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MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2005, Season 4
American Idol from
the perspective of someone who's booked artists at the national-level: who we like in the
competition, what works, what doesn't work, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own performances.
Week One:
Wednesday, January 19, 2005 (City: St. Louis, MO)
Guys: Best bet from tonight's male contestants: Osborne Smith,
because he's likeable and has a voice and personal style.
Tips for success:
1. Some of the better voices weren't memorable tonight because we couldn't
put a face or look together with the sound, so develop your look and
presence. 2. Delivery problems can often be improved with coaching, but
attitude problems rarely can, so don't let what happened to Cruise ship
singer Joseph Schoen happen to you.
Girls: Best bet from tonight's female contestants: Carrie Underwood,
who sang "I Can't Make You Love Me" with a country twist. Like Anwar
Robinson from
Tuesday night's show, she's memorable and has star quality. Said our
webmaster: "She's the first one we've seen who has the look to match the
voice." Even her name works for a country performer. Also
interesting: AA'shia Jackson. We're not sure American Idol is the
forum for her talent, but we won't be bored watching, and it will be
interesting to see how it plays out.
Tips for success: 1. Continue to develop stage presence and
showmanship, and choose wardrobe wisely. 2. Bring your own style to each
song, like Carrie Underwood did with Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love
Me." 3. Choose songs you can make your own, as Carrie Underwood did with "I
Can't Make You Love Me." (We'd love to hear her sing Patti Scialfa's "Home."
)
"Why didn't So-and-So make it to the next round?":
Maynard triplets:
No quibbles with their sound, but it's not a group competition. It's hard to
make an impression if you overlook the first basic rule of the competition.
Also, the best singer in the world would have trouble measuring up to the
dynamics of a group.
Tips for success
next time: Audition
as individuals.
Jeremy Wakefield:
Good voice, but it was hard to see the
real personality behind the voice because the performance got in the way.
Tips for success next time:
Tone it down a bit and be yourself.
Ryan Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night: "I wonder how long that bickering went
on. Anyway,..."
Tuesday, January 18, 2005 (Guest
Judge: Mark McGrath. City: Washington, D.C.
Guys:
Best bet thus far: Anwar Robinson. There are probably better voices in the
competition (some of the girls, for example), but he's memorable and has
star quality.
Tips for
success: Develop your own singing style; we already have a Stevie
Wonder, so we want to hear what's unique and special about you.
Girls: A few great voices, but they all sounded so similar, no one stood
out. (In fact, we don't remember any of their names.) The 28 year-old mom
has a great voice, so it will be interesting to see if she sets aside the
distractions of her personal life to put together a star-quality
presentation.
Tips for
success: Each of the girls should work on their showmanship to bring out
what's unique and special about themselves. When they do that, the star
quality in some of them will come out, and it will be a whole different
competition.
Ryan Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night: "God bless America." The timing and
delivery of this line during the voiceover had us howling.
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback
The MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback is intended as commentary and
is not affiliated with Fox Television, American Idol, or its producers or
judges in any way. Tips should be taken as a suggestion only and are not
intended as a substitute for qualified vocal coaching or artist management.
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