Season 11's American Idol Winner - Phillip Phillips

Last night we witnessed a very emotional reaction from our newly crowned American Idol, Phillip Phillips. The finale was filled with amazing performances and touching moments. But the best moment of all, was when Season 11's winner, Phillip Phillips was crowned.

As I wrote a couple of days ago, I was rooting for Jessica Sanchez to win. But after watching Phillip perform, react and embrace his family, I immediately became attached to him. His musicality is undeniable and his style is very kitschy, but in that very moment, he became real. 

So many aspects about being a great vocalist require concentration, discipline and skill. But what will transform and bring you to life is authenticity. Just let yourself become vulnerable and emotional. Your music will then speak for itself.

Congratulations to Season 11's American Idol, Phillip Phillips. I am very curious where this journey will take him. I love his new single and expect that he will do better than our previous winning WGWG's... let's hope he will go far and wish him well. =)

And sadly, this season has come to a close. =( But watch out, America! I will be auditioning this summer! We need a female Idol to win next year!

And on that note, I will leave you with the best, most hilarious and fierce performance of the night: The Face Off between Jennifer Holliday and Jessica Sanchez singing "And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going" - ENJOY =)

American Idol Season 11 Finale - Jessica vs Phillip

Finally, Season 11 of American Idol's biggest event has arrived. Tonight we watched the Top 2, Jessica Sanchez and Phillips Phillips compete against each other for this year's coveted Idol title.

Round One - Simon Fuller's Song Picks
- Jessica Sanchez sings "Nothing" by Whitney Houston - Perfect song choice! Really nice delivery as Jessica is a natural when it comes to singing these diva ballads. I loved how she still performed very well but didn't give us everything that she had.. She needs to save the wow moments for the end of the show..

- Phillip Phillips sings "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King - I love his laid-back indie approach to this popular standard. His rendition was very tender and showcased great musicality. However, did not demonstrate incredible vocal ability by any means. I agree with Randy, Jessica definitely won this round.


Round Two - The Singers' Favorite Song of the Season
- Jessica Sanchez sings "The Prayer" - Gorgeous rendition of this classic song. It is quite an accomplishment to tackle a song that is actually a DUET with both Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. I love how her performance was so emotional and powerful. She could have easily belted out that last note, but she flipped into her head voice and led us wanting more.

- Phillip Phillips sings "Movin Out" by Billy Joel - This is a neat arrangement of this song. Phillip's phrasing was really interesting and he did a great job building up to the end of the song. My only gripe was that he literally looked like he was in pain during his performance. Great growl and climax to the end.


Round Three - Their Potential Winning Song
- Jessica Sanchez sings "Change Nothing" - The melody was a little interesting but she opened up really nicely in those big notes. I felt like the song showcased her range really nicely but the arrangement was really strange- there was no soul, no flavor or style. I don't know if this will take her to the top.

- Phillip Phillips sings "Home" - The song was a little boring but I love that catchy little indie hook at the end. The marching band made the production even more special. This song sounds like The Shins in the Garden State. It was a great performance but don't agree that it merited a standing ovation from the judges!

Well, I am very frustrated because it seems like another WGWG is going to win American Idol this year. I agree that Phillip has a wonderful style, but is this competition about singing or about style???

1- Round One Winner - Jessica
2- Round Two Winner - Even
3- Round Three Winner - Phillip

Its gonna be a toss up, but I am pretty certain that America will elect yet Phillip Phillips as Season 11's American Idol.

What do you think?!?!

Joshua Ledet Eliminated from American Idol: Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips Compete in Finale

After a suspenseful Top 3 elimination on American Idol Season 11, tonight we said goodbye to the very talented Joshua Ledet. Throughout the competition, Joshua demonstrated incredible growth as both vocalist and performer. He brought a unique flavor to the competition with his artful approach to vocal improvisation and dramatic performance. He married jazz, gospel and R&B and cultivated an incredible style behind an amazing voice. I was not a fan at first, but fell in love with his riveting performance of "It's a Man's Man's World" by James Brown. Check out how this kid pulled off this classic performance last week:




How epic and fierce was that performance... from start to finish!? Ah-ma-zing!

Anyway, it was a shocker (for me at least) that he was eliminated tonight. Joshua proved to be a very strong contender in this competition, but sadly will not be crowned as this year's Idol.

This means that next week's finale will narrow it down to our resident teen diva, Jessica Sanchez vs our token White Guy With Guitar (WGWG), Phillip Phillips. With these two in the finale, the franchise risks losing another talented female in the finale.

I truly believe that Jessica is the obvious winner in this season of American Idol. Phillip is more of a musician than a vocalist. He has great style and excellent instincts but his vocal ability pales to comparison to mostly everyone who made it to the Top 13 this year. Jessica, however, is a blossoming diva with all of the vocal chops necessary to be the next blockbuster Idol. She is soulful, youthful and powerful. We haven't seen that kind of female talent since Season 6's Jordin Sparks. For the sake of the show and its Billboard livelihood, Jessica is going to really need to prove herself next week... There needs to be female Idol this year.

And the rest of us??? We need to vote accordingly. Who do YOU think should be our next American Idol???

I am rooting for Little Miss Jessica Sanchez.

Belting Without Ruining Your Voice by Cari Cole

To add to last week's blogpost about belting, I came across this cute little video from Cari Cole, a professional contemporary vocal coach from New York City.

Cari makes three really strong points about how to belt without ruining your voice:
1- Take a deep breath, because breath propels and fuels the voice.
2- Don't hit the note really hard and create tension on your vocal muscles.
3- Open your mouth wider to create more space for the sound to circulate in.

This video describes very similar methods that I use in my lessons, but instead she describes it in her own words and is very helpful.  Belting simply requires proper breath support, lack of pushing and lots of practice! Be patient with your practicing because your muscles need to work out in order to become stronger! The same goes for singing. =)

Hope this helps!

Season 11's American Idol Top 4 Performers

At this point of the competition on Season 11's American Idol, it could be anyone's game. Tonight we witnessed our Top 4 finalists-- Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez-- sing for their lives! Here is what I thought about each of the performances:

Round One: California Dreamin'
- Phillip Phillip sings "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by Creedance Clearwater - I love that Phillip showcased a little bit more range. His belt was clear and healthy, since he's finally stopped singing with his throat. Still boring, but definitely hearing a lot of improvements with his voice.

- Hollie Cavanagh sings "Faithfully" by Journey - This girl is peaking at the right time! I loved how she really held back in the beginning and gave us those beautiful big notes at the end. She utilized her technicality to give us so much power, confidence and emotion. Great performance!

- Joshua Ledet sings "You Raise Me Up" - Keeps swallowing phrases, not enough breath in verses. Key change did him well because he was able to redeem himself. His outro was extremely impressive and showcased impeccable range.


- Jessica Sanchez sings "Steal Away" by Etta James - Incredible phrasing, control and style! This girl's vocal performance is way beyond her years! She showcased attitude, growl, power and incredible melodic chops. Her flips to her head voice were very impressive and she just nailed it!



Round Two: Songs that Inspire Them
Phillip Phillips sings "Volcano" by Damien Rice - I agree with Randy that this is one of Phillip's best performances this season! It was very well sung, passionate and simply sexy. This is Phillip in his true element.. but is it enough?


Hollie Cavanagh sings "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt - This song was just too mature for little Hollie to tackle. She tried her hardest to evoke emotion, but came across rigid and robotic. I was disappointed with some of her melodic choices as she didn't "go for it" like I know she could. The tempo should have also been a lot slower. Sorry, girl!

Joshua Ledet sings "It's a Man's Man's World" by James Brown - FIERCE! The outfit, the attitude, the staging, the instrumentation, the arrangement.... flawless! His range, control, growl, passion and maturity are ridiculous! I really wanted a female to win Idol this year, but Joshua keeps outdoing himself. This performance was epic!

Jessica Sanchez sings "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jennifer Holliday - Perfect song choice!!! This performance showcased her passion, power and confidence and she delivered it flawlessly! The entire song felt like she was climbing a big mountain and she executed it with maturity well above her years. What a Diva!


I think its obvious where the divide in the talent is based off of tonight's performances, overall consistency and performer track records.

Its a battle between Jessica and Joshua.. Hollie and Phillip have no chance. Phillip might stay for another week because of the female teen demographic, but will have no chance of making it to the finale. Hollie will most likely be packing her bags tomorrow night.

What do you think?!

Jermaine Paul Wins The Voice

After an even better 2nd season, Team Blake's Jermaine Paul wins The Voice. The former Alicia Keys background singer proved to be the most consistent, solid performer of the season and is now on his way to reaching his dreams as a solo artist. Here is a touching video of his final performance singing the R. Kelly classic, "I Believe I Can Fly" - a moving performance which helped to propel him to the the top:

 

Honestly, I was actually rooting for opera crooner, Chris Mann because of his impeccable voice.  But America did get this one right... I concur that Jermaine Paul was definitely the most professional quality performer of the show. His vocal deliveries were extremely precise, polished and impressively emotional. His mature talent is truly amazing and he deserves the title of this very competitive season of The Voice!

Go Jermaine! America can't wait to hear your album! We hope that you can bring authentic R&B and soul back into our mainstream radio play!

Do you agree Jermaine Paul should have won The Voice??? =)

How To Belt High Notes

In my conquest to keep expanding my "pop" style voice and belt high notes, I have found myself still trying to climb through my passaggio and keep a full, resonant "belty" sound. I was always taught to sing in head voice and after many years have developed a very strong mixed sound. But ever since I began to listen to singers on a daily basis, I have started to notice many other types of belting methods.

In my journey to become a better vocalist and coach, I came across this fascinating video.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!




We all want to sound like Divas.. We all want to be able to belt those money notes with power, confidence and ease... Hopefully this video can help us understand the many options (both right and wrong) that we have with our fascinating instrument.. Our one and only VOICE. =)

Season 11's Top 5 American Idol Singers Perform!

Its another double theme night on American Idol. Season 11's Top 5 American Idol performers gave us their best renditions of songs from the 60s and from the UK. Weird theme, but Jimmy Iovine is back and I am happy to watch him mentor our singers with Steven Van Zandt. Here's a recap:

Round 1 - 60's Music

Hollie Cavanagh sings "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner - Shakey and off pitch introduction, but then she really opened up as she built up the chorus. She really came out of her shell and gave us a nice, sassy side. Not every note was perfect.. However, like always she gave us an awesome last diva note! You can really see (and hear) Hollie fighting for what she wants!

Phillip Phillip sings "The Letter" by The Box Tops" - After watching Phillip's performance, I was convinced that I had never heard of this song before. But then I looked up the original version on youtube and recognized it. Phillip took a lot of liberty with the melody and even though I agree with the judges that he made this song his own, he basically made up a completely different song. There is a fine line between arranging an original version of a song and completely rewriting the whole thing. He crossed that line tonight.

Skylar Laine sings "Fortunate Son" by Creedance Clearwater Revival - We all know that Skylar is a spitfire on stage. She really knows how to work the crowd and is sassy, confident and full of energy. I thought the song choice was right up her alley but maybe a little too much of what we have seen her do in the past? To her defense, her stage presence has blossomed even more. She truly worked that ENTIRE stage and gave a solid, professional concert-quality performance!

Phillip & Joshua sing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers - What an awful rendition of a beautiful song! These two singers can not be anymore different! Their voices completely clashed in timbre and caused serious tuning issues to the point where the harmonies were dissonant and ugly! Ahhhh! This also showcased how much BETTER of a singer Joshua is compared to Phillip. The dude totally got slaughtered by Joshua's thick, soulful vocals. Not a great performance AT ALL.

Jessica Sanchez sings "Proud Mary" by Ike & Tina Turner - I felt that Jessica did a great job showing us some growth with this song. We all know that uptempos are not her forte but she is definitely getting better. Her time feel has improved as well as her overall ability to crisp her phrases and control her vibrato. She looked a little awkward on stage and needs to work on her blocking and choreography, but did a great job tackling such a difficult song!

Joshua Ledet sings "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations - This song is right up his alley and I completely agree with Randy that Joshua could potential resurrect old school R&B into the new generation mainstream. He laid really nicely in the pocket and gave us an easy, natural and very well done performance.


Round 2 - Brit Pop:


Hollie Cavanagh sings "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis - I commend Hollie for choosing such a difficult song.. in fact, I have been working on that song for MONTHS and I'm still not happy with it! Anyway, her delivery was flawless; it was intimate and beautiful. I would have loved to have heard her hit the high "A" in the song, but she kept it safe and performed it very well.

Phillip Phillip sings "Time of Season" - Phillip finally decides to stick with the original melody and although he performs the song in a slower, groovier tempo, he failed to make his performance memorable.  I was bored and his falsetto was consistently underpitched. The boy may have just hit his glass ceiling at Idol!

Skylar, Jessica & Hollie AKA The Diva Trio sings "Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson - It's always hard to share the stage with fellow divas but I think the girls did a great song sharing the spotlight and nailing their harmonies! Not my favorite arrangement, but they did really well.

Skylar Laine sings "You Don't Have to Love Me" by Dusty Springfield - Sing it, girl! Great job tearing up that ballad and making it your own! And holy RANGE! This girl really showcased her chops and gave us an emotional delivery. As J.Lo said in her critique, Skylar really might win this whole thing!

Jessica Sanchez sings "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker - Beautiful and tender delivery.. but we all know that Jessica can sing the heck out of a ballad. Her performance was very sophisticated, but that last note was flat. She needs to really work on the intonation in her higher register. The judges loved it and I think she's amazing, but wonder if she will make it to the top like they say she is...

Joshua Ledet sings "Too Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees - Well of course the judges gave Joshua another standing ovation.. I was waiting for it. His performance was amazing. He did an excellent job delivering an effective dynamic contrast and passion. He kept it low in the beginning and gave us his signature scream at the end. I'm just kind of tired of that scream to be quite honest...


So.. who is going home?!

Phillip was by far the weakest of the night and I would HOPE that America votes accordingly. Hollie really stepped up her game, but am not sure if she will be safe. I feel that Skylar and Joshua were the most consistent tonight and predict that they will be safe. Jessica is in the middle for me this time.

It's time to get rid of our WGWG (white guy with guitar) and time to have a DIVA win this thing!

What do you all think?!?!