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BY ROSANNE SIMUNOVIC
Last year, I didn't really have the opportunity or the inclination to attach myself to the American Idol phenomenon. I thought it was just another glitzy reality show gimmick and even though my voice students begged me to watch, I didn't bother... thinking that it was a waste of time or not musically interesting.
What a difference a year makes! In January 2003, suffering from the shock of an unbelievably cold Northern Ontario winter and needing any kind of diversion to carry me through what I knew was going to be a very long chill, I turned on the TV and selected the now famous Tuesday evening timeslot that belongs to American Idol.
This was quite a reality check, in more ways than one! Who was this Simon Cowell guy and why was he so mean? Where did these talented singers come from? Although in the early selection process many contestants appeared to be rejects from The Gong Show, I was really quite taken with the drive, ambition and absolute confidence that many of these unknown artists displayed. It was nothing short of remarkable and it made me realize and appreciate the wealth of exciting talent waiting to be discovered by the right person.
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The concept of American Idol was based on this simple fact... a commitment to audition thousands of singers across the United States with the purpose of discovering a new and exciting singing popstar. With this in mind, I slowly became very addicted to the show, its contestants, the judges, and the contestants.
Well, the weeks zoomed by and I found myself eagerly anticipating the semi-final show and, of course, the Broadway style finalists' showcase. Generally, I came to admire the work and responsibility that rested on the decision and expertise of the judges. At first, I didn't really "get" Simon, thought Paula was too evasive, and Randy was somewhere in the middle. However, I quickly did the math and realized that, especially in the early stages, these judges were evaluating hours and hours of musical talent that were compressed into an hour or two hour show each week. Therefore, their televised comments were really only a sample of what they contributed to the show and, quite frankly, the minor disagreements between them added an extra spicy dimension to each episode.
In addition, Simon, Randy, and Paula were very committed to finding a star based primarily on his or her vocal talent and this was a an immensely exciting and long overdue development. Finally, someone was going to be discovered on the basis of his or her vocal ability. What a concept! What a welcome reprise from the present trend of mediocre talent that permeates our lives like a long-suffering, incurable illness.
But... wait... I shouldn't rush my judgment. I still didn't have the opportunity to hear last year's American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. Well, on Wednesday April 9th, 2003, Ms. Clarkson debuted her "Miss Independent" single on the American Idol results show and I was very impressed with her performance and her technique. This young lady can sing! As I watched her perform, I realized that even though she doesn't quite fit the "Hollywood image" that seems to be so important in today's music, her talent transcends all of this and this is the sign of a true star. No hype, no smoke and mirrors, just raw, jaw-dropping talent.
And, this takes us to the Group Of Seven... this week's finalists: Carmen, Trenyce, Josh, Kimberly, Clay, Ruben, and Kimberley. Up to this point, I really feel that, generally, all of these talented competitors could have selected a better repertoire and given stronger performances. Only one singer has managed to sing fairly consistently throughout... Ruben. I feel that the judges are acknowledging his efforts and his commitment to his audience. However, he is starting to lose that wonderful spark and energy that was so endearing in the early shows and, for that matter, the same can apply to Clay. Whether it is fatigue or overconfidence or some combination thereof is very hard to determine, but it is definitely disconcerting at this stage of the competition.
However, if it is true that (in Simon's words) that American Idol is looking for "the very best" in musical talent, these singers truly have to raise their bar to accommodate the AI goals and objectives. American Idol is and can continue to be the American Musical Dream if it continues to discover and reward the very best and the most musically innovative talent. We need this level of excellence in our lives, totally devoid of hype and media spin doctors and glitzy videos and all the rest of the corporate garbage responsible for the mediocrity of many of today's highest selling artists.
So, let's hope that the Group Of Seven really "pull out all of the stops" this week and in the weeks to follow. As a voice coach, I am encouraged that this show really is striving to "push these young performers to their limits," as this has always been a firm principle in my teaching practice. It is wonderful that now this same principle is being reinforced by the American Idol phenomenon. On behalf of voice teachers everywhere, thank you AI!
Rosanne Simunovic is the Voice Instructor and Conductor for the Timmins Youth Singers.
BY ROSANNE SIMUNOVIC
Okay, here's the deal! As a voice teacher who has specialized in training young adult singers over the past 25 years, I have enjoyed watching and analyzing the contestants on American Idol 2 since the January premiere. In fact, there were numerous times where I would throw out comments to the singers as they performed....as if, by osmosis, they could hear me and correct whatever technical or performing flaw I noticed. So...for what it's worth, this article is going to be a Master class in voice and stage technique, featuring seven of our American Idol contestants as participants.
Clay Aiken
Strengths: Clay possesses an absolutely stellar voice and displays superb diction and a natural forward placement of the voice. Clay demonstrates a disciplined, intelligent musical approach in the performance of his repertoire. He appears very confident on stage and is poised and professional in his demeanor. His performances are also very genuine and he communicates extremely well with his audience. In addition, he is very open constructive advice and really strives to improve his performance from week to week.
Critique: Clay needs to work on relaxing his facial muscles when he sings. This will result in dramatic improvement in his stage persona and his vocal ability. His consonants...at times...are a little harsh,especially the "r" consonants. In addition, he does not always fully sustain his vowels which is essential for the advancement of his superb vocal quality. Also, he needs to develop a more relaxed demeanor on stage; however, what is encouraging is that we can see the improvement each week and this kind of focus and determination is the sign of a performer who is in this business for all the right reasons.
Carmen Rasmusen
Strengths: Carmen is a charismatic, wholesome performer who demonstrates a natural agility on the stage. Carmen has a very unique timbre to her voice that, with proper training and maturity, will allow her to expand her vocal styles and genres in the future. She has excellent performance skills and an enthusiasm for her music that rings very true and sincere when she performs.
Critique: Carmen needs to sing slower, more sustained songs (not necessarily on National Television) so that she can develop the bel canto technique of sustaining on the pure vowels. This will discipline her to concentrate on her breathing, especially in relation to her vibrato. Presently, her vibrato is more a tremolo because she is not using correct breath support and, therefore, the vibrato is presently unrestricted. This is the cause of her pitch problems. In addition, her jaw and mouth appear to be very tight when she sings and this probably is causing some tension as well. The jaw has to be relaxed, the mouth round on all the vowels and the vocal sound supported from the diaphragm. I suspect that Carmen has a glorious upper range and she should explore the soprano classical repertoire(again preferably slow and sustained)to increase her vocal potential. I think she would be very pleasantly surprised with the results over the course of time.
Kimberly Caldwell
Strengths: Kimberly is a natural performer and her stage movements appear effortless. She possesses confidence and a wonderful charisma that is quite exceptional. She is very expressive and I suspect she is always committed to giving the very best performance possible within the context of her capabilities.
Critique: Kimberly's vocal quality has a consistent element of tension that will only increase if she doesn't receive proper vocal coaching in the immediate future. She must work on freeing her vocal sound using proper breath support and the bel canto method of sustaining her vocal sound on the pure vowels. Presently, she has only one dimension to her voice...loud, bordering on yelling. There is a voice there, but she has to really make an effort to technically enhance her voice through proper training. I suspect if she really applies herself that she would enjoy glorious results sooner rather than later. Slow, sustained singing on pure vowels...that's the key for Kimberly. Even her fast songs should be rehearsed slowly...this would allow her to identify the areas of tension in her voice and use her breath support more consistently.
Ruben Studdard
Strengths: Ruben is a perfect example of what can be achieved through proper vocal training. His voice sounds effortless and he sings with confidence that comes from the assurance of good technique and superb musicianship. He is...what they say in the music business...a natural and he seems perfectly at home in any musical genre. Additionally, each song that he performs has his own "Rubanesque spin"...no karaoke happening here.
Critique: Ruben has to be careful to use his technique consistently. Recently, his voice sounds a little strained and does not have that rich ringing quality that he demonstrated in the early stages of American Idol 2. His throat has to be open and relaxed and the voice has to be produced though correct breath support and just the right combination of head tone and chest voice. Too much chest register will cause undue strain on his voice and the wonderful timbre of his voice will be lost.
Ruben's greatest strength...his golden voice...can also be his greatest enemy in the sense that no matter how he produces his sound, the result is always quite wonderful. However,in the long run, he needs to stay true to his vocal training roots or else he risks harming his vocal chords. That would be tremendous loss for the music world.
Joshua Gracin
Strengths: Joshua is a born entertainer and he really has a strong confident vocal sound. He is most relaxed when he sings Country music; everything seems to work for Joshua....musically, technically and artistically. He has a wonderful vocal range...as evidenced when he recently performed Billy Joel's Piano Man. He was the last performer I expected to perform this song and it is to his credit that he selected it. He really is not afraid to challenge his vocal potential beyond his treasured Country genre.
Critique: Joshua should really connect with a voice coach sooner rather than later. He presently sings with considerable tension in his voice and is causing unnecessary strain to his vocal chords. When he sings into his upper range, his mouth and jaw are very tight; he has to cultivate a "yawning sensation" when he sings so that his vocal sound is produced with diaphragmatic support. Classical training is imperative for Joshua to achieve a more relaxed, technically enhanced vocal sound. I think that once he adjusts to this new and better way to sing, his stage mannerisms and movements will be less awkward and his posture, as well, will improve.
Kimberley Locke
Strengths: I expect that this young lady has a very disciplined, very methodical approach to everything she does in her life....most especially, her singing career. She appears to be a very serious, committed musician and, even though initially I found that this interfered with her stage presence, it has proven to be her greatest asset. She may have been "slow at the gate",
but,over the course of the last few weeks on American Idol, Kimberley has proven that determination, impeccable training and superb musicality can and should result in artistic success. Her voice is a vocal teacher's dream as she is presently right on track with her technique and musical discipline. In addition, she has performed challenging, diversified repertoire and, for the most part,has achieved stellar performances each week.
Critique: Additional work is needed to develop a strong presence on stage. Kimberley is very dedicated to achieving technically brilliant vocal performances; now, if she could only combine this with a wonderful stage persona, she would be the complete package. I am sure that this will be achieved in time and,in fact,we have evidenced the improvement each week on American Idol.
There is only one technical concern: her upper range, at times, does not have a free ringing quality and she should be careful not to push the chest register sound into her upper range in order to achieve a louder sound. Less is more when you sing into the top range...especially when you have a microphone to augment the vocal sound. If you are utilizing diaphragmatic support
and "bel canto" or "on the vowel" singing, the vocal sound will be very rich and yet still have a ringing "head" quality.
Trenyce
Strengths: Trenyce enjoys the benefits of a naturally beautiful vocal instrument, particularly in her upper vocal register. When used correctly, her actual vocal sound has some glorious classical elements that can be quite spectacular. She has diversity of colour in her voice and a beautiful "head tone", ringing quality in her soprano range. There is a star quality to Trenyce's singing style that enhances her performance and her stage skills, generally, are very good .
Critique: Although Trenyce has a lovely charisma on stage, she has some performing habits that can be distracting. She drums her fingers on her microphone and I have always disliked this habit in any singer as it really detracts from their performance. She also has to watch her facial mannerisms. In an attempt to be expressive,these mannerisms actually augment her nervousness. She has to rehearse in front of a mirror and really analyze what works and what doesn't. Singing is sustained speech...you have to speak expressively in a way that looks sincere, natural and unrehearsed, or no one will believe you...not for one minute. The same applies to singing. A vocal coach could really assist Trenyce in this aspect and then she would really be exceptional.
Vocally, her bottom register needs work...better diaphragmatic control and support. Her range is really uneven...lots of power at the top and very little at the bottom. Technical exercises or vocalizes that would work her entire range would be very beneficial and then she would have a stellar vocal instrument
So...that's a wrap. If you have any further questions our comments, please e-mail me at rosanne@timminsyouthsingers.com or visit our American Idol Site at www.timminsyouthsingers.com/americanidol.ivnu
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