American Idol Votes for Pop Culture

Posted by: gretchen on May 18, 2007 | 9 Comments

Melinda Doolittle PhotoThis may be the last season I tune in to American Idol. Not because I am disgruntled in any way, but the musician in me can’t take much more of it. Apparently America is tone-deaf.

Long before we got to the final three, my friends and I had a “Girls Night Out” at my house where we watched the American Idol auditions. When Melinda Doolittle sang, I turned to Kelli and said “she will make it to the top 10 but she won’t win.” (Do you remember that Kel?). I don’t know if gave any reasons, but my immediate thought was that she has a fabulous voice but America will vote her off because she doesn’t have the “It Factor”. Wednesday night, my prediction came true. If you are not familiar with the “It Factor”, I suggest reading this article submitted to me by Lissa which defines the “It Factor” and explains why “Plain Janes” need not apply in Hollywood.

Let me summarize for those of you that don’t watch AI. Melinda has been a vocal dream since her audition. I don’t think she has yet to crack a note or even sing off pitch. She is an amazing singer. The judges all tell her she is giving a “vocal master class” every time she performs. A “master class” is when the students all gather with the teacher and the cream of the crop perform in front of everyone while the teacher critiques and the students learn from the performance. Being a music major in college I have spent my fair share of time in master classes and believe me, Melinda is a vocal master.

One important fact outside of how the musician sounds is stage presence. Melinda has that nailed, too. Her heart shows when she sings - that’s what is supposed to happen. It’s not about whether you got the audience to stand up and clap or whether you danced well or how you dressed. Stage presence is about your connection with the music. If you connect with the music, your audience will see that and then they will connect with you. Focus on the music and the rest will come. It really is that simple.

So why did America vote Melinda off? Read more

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How NOT to Pass an American Idol Audition

Posted by: gretchen on January 19, 2007 | 43 Comments

I am a huge American Idol fan, probably because I am such a music buff. It is a fascinating process to me since I have been on both ends of the spectrum. As a musician, I have been through countless auditions and after graduating with a degree in Music Business, I worked at a radio station where I was constantly exposed to trends in new music. I was also asked to judge talent competitions many times on various local and professional levels. I say all that to add a little credibility to what I am about say about American Idol, but in fact, the following is just plain common sense in my opinion.

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