Performance Masterclass Discussion For The X Factor Season One: The Top 9 Give Thanks

November 22, 2011 by Masterclass Lady 17 Comments


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This week, the Top 9 Finalists will be performing songs to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

And, in case any of you are wondering why I have changed the heading from “Vocal Masterclass” to “Performance Masterclass”, I did so because the focus of this show has been mainly about the production elements in each number.

At times, the theatrics have been scaled down a bit, but, overall, the stage is usually ablaze with lights, dancers and fancy sets during these performances.

Additionally, some of the singers have enjoyed the benefits of audio technology, whether it be auto-tune or lip synching.

I am interested to see what the singers have to offer this week.

I guess little Astro will be rapping his thank you message, which should, hopefully, erase his character mis-step last week.

I think he is a good kid at heart. I always like to give kids the benefit of the doubt. This is an overwhelming set of circumstances for him and he still has so much to learn in terms of proper stage etiquette.

I would like to see Astro follow the suggestions in this article.. It would be, I feel, mind-blowing!

Are you watching the show tonight? Take a break from the Thanksgiving cooking and baking and enjoy the ride.

Entertainment, Music, Performance Masterclass Discussion, Singing, Television, The X Factor

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
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17 Responses to “Performance Masterclass Discussion For The X Factor Season One: The Top 9 Give Thanks”

  1. Vonnie November 23, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Sorry MCL…didn’t know where else to post, but just read:

    Scotty’s album went GOLD!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

    Like

  2. Masterclass Lady November 23, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    Vonnie – that is fantastic news. Thanks for adding this. Hopefully, I will add a blog topic soon about Scotty’s success, but I am way behind on other news as well.

    Like

  3. Vonnie November 23, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    MCl…Here is Scotty’s interview on the Today show, they announce that his single “Love you this big” and his album “Clear as Day” Both are GOLD!

    Like

  4. Vonnie November 23, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO MY MCL FAMILY!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! 🙂

    Like

  5. Masterclass Lady November 23, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Thank you so much for the link, Vonnie. And a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and to all here in the MCL community, the best on the web. XO

    Like

  6. bee November 23, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    i was anxiously awaiting what everyone would say. i guess everyone is doing holiday stuff rather than x factor stuff. i just watched both shows, last night’s and tonight’s. my favorite was josh. i’m sorry to see leroy go. i thought: ‘his voice sounds like michael bolton’. i’m glad the girl group is gone. rachael’s story really is amazing. i couldn’t watch her singing tho…i just can’t handle how they’ve gooped her up. today i was listening to a nina simone album. a particular song was sung acapella. the words were amazingly powerful. i compare that to simon’s overproduction. more isn’t better.

    Like

  7. bee November 23, 2011 at 10:53 pm

    malden, i’ve missed your ranking of the singers wherever that was from. can you share anymore of that with us?

    also, i’m wondering: if it was a double elimination today, and will be again next week, are they doing that because they are losing audience and they want to end it as soon as possible? or is this normal?

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  8. Masterclass Lady November 23, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    I thought the whole elimination thing tonight was planned. Simon left it up to America when clearly, Leroy, sang his heart out and Marcus sang like he didn’t want to be there anymore.

    So Leroy is gone. Bad call. Nice move, Simon.m

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  9. Masterclass Lady November 24, 2011 at 10:52 am

    Bee – good question. Although, in order to finish before Christmas, I think the double elimination was necessary. There are only 4 performance shows left and 7 contestants, so who knows how this is going to play out?

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  10. malden November 24, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    I missed this week’s show due to holiday travel, but I finally caught up on youtube. My random thoughts on the performance night:

    Melanie — performed much better this week with a big, crowd-pleasing song. But OMG, she like totally spazzed out during the judges comments! Loved her island accent popping out.

    Marcus — performed this week like I had suggested earlier, just standing still, letting us clearly hear his voice, with no bouncing around. I liked what I heard, although the song was not memorable.

    Leroy — I’m exactly the same age as Leroy, so I can get away with saying this: reaching 60 dulls your mind and saps your energy, a fact that cannot be hidden no matter how good you may look physically.

    Rachel — Did not enjoy her as much this week. Vocals were shaky and she seemed nervous.

    Chris — I sense his vocal and performing abilities have been seriously compromised by his drug issues. He often seems like he’s suffering from a permanent hangover. The “Let It Be” part of his performance didn’t work, but the last part was better.

    Lakoda — Sorry, once again I can barely remember their performance. Apparently most viewers had a similar reaction.

    Drew — She really is determined to stay in the same vocal lane each week. Her performances are starting to seem like vanilla ice cream: a tasty treat, but having it at every meal starts to get old. How about some tart cherry pie next time?

    Astro — The theme of his performance was ostensibly to thank his fans, but the lyrics focused mostly on himself, reflecting the narcisstic nature of much of the hip hop, rapping genre.

    Josh — A great vocal, best of the night. I liked his version of Wild Horses better than the original Rolling Stones.

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  11. Masterclass Lady November 24, 2011 at 8:36 pm

    Excellent summation, Malden. My thoughts exactly. Except, I thought Melanie’s hyper post-performance chatter was psycho. Then she was speaking in tongues. Way too much for me to process.

    Thanks for your excellent critique. And Happy Thanksgiving to you and to all the American MCL readers.

    Like

  12. malden November 24, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    MCL, thanks for your comment. Do you folks in Canada have a holiday similar to Thanksgiving, or is it just a peculiar American thing?

    Like

  13. Masterclass Lady November 24, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    No we celebrate as well, but our Thanksgiving always falls on the 2nd Monday in October. I tend to get wrapped up in the American one as well as it is held so close to Christmas.

    Like

  14. bee November 25, 2011 at 10:18 am

    malden, hoping you’ll give input on my question about the double eliminations???

    Like

  15. malden November 26, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Bee, MCL was right about the double eliminations. It’s all depends on how many weeks the network has alloted for the season. In this case, the double was needed for the series to end on time.

    The 2011 British X Factor is going on at the same time as the U.S. version. A few weeks ago, they had a double elimination. But not all seasons have one.

    Like

  16. Kariann1 November 27, 2011 at 5:20 am

    I enjoyed LeRoy’s performances the most of all the guys on the show. I cannot believe Chris is still there, but I understand he has a huge following. I don’t vote, so I guess I can’t complain. I was hoping Astro would leave.

    Well, I do think one of Simon’s girls will win, but Drew needs to step up her game. I am not impressed by any of L.A. Reid’s guys. In fact, I am not impressed by him either! This show is not getting any better.

    I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Today, is my birthday and my daughters are preparing dinner. Nice to get spoiled sometimes.

    MCL, does Canada have extra specials going on like our “Black Friday”?

    Like

  17. Masterclass Lady November 27, 2011 at 10:43 am

    Kariann – Happy, happy birthday to you. So nice to see that you are being pampered by your daughters. You deserve this!

    And, yes, we do have Black Friday in Canada. But, honestly, I could care less. My shopping was done weeks ago. Lol

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