~ Feb 26/09 - Results

Adam Lambert (no surprise), Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen

The best part of the show are the 3 winners singing their songs. Any one of them sings better than Brooke White, who sits at the piano and sings her new single, which has odd lyrics. Her voice is thin and pitchy.

Feb 25/09 – 2nd group of 12

Overall I thought it was a very poor show. The number one thing that occurred to me as I watched (which was then expressed by Randy) is, pick a song that ‘sings itself’. If you pick a song that you like, that has no range, that has no vocal highs and lows, that doesn’t challenge you… then you have to try so hard to make something of the song, that your voice & your performance suffers. I really think too, that just because you like a song, it doesn’t mean it suits you or your voice, or will show your personality.

JASMINE (3/10) – very pitchy performance, especially at the end when she pushed her voice. The song seemed too low for her. Unfortunately, a rather dull performance. As I said above, pick a song that helps you, helps show off your voice – not something you have to overperform just to make an impact.

MATT (4/10) – nice voice. His breathing was all over the place, likely due to nerves. I’m not sure that he has much range – certainly this song seemed to show a limitation.

JEANINE (2/10) – very low, very pitchy, sort of a weird arrangement or something. I thought she came to life a little bit at the end.

NORMAN (7/10) – dear Norman. I award him the best performance of the night. He took over the stage, every eye was on him, and you wanted to see/hear what he was going to do next. And he actually has a nice voice too.

ALISON (6.5/10) – I felt her voice sits a little too far back – it’s like she’s swallowing her vowels. A little pushy, a little pitchy.

KRIS (6.5) – voice was tight from the start. I thought the song was a good choice, and that the performance was decent, although it didn’t show range.

MEAGAN (4.5/10) – nice voice & presence. The song seemed low, a little pushy/pitchy, but parts were okay. Didn’t really show off. I agree she’s got marketability.

MATTB (6.75) – engaging from the start. Good presence, but the song itself felt too slow, too many pauses between vocal lines. Again, a song that doesn’t help the singer sing. I was waiting for the song to take off, but it never did.

JESSE (7.1/10) – nice vocals, solid tone. I felt the performance was a bit ‘put on’ but better than any other singer prior to him.

KAI (6.8/10) – nice voice, okay, a little blah, safe.

MISHAVONNA (8/10) – reminds me of Katherine McPhee. Very focused, very serious (too much so), but secure, and chose a good song to sing.

ADAM (8.5/10) – he definitely has the best voice of these 12, and he’s a seasoned performer. I thought he did a terrific job, and actually sounded like an IDOL should sound.

Choices: ADAM, MISHAVONNA, JESSE
Honourable Mention: Norman

Results - Feb 18/09

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MY PREDICTIONS:

Danny, Ricky & Alexis
Honourable mention: Tatiana

RESULTS:

Danny, Michael & Alexis
4th - Tatiana
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Tue Feb 17/09 – 1st group of 12

Welcome to the new season of AI, huh. A new judge. Some new rules. Mom and Dad in the green room when you're done. WAY too much unfocussed talking by the judges after the live performances. Otherwise I think the shows have been tighter, over all.

Here's my assessment. Bear in mind that, altho I've watched all the programs up til now, this is the first time I've really taken a close look at the contestants. Hope I got the names right. As a voice teacher I'm listening for vocal strengths & weaknesses - but I cannot eliminate performance from my observations.

3/10 – Jackie Tohn
Clips of Jackie screaming before and after her auditions made me cringe. Not a healthy thing for a singer to be doing at any time. I felt the whole performance was overdone – skin tight pants, played the clown is right. However, it was entertainment – cabaret style. American Idol style? I don’t think so. On the good side, there’s nothing wrong with the voice itself, and she was a good choice for a show opener.

8/10 – Ricky Brady
I felt this was a well presented performance. The voice has “bloom”, solid tone, good range.

7/10 – Alexis Grace
I wasn’t sure about this song choice. The voice was solid and the performance was good.

6.5/10 – Brent Keith
Song had a nice groove, I agreed with Kara that the song didn’t show off all his abilities. He has good tone & I’d like to hear him do something more edgy.

2/10 – Stevie Wright
Unfortunately Stevie was very nervous – and it’s hard to judge a performance like that. When we are nervous, our breath doesn’t work properly – that’s why we sound flat. She needs to work on centering herself, and choosing songs that have flowing phrases that give her time to breath and settle in. Don’t know if she’ll get the chance this season, though.

4/10 – Anoop Desai
Very nice voice, lovely texture, solid tone. I wasn’t sure the song really showed him off, and it could be that some butterflies caused the occasional pitch issue.

2.5/10 – Casey Carlson
I felt the song was in a key that was too low for her. It didn’t sit in the part of her tessitura that would bring the voice to life. Very safe, rather boring song, and some pitch issues.

6/10 – Michael Sarver
Good song choice, nice vocals, good presence on stage. Not thrilling but solid.

3.5/10 -- Ann Marie B
I thought this was a boring (yes, “irrelevant”) song choice. I didn’t connect with the verse, it felt like she was trying too hard in the chorus to make it work (pick a song that has that IN it, so you don’t have to manufacture it), I felt the performance was over the top and just short of pitchy. However, the voice is a nice one.

5/10 -- Steven Fowler
Nice vocals, but kind of old fashioned disco song, would like to hear something more current.

6.75/10 – Tatiana DT
She’s kooky but she does have pipes and I was surprised to hear a pretty solid performance from her. I thought it was a good song choice, it showed her range. Won me over a little.

9/10 -- Danny Gokey
Good song choice, naturally we’re all moved by what he’s been through, but also I think he really related to the song and brought it out. I thought he was the best of the night.

I think Danny, Ricky and Alexis should be the 3 from this show that move on to the top 12.
Honourable mention: Tatiana

2Feb09 – Hollywood Week Day 1

Comment #1 – Song Choice.

I’m always telling my students that the songs they choose to sing are very important. Just because you like a song, doesn’t mean it fits you. Just because you like an artist, doesn’t mean a song of theirs will bring ‘you’ out in the right way. In addition… we need to understand that the key we choose to sing a song in needs to work for our voice. Songs are like slacks, they should be adjusted to fit. But even once they are adjusted to fit your voice, you need to ask… ‘does it show off my musicality, does it show my range, does it allow me to show my agility and strength?’

Comment #2 – Common Sense.

So, you make it through to the next round in the most important audition of your life. And you come out screaming and yelling. You get together with other folks who made it through and yell some more. Gee, don't you have to do it all again the next day? Don't you think you should be protecting your vocal chords? Don’t you think the stress you’ve been under has affected your instrument?

What you need at this point is:

-water. It’s very important to stay hydrated

-healthy food. – fruits, vegetables, low fat protein. No caffeine or alcohol or soft drinks.

-sleep. – crucial for your voice to bounce back after the stress of the day. Crucial for your psyche to recover from the stress of the day and what is to follow.

-focus. – as soon as you get that ‘yes’, your whole focus should be how best to prepare for day two, and that means finding a quiet space to regroup, eating, and getting some rest.

JMHO.