American Idol's Vocal Coach - Debra Byrd

Check out this neat little interview with Debra Byrd, Vocal Coach on American Idol. Debra demonstrates her knowledge, experience and nurturing nature.




Debra discusses the importance of vocal health in a professional performance setting. Proper coaching, healthy singing technique and good habits are imperative when you are singing on a regular basis for long period of time. The enormous amount of preparation and performance required in a platform such as the American Idol competition is just one extreme example of this.

I posted this video because I just love Debra Byrd's demeanor. Her personality is so warm and nurturing and you can see how easy it is for singers to trust her. The hardest thing about being a vocal coach is gaining that trust. The voice is a fragile thing and singers should be careful when working with teachers. I constantly strive to learn more and more about my craft so that my knowledge and sincerity can allow my students to trust me as well.

Hope you enjoyed this little video. =)

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.

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?!