Thoughts on American Idol
Usually when I tell people I don't know that I am a vocalist I usually get the question, "Do you watch American Idol?" My answer: I do, but not all the time; after watching tonight, I know why I don't watch it all of the time. If Idol was an ACTUAL talent competition, you wouldn't just be seeing the tone deaf, those who can't carry a tune and the average with really nothing special people. Don't get me wrong about the people that actually think they can sing and really aren't that great....everybody can be taught, they just need to realize they need help and get it. What really bothers me is that the really great people we never get to see because the producers want the "reality tv" moments instead of giving the great talent that is out there an actual chance to make something of themselves. If you don't agree with me, take it from somebody that actually auditioned; go here to read my cousins first hand experience auditioning for Idol.
I hear that Simon made a comment last night about a guy with a degree in voice that teaches lessons and he was told that he basically can't sing and that nobody should study under him. I have a comment to Simon....Wake up, take some actual music classes, get some training and then tell me that this voice major can't sing!!! I can't really say for myself if this guy could sing or not because I didn't see it but usually Simon is way off about these things. I mean, why in the world does he think he, or Paula, or Randy for that matter, have the right to judge people about how they can sing because, neither of these people can sing!!! My advice for the producers of this show: how about you get a panel of 3 people who have vocal (a BA, MM, or PHD would be nice) training and lets see some actual talent get through to Hollywood.
3 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more. I caught some of the show at work last night. In my humble opinion, American Idol has everything to do with ratings, reality TV drama, and the festering mainstream pop music monstrosity. Real, scholarly vocal performance critique is really non-existent. It amazes me the credibility that has been given to Paula, Randy and Simon. What do we know about theses people's background? That they are somehow connected to the festering monstrosity and market teenie bopper music to naive young kids while they fly in their private jet to the other side of LA, have 12 Mercedes' sitting in a garage three times the size of my house, and sip $8,000 glasses of wine? I'd like to hear Simon belt it out! Does he even sing? Yeah, that’s great that he knows when someone can't sing but so do all the rest of us. What I'd like to see is some judges that have PhD’s in vocal music, perform in operas and can say they attended the most elite music conservatory. But, why would they bother lowering themselves to American Idol?
I went back and read my entry that you linked to and I realized that I sound a lot more bitter than I thought I did when I wrote it!
All of these things you've both said are true, but on the other hand, you really can't deny that some real talent has come out of Idol. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are two of my favorite vocalists, and they've both been very successful.
I was at the Minneapolis audition, and I didn't even really bother to watch much of the premiere, which was the Minneapolis episode. I think I watched about 10 minutes collectively, during commercials of Gilmore Girls. This first part of the season is never worth watching to me... if I ever watch anything, its the actual talent competition when it's down to five or six contestants. By then you know you're probably going to be seeing some people worth watching.
Simon and Paula and Randy may not be fantastic vocalists, but they do know something important that your average Vocal Ph.D. holder isn't going to know: what sells. On one hand that's bad (the awful stuff that gets played at the beginning of the season) and on the other hand, it can be good. What good is it going to do anyone if we've got a person with loads of talent but no personality to back it up? Those three may not be able to sing, but they've got ears, they know what they like, they know from experience what other people like (Randy's a producer, which, I'm learning, takes an IMMENSE amount of musical talent and knowledge, not to mention "golden ears," Simon's an extremely successful record exec, and Paula... well... never mind) and they're also able to pick out personalities that they know will do well on stage. They're looking for the next Idol, not the next Kathleen Battle. Because that woman can sing, but who knows who she is? The Ph.Ds do, but nobody else...
I guess I'm just trying to say, you won't catch me watching these awful singers and their dreams being killed by a panel of non-singers, but I do see both sides...
Thanks for joining the discussion, Coutney. I think you have an especially valuable opinion when it comes to American Idol since you were there for audition, and you are a very talented vocalist yourself I must say. And you're right about the talent aspect of the show, I certainly can't deny that. Despite it's (in my opinion) flaws, Idol does certainly give a great opportunity for success (i.e. major record contracts, radio and MTV airplay, publicity) to singers that probably never would've been fortunate enough to have it otherwise. In an interview, one of the most talented guitar players out there, Joe Satriani, once said: "Success (for musicians) is a gift, don't think for one moment you can manufacture it." I think Idol gives talent it's gift in alot of cases.
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