New Season, New Judge

I like Ellen, she's funny and bright. But. This is a show about VOCAL PERFORMANCE.

Question: Why not have a VOCAL COACH as a judge?

Answer: ratings.

Unbelievable results

I REALLY enjoyed the show, except for the little part where Kara pushed aside the bikini girl and sang her into the ground. I agree, Kara definitely has more talent... but I thought that was a little... tasteless.

The votes are in, and Kris Allen has been chosen as American Idol 2009.

In any case, I predict that Adam will have a long career, and perhaps not winning might actually be better for him as he will have more control over what happens over the next while.

Kris vs Adam (Top 2)

I thought both contenders did a pretty good job, but vocally I have to say that Adam has a terrific instrument and a great mastery over it. I enjoy Kris's performances and I think he has a lot to offer as well. They are both artists and neither one of them has anything to be ashamed of. My vote is, for Adam, of course, because he is, and always has been, the best singer of the bunch.

Top 3 - May 12/09

DANNY (Dance Little Sister), I thought he rocked it up, he had fun, the voice was spot on.

KRIS (Apologize), thought the voice was a bit stressed in the chorus, but there was some very nice quality in the rest of the song.

ADAM (One), tremendous breath flow, great range, bright clear tone.

DANNY (You are so beautiful), interesting voice, from a singing teacher’s point of view. Very breathy/raspy to start, but then finds beautiful clear tone in the higher notes. Tastefully ornamented, great sense of musicality. I thought it was a wonderful interpretation of the song. Showed control, range, and heart.

KRIS (Heartless), I enjoyed the song, well sung, well performed. Voice has a bloom on it, a warm vibrato that is appealing. Refreshing and different.

ADAM (Crying), ohhh I loooove Aerosmith. I couldn’t sing it, but he sure can. Couldn’t hear anything not to appreciate.

For me, vocally and performance-wise, these three singers are very close. I do think Adam has an amazing instrument and great musicality, I think Danny also has good range and musical sensibilities, I think Kris is very talented and has great artistry. How do you choose between them? If by vocal ability alone, then I have to choose Adam, with Danny a close second.

Top 4 Results

Interesting that Kris was #1 in the voting - at least according to how they gave the results.

Kris
Adam
Danny
Allison

Allison went home, that's cool for me - I did appreciate her style, but didn't feel she was as appealing a performer as the others. I figured she'd have enough fans to keep her in the running. I've always felt that Danny and Adam would be the final two.

TOP 4 – MAY 5/09

Interesting choice of a Mentor for the contestants this week. I thought the music itself was well-played and the arrangements were good. I am losing interest in hearing the judging panel. Four is too many. It would be more effective to have three judges who have more time to give longer critiques to help the singers (and the public) understand what they need to work on. As a voice teacher and composer, etc., feedback from those more experienced than I is a crucial part of my growth. I’d like to hear more notes on singing and performance, and less “you’re the bomb, dog,” “that’s artistry,” “you look great tonight,” “that was boring.” That IS boring.

ADAM (Whole Lotta Love) – right in his element, couldn’t take my eyes (or ears) off of him. Vocally powerful, strong and resilient, good depth, bright tone, great range, I understood every word.

ALISON (Crybaby) – Didn’t get all the words. Some of the notes seemed too low and we lost her, the last note was very nice and showed bloom on the voice. The performance was solid but the song didn’t thrill me.

Duet: KRIS / DANNY – Renegade. Well done, showed Danny’s voice is stronger and has more range, Kris was good but Danny overshadowed him, great combination and fab harmonies.

KRIS (Come Together) – I think Kris was out of his element this evening. I like him, I think he has his own style, but this sort of music doesn’t suit him. I think he’s a good singer, but in terms of vocal “presence”, he’s the weakest of the four. In terms of appeal and performance, I think he’s a top contender.

DANNY (Dream On) – I really appreciate Danny’s vocal chops, but as a voice teacher I have grave concerns. When he went into falsetto near the end, it sounded strained and weak, and the scream at the end made me shudder. Vocal damage 101: screaming, Danny, is the quickest way to node city. You have talent, you have a great voice, it’s unfortunate that you are up against Adam, or you’d have a shot at the title. I think this song was a big mistake, vocally as well as in performance. Not only for this particular show, but at this point, only three weeks from the final, to push your voice in such an unhealthy manner could affect the ability to perform for the rest of the season, assuming the public gives you the chance. I’d suggest resting the voice for a couple of days. No talking, no singing.

Duet: ALLISON / DANNY – well matched. I thought this song suited Allison better than her solo did. Strong performances from both.

My take? Vocally, Kris is the weakest. Danny might be in trouble. I’m not over the moon about Allison’s solo performance. They each have their fans… most likely Kris will go home.

~ 29Apr09 Results

As Matt sings his rendition of "My Funny Valentine" I feel sad for him, but I knew he would go home tonight. He hits one very pitchy spot in the song which makes me wince as I write this.

I thought it was very odd that Adam was in the bottom 2. Perhaps they are trying to keep it interesting.

TOP 5 - APR 28/09 - RAT PACK

KRIS (The Way You Look Tonight); I like Kris and his style. His technique is not bad. The voice is a little throaty. He has a good sense of phrasing and dynamics, his upper notes are solid and sweet. 8.5/10

ALISON (Someone to Watch Over Me); I thought she sang with a little more dynamic sense than usual, her nasal huskiness is distinctive, but the voice sits too far back for me, it makes her tone have a dull edge. Her best performance to date, IMO. 8/10

MATT (My Funny Valentine); I disagree with the lowering of the key. I felt the beginning of the song was too low and this made Matt lose tone in the first few phrases. He does have some agility and range, but he’s up against stiff competition. 7.5/10

DANNY (Come Rain or Come Shine); I have always thought that Danny and Adam are pretty closely matched. I like Danny’s husky voice, and he has such a good sense of musicality. Very nice dynamics, good phrasing, every note on pitch. He has natural power, he looked and sounded totally committed to the song. Excellent. 9.5/10

ADAM (Feeling Good); Beautifully bright tone to start off, immaculately on pitch. Extremely well done, can’t fault him. 9.6/10

I believe Matt will go home this week.

Results - Disco Wk / Top 7

Lil - eliminated at the top of the show

After a rather questionable disco medley... we got on with the rest of the results.

Kris - safe

Adam - safe

Danny - safe

Anoop - bottom 2

Matt - safe

Alison - bottom 2

The choice is Anoop or Alison. It will be Anoop. I'd be shocked if it was Alison, although her song choice this week wasn't that great.

45 million votes - and Anoop goes home. Alison is safe.

I thought Lil and Anoop performed well. What's up with Simon? Telling someone they are clumsy or horrible is, at best, unhelpful.. at worst, arrogant.

DISCO NIGHT – APR 21/09 – TOP 7

My take on the night, from top to bottom.

ADAM (If I can’t have you) – beautiful phrasing, well-modulated dynamics, excellent tone, heartfelt, wonderfully done, understated elegance and simplicity that shows true spirit and skill.

DANNY (September) – Definitely showed strength and range, good solid vocal, fun performance.

KRIS (She Works Hard for the Money) – Nice bloom on the voice, worked it out in his own style, interesting arrangement, world vibe. Good work.

MATT (Staying Alive) – When I heard the title I wondered how he was going to manage the range. But he delivered, sang a good solid vocal and it was a fun performance.

ALISON (Hot Stuff) – Once again I am impressed with the maturity/depth of Alison’s voice, however, I thought the song, or the arrangement it of it, was blah. She sings in her throat, swallows the words, and has no dynamics in her phrasing. But she is a strong performer.

ANOOP (Dim the Lights) – Anoop has a wonderful tone, beautifully bright, good range, a lovely bloom on the voice. The vocals were strong and secure, but the song sucked.

LIL (I’m Every Woman) – It was fun but I don’t think the song did anything for her.

I think Lil & Anoop will go home.

MOVIE SONGS Apr 14/09 – Top 7

My assessments, in order of ranking:

ADAM – Right on pitch, good body in tone, a fun song, great range as always; wonderfully done. I do wonder if he could sustain that kind of performance for an entire concert.

ANOOP – beautifully bright and open tone (forward position), securely on pitch, understood the words, has a ‘bloom’ on the voice, lovely top notes.

DANNY – Husky tone, in charge of his instrument, nice falsetto, pretty strong performance.

ALISON – verse felt too low, chorus was OK, also seemed a bit low, it didn’t bring out her voice in the way I’d wish. A couple pitchy spots, after the key change it started to work. She has a distinctive sound, but she places her voice so it resonates in the throat and we can’t understand the words.

KRIS – I liked the beginning, I wrote ‘solid vocal’ but at the end I agreed with Randy that it was pitchy here and there.

MATT – Nice tone, swallows the words a bit, bridge a little pitchy/squeaky.

LIL – I was disappointed in the song choice. I use “The Rose” as the first rock ballad for some of my female students who have not yet developed much range. It’s very low and has very little in the way of vocal challenge. I expected Lil to sing something like ‘Goldfinger’. Anyway, I wasn’t sure of the arrangement; it was a bit pitchy, and I agreed with Simon that she’s got to challenge herself vocally if she expects to stay in the competition.

***RESULTS

Bottom Three: Anoop, Lil & Matt. Matt got the lowest number of votes but was saved by the judges.

Results - Apr 8/09

ADAM - safe. Good. No suprise.

KRIS - judges said he was boring & indulgent. I don't think so. Yes, Kris is safe.

ANOOP - judges said he was original & flawless - in the bottom 3.

DANNY - judges said he sang well, made song his own, brilliant. Safe.

MATT - judges praised his vocal ability, incredible on every level. Safe.

SCOTT - judges were not impressed - in the bottom 3. Good.

ALISON - judges loved her rendition, a la Kelly Clarkson. Safe. Darn right.

LIL - she should be bottom 3. Beautiful karaoke, 3rd rate Tina Turner. Needs to be more original - in the bottom three.

So we have Anoop, Lil and Scott on the stools waiting.

In the meantime, let's talk about Scott, cause I've been thinking about him all night. As a voice teacher it is part of my ethical obligation to be both supportive and also honest. I appreciate Scott for all he is, but at this moment in time, he does not belong in this competition. It is a disservice to his talent to allow him to think he is currently singing at a professional level. We must have enough respect for him to be honest in our assessment of his instrument and his skill right now. I believe in dreams but I also believe in hard work and humility. My coaches paid me the compliment of using their eyes and ears and instincts to help me assess where I was, and shared their expertise with me so I could grow over time. They taught me to observe myself disspassionately, objectively, without judgement and use my awareness to know what needed work. When they told me something was very good, I knew it was excellent. They never led me astray. Their honesty was a gift to my process of growth as an artist.

Is it just me or is Kelly Pickler way off key? Ouch.

One person back to safety is.... Lil. Well, I disagree with that. Anoop clearly sang better than Lil last night. However, I think they both should stay. Hopefully that will be the result. We shall see.

Anoop & Scott. 34 million votes. 30,000 difference in votes between them. The lowest number of votes goes to Scott. I nod my head. Anoop is safe. This is right.

Scott needs to sing for a save, which I hope they will save this time. His performance doesn't change my mind. They are divided on the save, which suprises me. Simon finally speaks up. He's right. It doesn't diminish what Scott has accomplished, he will tour with the top ten, he has a chance to make a career. But for right now, he's going home.

TOP 8 – APRIL 7/09

Here’s my ranking, from bottom to top:

SCOTT (The Search is Over) – unfortunately this was totally the wrong song choice for Scott. He’s not a rock singer and it felt like the music was off kilter – something in the timing didn’t work. Instead of showing Scott’s skill, the song made his vocal weakness quite clear. His instrument is really just not ready for a singing competition.

LIL (What’s Love Got to Do With It) – Seemed a bit low at the start. Tina Turner? Why not Shirley Bassey or Whitney Houston or something that sits higher and brings out the voice more effectively. She did pull it out a little about half way through. Again, song choice. Kara made an excellent point about the low range not working effectively. Choose songs that accentuate your strengths, then.

KRIS (All She wants to do is Dance) – good vocals, on pitch, nice groove. Not bad. Didn’t think it was really challenging, but it was fun.

ALISON (I can’t Make You Love Me) – her voice is very mature for a 16 year old. I thought she sang with restraint and simplicity, this served her well. The song didn’t thrill me as a show of skill, but she sang it well.

ANOOP (True Colours) – solid tone, very emotive, on pitch, nice bloom on the voice, sweetly sung. Nice modulation and phrasing. Yes, not brilliant but solid.

MATT (Part-time Lovers) – very musical, easy riffs, good arrangement, sung with great spirit. Fun.

DANNY (Stand by Me) – great song choice, a little nasal in quality sometimes. Secure, confident, worked it out – a very good performance.

ADAM (Mad World) – excellent control, beautiful phrased, sung from the heart, good song choice. Magical, powerful performance. I wrote “a star” and then Simon rose to his feet and gave a standing ovation. This is what good voice training can do – assist in the expression of the artist within.

Likely Scott or Lil will go. It should be Scott. Give Lil one more chance to show what she can do with the right song.

Apr 1st - Results

We know that Alison & Meagan are in the bottom three. The last two people on stage waiting to hear which group they are in? Scott & Anoop. Randy says Scott should stay, but the consistently better singer is clearly Anoop. Nope, Scott is safe.

They’d save one of the bottom three, Simon says. I think they’d save Alison. No worries, she’s safe.

Now Anoop and Meagan. Yes, Meagan is last. Okay, finally. She should go, IMO. She certainly has a wonderful look, but she needs some serious vocal training if she expects to have a career. Her final performance didn’t change my mind. But she’ll tour the group, so her journey is not over.

I totally agree with the final result.

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’.

Results - 26Mar09

Bottom Three:

8 - Scott
9 - Matt
10 - Michael

Really enjoyed Stevie Wonder's performance. It's a pity Michael had to go, he has a lot to offer.

25Mar09- TOP TEN

Overall an enjoyable show except for the boring bickering between the judges and the endless commercials. 2 hour show, 10 performances. That’s what… 15 minutes of music? Oh, but we love it anyway, I suppose, lol.

Here's how I ranked them, from #1 to #10:

*DANNY (Here I come) – Strong, solid voice, he demonstrated how to be “present” in a song (with it, in it) without ever pushing the voice. Very polished performance, he sang on pitch, and came across as grounded. Good song choice.

*ADAM (Take a good look at my face). Hmmmm. I’m a big Adam fan, but honestly I wasn’t too sure about this. I felt the voice sounded a little bit unsupported… the song was possibly set too high. Not that he doesn’t have range. The tessitura of this song (where in the range it sits most of the time) placed the voice in an area that seemed somewhat disconnected from the body. The tone was very sweet and very clear, tho. He sang with great emotion and he showed awesome control.

*ALISON (Pappa was a Rolling Stone) – Puleeeeaaase. Look, I’m getting just a little suspicious of the ‘raving’ over the last performance of every show. Oh is that just a perception on my part? Alison sang… okay. I thought the last few notes of the song were solid and showed something real and deep. It showed what she might be capable of doing with the right song. It wasn’t the best performance of the night, it wasn’t the worst performance. It was a decent performance, but my socks were still on my feet when she sang the last note.

*ANOOP (Oh, Baby Baby) – Clear and very solid tone, firmly on pitch. Some depth in the sound. A real ability to ‘paint the song’ with his voice. I would have liked a little more support in a few of the top notes (funny, just after I wrote that, Kara said it). If I had Anoop in the studio I’d give him specific exercises to do that would assist in understanding the instrument and negotiating the range easily and with consistency. Very good tho.

*KRIS (How Sweet It Is) – As soon as Kris started to sing I felt he was ‘present’ – he brought character to what he was doing. He was solidly on pitch, he negotiated the phrases easily, well done.

*MICHAEL (Ain’t too Proud to Plead) – Hmmm. It’s interesting to hear the judges talk about a performance like this, which came across as being ‘hot’ in a sense, but is also ‘not’ what they want. They’re looking for authentic artistry and I think that’s really hard to ‘get’ sometimes. You pick a song you like, that you know the audience will like, but the judges aren’t wild about it, as they say it’s ‘not the ‘you’ we’re looking for.’ I thought that Michael had good phrasing, and that he was pretty solid on the riffs. Could he do better? I think so. Will he get the chance? I think so.

*LIL (Heatwave) – my goodness, what a song to pick. I sang it myself back a few years ago when we were the dance band at the local Legion. Before Lil sang I wrote: “should be in her element.” After she began, I wrote: “what isn’t working about her singing for me?” In this particular performance, it was… that she was all at one level. There were no dynamics (or just one – loud). In addition, she thinks too much about what she is doing. With the ‘shouting’ of the song – which partially might have been reaction to the band, who was very loud & covered her – the voice started to get tired and you could hear the stress. If Lil was in my studio, I’d show her some technical things to focus the tone and give power without effort, and I’d work with her to ‘balance’ the voice so that she could negotiate the range easily and evenly. I’d also work to help her use texture in her voice to express the song, rather than volume.

*SCOTT (You Can’t Hurry Love) – I thought Scott did a little better tonight. Like I said last week, he sings with the voice placed in the back of the throat, but he didn’t lift his head so much this time, which helped the tone stay more consistent (stretching the neck means we stretch the infrastructure around the vocal chords & add tension to the voice as well). He sounded more present in what he was doing, he had a relationship to the text and the song. He’s very talented on the piano. I agree with Simon, though, I have always thought that Scott sounds too ‘lounge-like’. One of the reasons, IMO, for this, is the lack of ‘form’ in the production of the sound. Right now there is a sense that the voice is separated from the body. If I was working with Scott, I would try and help him develop a deeper connection to the resonance of the voice, and teach him how to frame the words so that the tone is solid, consistent and has depth.

*MATT (Let’s Get it On) – I liked the top of the song, but when he stood up, he lost something. It was like it was less grounded. Towards the end, he seemed to find it again. So the middle was (as Randy might say) ‘sort of okay for me’, but it didn’t thrill me. I thought his tone was good, he sang on pitch. I think it can be difficult – or distracting – to move and sing at the same time. We have to be careful that we don’t ‘throw’ ourselves by trying to do too much. It was interesting that the judges felt opposite to me – that he was more grounded when he got up.

*MEAGAN (For Once in My Life) – if one of my students came to the studio and sang like Meagan sang this song, I would stop them, and say ‘you’re trying too hard.’ I’d say ‘you were sick last week, and you want to prove that you’ve got it, but you’re actually pushing ‘it’ away.’ In the beginning, the voice had a nasal resonance, and as she moved into the song, it was obviously constricted. It’s like she is clamping down on the voice in the throat and often pushing at the same time – this can often give the illusion of power, but it’s actually tension that holds the voice back / down, which is why she is pitchy & has an unnatural vibrato. She shouted the song, and I was particularly worried when she ground her throat. The voice was already tight, and grinding does nothing to assist it to work effectively. It did not add anything to the performance & is unhealthy. She did look fabulous, though.

Who should go: Meagan
Who will go: Lil

P.S. RYAN SEACREST (little riff from ‘oh Baby Baby’) – sweet tone, Ryan, if a little… unsure. Could be a little more grounded. Let me know if you need some coaching. *blows a kiss*

Top 11 - Results

Bottom Three:

*Alison (my rating - 6.0/10)

*Michael (my rating - 6.5/10)

*Alexis (my rating - 5.5/10)

Alison is safe, says Ryan. While Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis sing, I'm rooting for Michael to stay.

I'm not quite sure what Carrie is wearing, her headdress and the waist of her dress is kinda strange, but the colour red suits her. Carrie sings with a clear and solid tone, the textures of her voice transmit the emotion of the song. When she goes up, she makes the transition smoothly and the upper notes are clear and strong. She never pushes the voice, altho she's always present in what she's doing. Randy comes in with his part. I feel like they are slightly imbalanced, the song seems slightly low for him, but he has an agreeable warm tone. The song is really hers.

Back to the results. Simon says they would consider saving one of the bottom two. We go to commercial as I wonder which one they would save. Hopefully Michael.

Here we go - after the nationwide vote of 31 million... Michael is safe. Alexis is going home. Or maybe not. She has to sing & then they will decide. As she sings I think it's ridiculous that she had the least votes when the weakest vocalist in the show this week was clearly Scott. Meagan we can forgive.

Unfortunately they decide not to save her after all. But she's young and talented. People know who she is. She has the potential for a career if she is wise and uses the contacts she has made to move forward.

Idol is the beginning - not the end.

TOP 11 – 17Mar09 – Country Week

Best dressed award goes to: Paula (lovely gown), Ryan & Randy, who outclassed Kara and Simon in the fashion department. On to the singing….

MICHAEL SARVER (6.5/10) – Michael seemed in his element with this song. I like the quality of his voice. The song wasn’t “challenging” in terms of range, but he sang and performed it well. I could see him on the country charts. Vocally he sings a little too “tight” – he shapes his vowels very flat and very wide, this places the voice in the back of the throat. He would get more depth and range and projection if he opened in the right way. When he does open his mouth, there is good quality in the tone. I know it’s country style. I totally disagree with Simon’s “1.2 out of 10.” Michael looked good, had fun, remembered the lyrics, and sang on pitch. It was at least a 6.5.

ALISON IRAHETA (6.0/10) – Alison has a good voice, but she hasn’t got enough experience or training to understand her instrument. For me it sits too far back – it’s like she’s swallowing the words. Another “tight” singer – meaning you clamp down on the voice in the throat, and then push for ‘power’. So you get a ‘hollow’ sound. Doesn’t work that way. That way is the road to constriction and potential damage. And limited range. There IS a bloom in the voice, but it is hard to hear it with this method of singing (oversinging). That’s why it sounds “tuneless” and has a “dull” tone.

KRIS ALLEN (6.25/10) – Kris has a clear tone, there’s a nice bloom on the voice. The song was well-arranged (simple) and let him shine. Well-phrased. It didn’t blow my socks off, but I thought it was solid.

LIL ROUNDS (6.10) – Lil is not a country singer, but I wish she had chosen a song that fit her better. However, it was well-phrased. She has good tone and solid vocals. I agree with Paula, singing a second verse before going to the chorus was not the best choice, the song took too long to take off. Simon was right – the song didn’t fit her.

ADAM LAMBERT (9/10) – Well I was looking forward to this as IMO Adam clearly has all the ingredients to be an American Idol. What will he do with country, I wonder. Johnny Cash, ‘Ring of Fire.’ All rocked up, interesting take on the song. The best voice in the competition, bar none. If I had him in my studio I’d have very little to say. He seems in command of his instrument, and he’s creative with it. He’s an Artist, for sure. I disagree with Simon – it was an different & interesting take on the song, not at all ‘horrific’. I agree with Randy – Nine Inch Nails doing country (“Hurt”, anyone?).

SCOTT MACINTYRE (5.0/10) – Scott is talented, no doubt. Especially on the piano. But I don’t think he’s a particularly good singer at this moment in time. I think the voice needs further development. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about him, or want to see his dream die, but I think we also need to assist young people to assess their abilities honestly and figure out what they need to work on to grow and improve. One of the issues is how he pronounces his words… very wide vowels, which means he loses tonal quality and strength of tone. The too-big shapes and the lifting of the head as he sings leads to an unnatural vibrato in his voice and a sense of thinness in the sound. I found the debate between Paula & Simon over whether or not Scott should use use the piano to be irritating. I agreed with Randy, it was a ‘nice’ and ‘safe’ performance.

ALEXIS GRACE (5.5/10) – Alexis has a strong voice, she phrased the song well and put her own interpretation on it. Her top voice needs development – really, she needs to understand her instrument better. When we have a powerful chest voice and we are in the habit of oversinging… our pushing takes something away from the top voice and makes the transition to the upper register more difficult (and unhealthy). There was a word that she especially pushed on that caused the tonal quality to be very hard/harsh, and there was an unnatural wobble in the sound at that point. This kind of pushing leads to pitch problems and uneven tone. She needed to sing it simply, and trust the song to bring her voice out (if a song doesn’t bring your voice out effectively – pick a different song!). One of my main issues with the Idol shows as samples of ‘good singing’ is that they often lead to the misapprehension that ‘loud’ is better. Alexis’s performance was a good example of that misunderstanding.

DANNY GOKEY (7.0/10) – Danny has a good voice, although I find it a little nasal in quality, especially in the verse. Pretty solid performance, though. I didn’t feel like it was a terrific song choice for him, and I agree it took awhile for the song to begin to work for him. Randy was right about the need to support the verse better, and Danny said he didn’t know what to do with that part. That surprises me. I understood that, besides working with Randy Travis, the competitors had a vocal coach. But I guess they can choose whether they use those resources or not. If you don’t know… why wouldn’t you work with a coach. If you don’t know… perhaps it’s the song itself that isn’t a fit. In any case, I thought it was extremely interesting to hear the judges comment on this performance. Compare what they said about Danny to what they said about Adam. They actually said that Danny’s performance was better than Adam's performance. Really?

ANOOP DESAI (7.10/10) – I like the placement of Anoop’s voice. It’s not back in the throat, it doesn’t resonate in the nasal cavity, he has a clear bright tone. He phrased the song well, and I liked how he built the song using vocal texture – which demonstrates sensitivity and mastery. Sometimes, simple is best. And letting the song ‘sing itself’ while you sing from your heart, is powerful.

MEAGAN JOY (5.2/10) – There is a depth to Meagan’s voice, but I don’t think this song (or any other song she’s sung to date) really shows it. I thought this was a rather “girlish” performance and that some of her licks were insecure. I felt like it was “Beach Blanket Bingo”. However, at the end of the song, the judges pointed out that Meagan has been very ill, and I give her kudo’s for performing so well under enormous pressure. As a singer myself, I know there is nothing you can do to create tone or stay on pitch if you are so ill that the voice isn’t responding. However, I looked back at how I’ve rated her in the past… the average out of 3 performances was 5.1 out of 10. I marked her 5.2 for this performance. I’m sure she’ll be back, and we’ll see how she progresses.

MATT GIRAUD (5.5/10) – Nice bloom on the voice, I like that warm vibrato. I wondered about some of the phrasing and how breathing was handled. The practice of singing breathy in the verses (which tires the apparatus) and then pushing the chorus is one I dislike for many reasons. The judges raved so much about this sometimes pitchy, seemingly insecure performance that I went back and watched it again. It certainly didn’t work for me, and I shook my head when Kara, Paula and Simon were all over it as being the best of the night. Not to put Matt down for putting it out there and doing his best, but I do sometimes wonder if I am hearing a different performance than the judges, or if it sounds different in the theatre than it does on tv.

Who should go: Scott.
Who will go: Lil.

Results Mar 11/09

Jasmine & Jorge voted off. Not that surprising.