing–maybe it’s her age–and I can’t imagine ever purchasing her music. And with Paige, I honestly don’t know. Her voice is fine, but neither of her songs have made me want to hear more from her. She has to wow me with her performance this week in order for me to want her to stay.
And changing the subject, I didn’t see you or anyone else here comment about Danny Gokey on Thursday night’s elimination show. I remember clearly that you supported Adam and I supported Danny last season. As much as I had a hard time seeing why people disliked Danny so much last season, I defintely saw it in his interview after his performance on Thursday night. First of all, asking for an invitation to Ellen’s show just showed how much of an ego he has, and then going on and on about himself just confirmed it. At least we can say that of the top three last year, the nice guy won!!!
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Louise, I have to take a little issue with your last sentence. There were, in my opinion, two very nice guys in the finale. That would be Kris & Adam. And I think Danny be quite nice & genuine but he does have these occasional moments of ego insecurity. It’s a shame that it flared on national TV. I haven’t watched the guys from last week yet because, to be frank, I am SO much more interested in the girls. So I need to watch the performances. And more fully evaluate what Danny did. I’m always inclined to cut Danny some slack because of what he’s been through.
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Well, thank you very much, Darlene, for cutting Danny some slack. At least somebody around here will. It is incredible (and just plain sad) to me that even AFTER his time on American Idol, there are still people on here who cannot bring themselves to say one nice word about Danny Gokey, who for reasons I don’t think I will ever be able to comprehend has retained his title of most hated contestant in Idol history. Everyone who knows me on here knows where I stood last season. I supported Danny since the first time he blew everyone away with “Hero”. I had endure post after post on here about how Danny was “pimping his wife” to get votes, how he is arrogant and too sure of himself, and (perhaps most frustrating of all) I had to put up with the perpetual worship of Adam Lambert as the most AMAZING thing since pizza was invented. Of course, looking back, I realize now that the MAIN reason people hated Danny was because he was the only contestant last season who truly stood in the way of Adam’s success. It was (plain and simple) frontrunner backlash. In some strange way, Danny DID end up getting in the way of Adam winning, because I am sure that most of his voters ended up voting for Kris rather than Adam.
You know, I think each season we as Idol viewers pick a favorite and become SO invested (perhaps overly so at times) in that person. Am I guilty of that? Sure. In a way it is inevitable. However, that blind devotion can (at times) make people cold-hearted and, well, blind when it comes to other contestants than their favorite. For instance, I knew that Adam was a significant threat to Danny last season, so I really could not stand him. However, when all was said and done, and by some interesting turn of events Kris won, my feelings toward Adam dulled a bit. Season 8 ended. Danny didn’t win, but life went on. It may surprise some of you to know that I am now a pretty big Adam fan (and Kris too). He surprised me with a stellar album and insanely addictive songs that I have never quit enjoying listening to. I was able to see past the blind disdain I had for him last season and recognized his undeniable potential. Of course, Danny is still 100% my favorite.
I guess my point is that I have made it a point to stop saying derogatory things about Adam, who I spoke out against quite a bit last season (forgive me). However, Danny comes on the show ONE TIME this season and it seems like no one on here can muster a TRULY nice thing to say about him. It was like last season all over again. Well, I defended Danny last season from people who were sick enough (not directed at anyone who posted on here recently) to actually accuse him of taking advantage of the dead love of his life to win a talent show. Talk about being blinded—by hate. Whatever shortcomings Danny may have (hey, we all have them), I believe that some of the things said (on here and in the media) are a thousand times more abominable than ANYTHING Danny did to deserve that kind of feedback. The time has now come for me to stand up for a very GOOD MAN again, and I shall. Let me just say beforehand that I think a lot of both Louise and Darlene, so when I quote them I by no means mean it offensively. Here
goes. These are the following quotes by Louise:
“And changing the subject, I didn’t see you or anyone else here comment about Danny Gokey on Thursday night’s elimination show. I remember clearly that you supported Adam and I supported Danny last season.”
Yes, thank you, Louise, a very good point. Boy, Kris and Allison came back last week, and I saw all kinds of positive words on here about them (and rightfully so). But the Gokenator comes on this week and everything’s all hush-hush. And when someone finally has the courage to utter his name (gasp), it of course, naturally, must be tinged with negativity. Par for the course it would seem. The reason WHY a lot of people do not want to give Danny the credit he is due is because there is a small, perhaps subconscious part of their minds that realize how good he is, and that (just maybe) America got it wrong last season. No offense to Kris, but I still believe that is exactly the case. Moving on . . .
“As much as I had a hard time seeing why people disliked Danny so much last season, I defintely saw it in his interview after his performance on Thursday night.”
Really? Because I must’ve missed it. My hand on a stack of Bibles, I honestly did not see anything resembling arrogance in him on Thursday night. I saw someone who had overcome a horrific tragedy and rose out of his personal hell (trusting in God and never losing faith along the way) to become someone truly worthy of looking up to. You know what I saw when he was on stage talking to Ryan afterward? EXCITEMENT. Pure, unadulterated excitement. Who can blame him? He SHOULD be excited! And you know what? He absolutely SHOULD be proud of himself! I know I am proud of him. I have watched his time on stage back again and again for one reason: a good laugh! He is just so bouncy and energetic up there that his positive energy inevitably rubs off on me as well! Maybe that’s the problem. People need to stop being so critical of things and just take the time out for a good laugh.
“First of all, asking for an invitation to Ellen’s show just showed how much of an ego he has, and then going on and on about himself just confirmed it. ”
First of all, as far as I am concerned, Ellen OWES Danny some time on her show. Kris, Adam, AND Allison (not to mention many other last season contestants) all got their chance to be on her show. Danny was (of course) left out. Have you ever thought about giving Danny the benefit of the doubt? Or is that just too weird a thing? Perhaps he was simply excited to meet Ellen DeGeneres for the first time, and that is why he responded to her so enthusiastically. As for me, I sincerely HOPE Danny WILL get on Ellen’s show. Talk about a great episode! You know, I don’t believe anyone on here (correct me if I am wrong) is God. So you know what? Nobody has any right to make assumptions about Danny’s character and judge him. As for how he promoted his new AMAZING album and website, so what? Good for him! That’s what returning Idol contestants ALWAYS do! They promote their new singles, albums, etc. Someone like Carrie Underwood could come on and promote herself, but Heaven forbid Danny does it! That’s just plain arrogant! (Sarcasm)
Now, on to Darlene’s comments:
“Louise, I have to take a little issue with your last sentence. There were, in my opinion, two very nice guys in the finale. That would be Kris & Adam.”
Ah, isn’t that typical. Danny is, naturally, excluded from the list. Well, let me tell you both something, Louise and Darlene. There were TWELVE very nice PEOPLE last season in the Top 12—Kris, Adam, AND Danny included! If I REALLY wanted to play hard ball here, I could take issue with you including Adam in that “nice guy” category. Anyone hear about the “very nice” words he had to say about Susan Boyle recently? Or dare I bring up his AMA performance and his assertion that he is not a baby-sitter? Now, here’s the thing. I DO believe that Adam is a nice guy at heart, however, he has his moments as does anyone—including Danny. Nobody is a “nice guy” all the time, and likewise nobody is a jerk all the time either. We are all flawed, imperfect human beings, so to divide up a season’s Idol contestants into “nice guys” and “jerks” (with our personal favorites conveniently in the “nice guy” category) is an exercise in foolishness.
“I’m always inclined to cut Danny some slack because of what he’s been through.”
I genuinely and sincerely want to thank you for those kind words, Darlene. But even though you said some positive things about Danny, there was still this undercurrent of negativity present as well. It is like nobody on here can bring themselves to just say something nice about Danny and leave it at that. There MUST also be a negative. I truly believe some people (not necessarily directed at anyone in particular) watched Thursday’s episode LOOKING for something to fault Danny for. When you go out looking for the negative, you are bound to find it.
Maybe that is what I like about Danny so much. He has every reason in the world to be negative, but he has CHOSEN to be positive. He has CHOSEN to believe that his “best days” truly are ahead of him, and I truly believe they are. Negative criticism on some Internet site is not going to hinder his rise in any way, because he IS a nice guy and he knows where his help comes from. God has tremendous things in store for him, and I cannot wait to see what the future brings! We all have a choice to see the positive or the negative in anybody. We can choose to find fault with everyone and go through life being critical of everyone who crosses our paths. Or we can choose to find the good in people no matter what—the diamond in the rough you might say. I am so very thankful that Jesus does not look at me and see only my many faults. He looks at me and sees the potential there. He sees the good qualities I have (however few) and focuses on that. A person’s focus determines his or her reality. I really wish everybody could learn to view others through the eyes of God. Myself included.
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Wow – sorry I compounded the mistake that I felt that Louise had made e.g. that Kris was the only “nice guy” in the finale. When I was walking about the “finale” it was in reference to Kris vs. Adam. I went to 2 American Idol Tour shows. Danny came out both times, was very gracious, and I got some nice pictures of him with fans. I wish Danny all the best in the world. He is a sincere, genuine artist who always sings from his heart. No doubt about that. I don’t know what Adam had to say about Susan Boyle & I would in general doubt the complete accuracy of any quote in the media. I think Adam is a very nice guy. I think Kris is a great guy. I liked all the contestants in the final 10 a lot. I hope they all do well.
Now, having said all that, I would like to move onto this season & say how excited I am about Siobhan as well as the other contestants. I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming weeks.
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Thank you, Darlene, for those kind words regarding Danny. I look forward to this season as well. I agree that Siobhan is interesting and has a killer voice. There’s just something about her I like, though I would have to say my personal favorites are Aaron Kelly, Katie Stevens, and Lee Dewyze.
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Yowza, Galen! Since last season is over, I wasn’t expecting such a strong reaction from anyone. Aren’t we all entitled to our own opinions without chastising each other?! You and I obviously saw something different in Danny’s interview on Thursday night, but I most definitely was NOT looking for something to criticize him about. I thought he did a nice job with his song, and, if you remember, I was a Danny fan last season and defended him many, many times. Not knowing anything about which Idol contestants performed on Ellen and which ones didn’t, I interpreted his remark to show a lack of humility. I also think that some of Adam’s remarks to the media after his controversial performance at the AMA showed a lack of humility. It was with these thoughts in mind that I made the remark about the “nice” guy finishing last because I’ve always had the impression that Kris is a very humble person. To me humbleness equates with niceness more than arrogance does. The only reason I even brought up Danny Gokey’s performance was because I thought it was interesting that no one commented on it and I was curious to hear what others thought. But in spite of what I interpreted to be arrogance, I am still pleased to hear that Danny made an album and pleased for him that he’ll be the opening act for Sugarland.
As this season moves along, most of us will develop favorites and I’d be quite surprised if we all agree. I hope we’ll be able to express our opinions without others taking it as a personal offense.
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Louise, let me begin by saying that I by no way meant ANY disrespect to you personally. I believe that I stated something similar to that several times throughout my post. If you don’t mind and will not take offense to it, I would like to comment on some of what you said.
“Aren’t we all entitled to our own opinions without chastising each other?! You and I obviously saw something different in Danny’s interview on Thursday night, but I most definitely was NOT looking for something to criticize him about.”
I didn’t chastise you, Louise. At least that certainly was not my intention in any way. I was simply doing what I have become somewhat accustomed to doing on here–standing up for Danny when people take every little move he makes, every word he speaks, and turns it into something negative. Do you know what it is like to have people constantly putting down your favorite contestant? It gets old after a while. I understand that all of us have different opinions, and that is fine. But if I feel like someone is saying derogatory stuff about one of my favorites, make no mistake. I WILL stand up for that person. In doing so, I mean no personal offense to the other person. I am simply invoking my God-given right to have an opinion as well.
“I thought he did a nice job with his song, and, if you remember, I was a Danny fan last season and defended him many, many times.”
Yes, Louise, I do remember. Thank you for coming to Danny’s defense many times when the negativity just go too out of hand. That is really all I was doing in my above post. Honestly, I must admit that I was a bit confused by your appraisal of him, given that I knew you were a fan of his last season. Still, as you so correctly pointed out before, we are all different and have our own opinions. I still have to say that I have no idea where you saw arrogance in him Thursday night. It just baffles me. I’ve watched it back TRYING to find the arrogance, and all I genuinely see is excitement. Nothing more or less. Still, I am by no means infallible. I could be wrong. But when it comes right down to it, only DANNY knows what he was thinking on that stage. We can watch his body language and listen to his words, but ultimately we have no right to judge him based simply on our own assumptions.
“Not knowing anything about which Idol contestants performed on Ellen and which ones didn’t, I interpreted his remark to show a lack of humility.”
I understand, Louise, and that sort of is what I am trying to say. I can understand you thinking it arrogant of Danny asking to be on Ellen’s show if Idol contestants didn’t normally end up there. However, when you take into account that A LOT of Idol people appear on her show AND that Danny did not get a chance like most of the others to be on her show last season, Danny’s words to Ellen suddenly don’t seem so arrogant, do they? When we judge people without the sufficient information with which to do so, we are walking a perilous path indeed. It is tantamount to a judge sentencing someone to a prison term without all of the facts present to render a fair verdict. Human judgment in any form is flawed. It’s a very easy trap to fall into, believe me, I know. Please forgive ME if I have misjudged anything you have said.
“To me humbleness equates with niceness more than arrogance does.”
So by that you are implying that Kris is “humble” so he is “nice.” And that Danny is “arrogant” so he is “not nice.” Here is the folly with that line of thought. Do you truly believe that Kris is humble ALL the time? Are YOU humble all the time? Am I? Is anyone? I am sure Kris has his moments. We all do–Danny included. Therefore, categorizing one person as “nice” and another as “not nice” is generalizing massively. It is sort of like playing favorites, and we are all capable of it from time to time. It is easy to look at someone you perceive as humble and ignore that person’s other faults. Likewise, it is also easy to see someone you perceive as arrogant and never notice all of his or her good qualities. I am afraid the issue is not so clear-cut. There is no black or white, but only different shades of gray. Kris and Danny are BOTH nice guys. They are BOTH humble at times and BOTH arrogant at other times. One is not “nicer” than the other.
“The only reason I even brought up Danny Gokey’s performance was because I thought it was interesting that no one commented on it and I was curious to hear what others thought.”
Louise, I completely agree with you on this, and I want to thank you for bringing it up. I found it very strange (and admittedly somewhat disturbing) that Kris’s and Allison’s Idol apppearances were far more talked about on here than Danny’s. And people even went so far as to say NICE things about Kris and Allison! That’s always a bonus! To be honest, I kind of wish Danny’s name hadn’t come up at all. You just know that some sort of negativity will follow it, which is very sad.
“As this season moves along, most of us will develop favorites and I’d be quite surprised if we all agree. I hope we’ll be able to express our opinions without others taking it as a personal offense.”
It is fine to disagree, Louise. I get what you are saying. However, it IS possible to disagree WITHOUT completely putting down other people’s favorites. To say that Danny was arrogant that night is sort of an attack on his character, and I don’t see how any good will come of that. If we are to say negative things about someone, perhaps it should just pertain to their singing or stage presence and NOT their character. We are by no means qualified to make such judgment calls.
If I made you mad, Louise, in my post above, than I do ask you to forgive me. As I said before, that was not my intention. I guess here is how I stand concerning Danny. Not one time throughout my rant did I say something derogatory about Kris and Adam. I did not attack their individual characters. I said I was a fan of both Kris and Adam, and that I even thought Adam had a good heart despite his words concerning Susan Boyle (which I will say no more about). However, I just wish others could say some nice things about Danny without the negativity always thrown in. I have been respectful of Kris and Adam. Can others not give Danny the same treatment? As eccentric as Lady Gaga is, I have to say that she said something very moving to me: “It is always wrong to hate, but it is never wrong to love.”
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Galen,
I’ll concede that you’ve made a good point about not generalizing that someone is “nice” or not nice. And since I do not personally know any of the people we’re discussing, then I have no way of knowing if any of them are truly nice or humble or arrogant. I only know what I’ve seen on TV and the impression they have left with me. And I was basing my comment on my impressions. But in all honesty, Galen, these impressions do play a part in how people perceive the contestants, no matter what their singing ability is and no matter how wrong the impression might be, and people vote with those impressions in mind. We all form opinions about public people whether they be Idol contestants, politicians, news anchors, athletes, etc. even though we don’t actually know them. People in the public eye let us see what they want us to see, but for the most part I don’t think all Idol contestants are yet savvy enough to try to hide the more negative sides of their personalities. Yet in some ways, I think Adam was about the savviest and created an image on Idol last year that was unlike his true self because he didn’t think he could win otherwise (and I’m not referring to his gayness, but instead to his being a really “out there” performer). And therefore his performance on the AMA awards shocked a lot of his fans. And his comments afterward to the media were more of his true self coming forward. But I could be wrong since I don’t personally know him. Do you?
And although I could never see anything negative about Danny when he performed on Idol, I read about it constantly on the internet even though I disagreed with what people were saying. His interview on the elimination show left me with the impression that maybe some of the comments people were making about him having a big ego were correct and I had just missed it before. But again, I could be wrong because I don’t personally know him. Do you know him personally?
As far as Kris goes, I’ve honestly never read anything negative about him, nor have I ever seen anything from his performances or interviews that has created a bad impression in my mind–hence my assumption that he’s a “nice” guy. But I could be wrong because I don’t know him personally. Do you?
So I ended my post with the “nice guy” remark simply because of the old saying about “nice guys finishing last.” I never dreamed it would cause such a stir.
The point I’m trying to make here is that unless you know Danny personally, maybe he’s actually different than your impression of him is too. We can never really know someone by just seeing them from afar.
But I also get your point in not labeling someone “nice” or “not nice” because everyone can be both. And you’re definitely correct about that.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to move forward and can’t wait for this week’s Idol performances.
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The little ones got me sick, so I haven’t been around very much. I certainly won’t get involved in the Danny Gokey debate! 😉
Mindy – yes, definitely to these four! I think TPTB want Katelyn as their “better than Taylor Swift” girl. I think Simon wants to make sure Paige gets through. To be honest, I can see every girl remaining as part of the TOP 12. I think nerves have gotten the best of some of them, but they are all talented.
J, thank you for the explanation about what Siobhan needs to do with her voice. I have chosen her to win Season 9 even if Idol has other plans. Vonnie, I see that you agree with TPTB about Katelyn! 😀
Has anyone heard Casey’s pre-Idol music? I have heard he’s very good. I believe Lee and Michael are definitely in; the rest will have to duke it out.
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Hi kariann 1…sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well.
I do like Katelyn as well as a couple of the other girls and guys, I’m not sure what you mean by I agree with TPTB???…I thought that they have been kind of mean to Katelyn, so I’m a little confused about that! I didn’t realize she was the chosen one…I thought that title went to Crystal (I like her too). I must have missed something about the judges and her, Oh well, I still thinks she has a great voice, I can’t wait to see what she and some of the others bring to the table each week! For me this will be an interesting year because I like so many of them.
I called Katelyn as possibly the winner of the whole thing, but as a dark horse who could come from nowhere and win.
And I am with you; I am not getting in the Danny debate, LOL
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Hi Vonnie!
Thank you; I just have to be careful with cuddling the little ones. I get everything they get.
Simon had made a comment that he would like to see a Taylor Swift type win. IMO, all these girls are probably a better singer than Taylor. (Sorry if I offend some of her fans here.) Katelyn is a teen with a pretty voice. The others don’t fit the category, and I feel Katie would be sought after by Disney.
Yes, I have seen others who also agree with you. Katelyn is a dark horse, but I believe there’s room for lots of improvement. So, she may sneak up on the others. This post isn’t full of very much wisdom, just a gut level feeling. 😉
Yes, I agree there is so much talent here. I think it will be a good season! I do hope there will be more chemistry between the judges, and that Ellen will improve in judging. However, in the end it is about the contestants.
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The 2010 Lilith Fair Tour has added Kelly Clarkson to the already eclectic and notable list of confirmed female acts. I am so excited for Kelly! What a great opportinty. I attended the tour in 1999 and it was such a unique and outstanding experience.
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UUGGHHHHH! I didn’t know Simon had made that comment…I don’t like when they (he does)that, it’s like they have predestined who is going to win. I have found that it has back-fired on them a time or two. I wish that they would just let the season play out and see who really deserves to win.
Please! You did not offend me with the Taylor Swift comment, IMO she owes Kanya West lots of money for interupting her acceptance speech a while back…he catapulted her into a new dimension with the public and with the different voting boards for the awards shows…she really is not a very good singer, and not very deserving of some of the awards she has received of late!!!
Now to the judges..what’s up with Simon and Kara,are they going to be the New Simon and Paula??? Gag!
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I think the comments regarding TPTB are interesting. Took me a minute (or 2)to figure out what that acronym meant but I think I’ve got it now. So along that line of thought, I have found myself a bit annoyed with the comments that Simon has made about Siobhan which to me seem to belittle her. I was also annoyed by his direct comparison of Crystal and Lilly last week although he has done that before (I can remember his comparing Matt’s performance to Adam’s on Michael Jackson night). But it does seem apparent that the judges play favorite & I think they should try very hard NOT to do that.
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Darlene, I agree completely with your comment that the judges should try very hard NOT to play favorites. This is something that they do every year and it always annoys me.
I’ve also been trying to figure out if I should be annoyed at Simon’s comments to Siobhan as a “quirky little thing.” This could work in her favor, or it could work against her. Just not sure. She seems to handle his comments well so that’s a good thing.
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SINCE we are on the judges! I really don’t like when they compare one to the other…that’s why it is a singing competition, there needs to be more than one contestant to make it interesting. LOL The judges are the ones who pick the top 24, why do they wait till then to start making rude remarks and comparing? What was the young man who looked like a 70’s throw back? I liked his voice and completely agreed with his comment to the judges, why did they all of a sudden; didn’t like his style…why then was he picked to be top 24???
I also don’t like when they tell them to pick songs that takes them out of their comfort zone, be brave, sing a bigger song, then when they do; WHAM, they get slammed for it…telling them you can’t do a song like Whitney unless you are going to be able to sing it better, HUH? Then they tell some to change up the song and when they do, Wham, again! They say it was karaoke! I don’t get it…these poor kids never know what to do, one week it’s do this, they slamm them for that, another week it’s do this, they slam them for that!
Can you tell I get put out with the judging? I really don’t like either when they play favorites…!
Wouldn’t it be nice it they just critiqued them on the performance at hand and left it at that, no comparisons, no rudeness, just an honest, kind take on what they thought…!
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Darlene, I use TPTB (The Powers That Be) as the people who run the show – the producers. Yes, Simon is one of them. When they are casting for the show, there are certain standouts that they think are marketable and will make them lots of money for them. So, they push for us to vote for these people.
IMO, they weren’t sure about Kelly initially. They wanted Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie, and Jordin to win. So, sometimes the fans goof up their plans. Sometimes they change their mind near the end like they did with David Cook. This is just I how I feel.
Vonnie, I think this group is more confused by the Judges than any other one. The young man you are talking about it Tyler Grady. No, he wasn’t a terrific singer, but he had a fun personality. Kara told him she liked his persona in Hollywood, and then makes that horrible comment about Jim Morrison posters all over his room. They didn’t want him to be retro 1970s.
I felt sorry for him. Tyler probably did have the wrong song choice but he could have provided some silly moments for the show.
It seems like they just can’t let things happen naturally on this show.
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Louise,
I would like to discuss the Danny controversy, however, I have decided to bite my lip and refrain from commenting.
Thank you for reminding me that Paige is still in the mix here. However, I think it’s telling that I always forget her. She hasn’t been able to make a real impression on me so far. I am keeping an open mind regarding her performance this week. If she shows me something, then I will happy to support her.
I think Lacey does not deserve a spot in the top six. In this group of gifted female singers, I just think she is out of her league.
I think Katie Stevens is too young and needs more time. She has a voice, but I don’t sense any ability to connect with the words of the songs. I see this a lot with the young ones. They haven’t really matured yet and have little life experience on which to draw, so it often sounds like notes without any feeling or emotion. Not all the time, though. I think of sweet, wonderful David Archuleta. Even Allison surprised me with some memorable performances. Maybe Katie will do that this week. We will just have to wait and see.
I am really loving Siobhan! I like this girl’s utter fearlessness and calm in the face of the judge’s sometimes contradictory critiques. I have definitely had issues with the judges in the past. Sometimes, they just don’t make sense. I get the feeling that even Simon, who is usually so spot on in categorizing the contestants and putting them in his neat little boxes, has been kind of stumped by Siobhan. He doesn’t seem to know quite what to make of her and I like that!
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I’d actually like to apologize to MCL and all of the readers for even bringing up any contestants from last year because this was intended to be a discussion for this year’s contestants. I will definitely not do that in the future.
And, Mindy, I’m definitely agreeing with you about Siobhan. Can’t wait to see her this week!
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louise…I wasn’t going to comment on the Danny Gokey posts, However! I think your previous comments about Danny were relevant! His appearance on this years results show places him as a “back on the table” topic…I do not think you were out of line in any way by bringing him up. I wasn’t a fan of Danny last year that is the only reason I wasn’t going to comment about him. That said, I didn’t care for his performance or his attitude…that is only my opinion!
So louise I am sorry that you feel that you need to apologize for commenting on a performance on the very show that brings us together in the first place. I don’t like every contestant that is on idol, and I’m happy to be able to come to a place that allows to me to feel that way. I read alot of comments last year about Adam, Good and Bad…and that is okay, because we can’t all like the same style or person…we would only need one contestant if that were the case; this is what makes this show so crazy and fun, and what makes coming hear to MCL’s to share with what I think of, as friends, about our thoughts on such a fun show.
If you had been snippy, rude or insulting with another reader then I would say yes please apologize…but the contestants; I feel are fair game…am I wrong MCL???
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Oh my goodness Louise, there is absolutely NO need to apologize! I wasn’t a fan of Danny last year, and I didn’t care for his performance or his attitude last week…that is only my opinion!
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Thank you SO much, Vonnie and Kariann. I really appreciate your kind comments.
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Hey everybody!
As long as you speak of Danny in the Results Show thread, then all is fine. Personally, I wish we could let this sleeping dog lie – it’s starting to become old news. And there is much to celebrate in the Season 9 singers- the best is yet to come!
Party on, readers, but be respectful. Not everyone is going to be drawn to your favorites; it’s good to accept this and realize this. That’s what makes the world go round – the diversity!
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I’ve also been trying to figure out if I should be annoyed at Simon’s comments to Siobhan as a “quirky little thing.”
I think Simon finds Siobhan to be a bit fascinating and not easily categorized. I think he likes her. I know I do! I also have enjoyed Crystal’s performances and look forward to tonight’s show!
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