Mar 31/09 - TOP 9

I think the AI band is great but I think the producers need to work a little on sound, several times tonight I felt the band and back-up singers overshadowed the lead. I know they want to fill the theatre with sound. I’d like to actually hear the contestants. This is not the first show I’ve noticed this with. Doing sound for a live televised show is a big challenge…. but this is not their first season.

Here’s my ranking, from bottom to top:

9-MEAGAN (Bob Marley) – I have yet to be impressed with Meagan’s vocals. Her voice seems weak… there is tone, but she tends to sing so that it resonates nasally or she crunches it back in the throat. The colour of the voice is then dark and metallic. I think she needs some serious vocal coaching, and IMO she doesn’t belong in the top 10.

8-SCOTT (Piano Man) – as a voice teacher I just itch to work with Scott for a few weeks, lol. There is potential– but Scott’s way of singing is getting in his way. He tends to either sing closed, through the teeth, or big & wide AND pushing; there is tightness in the jaw; he tends to lift his head up which stretches the neck & causes tension; these things cause an unnatural and unattractive vibrato. However, I do appreciate his spirit.

7-MATT (You Found Me) – Vocally Matt was pretty good, his voice shows promise, but the song didn’t thrill me.

6-ALISON (Don’t Speak) – she sang off pitch and off beat. I wrote down that she shouted the song – and then Simon mentioned it. I do think she tries too hard. She needs to understand dynamics. But I could give a hoot about what she chooses to wear.

5-LIL (I Surrender) – Lil is a singer in search of her vocal identity. She’s got fabulous pipes but every week they tell her, it’s not the right song. Yet she works incredibly hard to produce a good performance. She has good depth & warmth of tone, although I heard the odd pitch issue, I thought she really came to life in the second half. She’s a diva in the making, if the right people could help her figure it out.

4-ANOOP (Usher) – I agreed with Randy that Anoop sang well but the song choice didn’t thrill me.

3-DANNY (What hurts the most) – in the first verse, I wrote ‘wonderful bloom in the voice, great texture, very expressive. But when the song hit the chorus… the sound was unbalanced and my ear couldn’t pick out his voice from the mix & the performance didn’t seem as strong. I also thought the arrangement was rather strange.

2-KRIS (Ain’t No Sunshine) – Another singer with good potential, if he would open a little bit more (sing less through the teeth). Excellent arrangement, good singing, solid performance.

1-ADAM (Play that Funky Music) – Great vocals, of course. Everything a voice teacher would want. Thought he made it his own, lots of fun, good stage presence. What can you say but ‘wow, Steve Tyler move over’.