Cacophony vs. Harmony

American Idol 11: Final Judgement Part 2

2012-02-23T22:23:00.000-06:00

We pick up where we left off last night. I'm not sure who TPTB wanted to torture more, Adam Brock or the Idol audience. They drug out this judgement for way too long. Poor Adam is in tears .
JUDGEMENT- finally Adam Brock made top 24. and even more tears fall.

Jeremy Rosado- This young man has gained a new family during his Idol journey. All the teens have become close. His final song is tender and soulful. Judges give him a standing O. JLo tells him she has noticed that he is always the first on his feet to applaud the other contestants. His last performance was transcendental.
JUDGEMENT- He made the top 24.

Shannon Magrane- She forgot some of the lyrics during the group round in Hollywood but she redeemed herself on the solo of "What a Wonderful World" and wows the judges again with her final performance here. Steven tells her "I thought you were an American Idol to start with."
JUDGEMENT- She made it to the top 24.

Scott Dangerfield- Had to pull out of the competition last year- His final song "Folsom Prison Blues" was just ok. JLo tells him he was better last year.
JUDGEMENT- Not this year.

A short montage of those going home includes Wendy Taylor, and Adam Lee Decker. (And some girl I don't know.)

Skylar Laine- She is scared because other country girls have made it through already and so she doesn't know if they will take more country girls. She had to go to the hospital during Hollywood week, but came back to go for it and here she is now. Final song is a Reba song and she doesn't think she did it as good as she could.
JUDGEMENT- She made it to top 24.

A short montage of contestants going into the top 24 includes: Hallie Day, Chase Likens, and Aaron Marcellus

Ryan promises us more drama when we return from commercial. "A shocking turn of events that will change everything."

Deandre Brackensick- He was eliminated in top 40 last season and was heartbroken.
Final song is showing some major falsetto (maybe a little too overdone in my opinion) but the lower notes are nice. Maybe he can use more of those. the judges tell him that this year his voice and confidence has grown.
JUDGEMENT- He made the top 24.

Jermaine Jones- He is very close to his mom and she has flown into support him for this round. His final song was pretty good but not perfect. I like this guy but I'm not sure if he can survive that pain of Idol. he is melting down while he waits to go in. Judges tell him he is a really great person but has had some ups and downs. Just to make this drag out even more- we go to a commerical.
JUDGEMENT- JLO "It was a joy for us to watch you this season" Did not make it. Tears from Jermaine and the judges.

With just one slot left for the girls and three contestants, bring on the teens and the tears. Ariel Sprague, Shelby Tweten, and Hollie Cavanaugh come in together for the verdict. We are actually shown Hollie singing more than three notes, so she must be the one advancing.
JUDGEMENT- Hollie made the top 24.

Ryan tells us that when we come back form commerical we will hear "shocking news that will have everyone talking."

Our last two contestants vying for the last guys slot are David Leathers,Jr. and Eben Franckewitz. They are sent in together. For his final song David chose a Michael Jackson song, "1,2,3", and for his final song Eben chose "You are so Beautiful" Ryan stresses the fact that David is two yrs older than Eben. The judges say both have made some mistakes. David was over confident and Eben was under confident.
JUDGEMENT- Eben made the top 24.

Next week we go live.
Tuesday we have the top 12 guys.
Wednesday we have the top 12 girls.
Thursday we have our first results.

And the earth shattering news- Idol is pulling a Simon Cowell and is inviting back one of the eliminated guys for Tuesday's show. We either get Richie Law, Jermaine Jones, David Leathers, or Johnny Keyser. My bet is on Johnny.

And to top off the insanity, Steven decides to strip and jump in the pool.

Oh Idol, what would we all do without you?

American Idol 11: The Final Judgement Part 1

2012-02-23T14:20:00.003-06:00

Well, let me start this post with a disclaimer: I'm not really feeling like writing today. Our family lost a dear friend to cancer this morning. Kenton fought a long and painful battle, but was very brave to the bitter end. He was a great man and will be missed by many. I am the saddest for his 21 month old granddaughter who will probably have no memory of him as she grows up. Kenton was her only grandfather and he loved her immensely. All of this said, I will now try to give a report of what I witnessed on Idol last night. This might not be my best work so thanks in advance for bearing with me here.

This is the beginning of the end, kind of. it will be the end of the road for some of these contestants who have come O-SO-CLOSE- to living their dreams out on national television. On this episode 42 will be cut to 24. Next week the live shows begin.
In an unusual occurrence, idol tells us that this show was recorded in mid January. On January 19, 2012, each of the remaining 42 contestants were allowed one more performance to secure their place on the show. They were allowed to choose one instrument to accompany them during this song, or could accompany themselves.

Jen Hirsh- We get a little retrospective of her journey on Idol so far. Randy tells her that the final song was not her best performance. Steven tells her "Its not easy."
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.

Creighton Fraker- A little retrospective of his journey. Creighton is adopted. He grew up a preacher's kid. He found out when he was 25 that his birth dad was the lead singer in an 80's metal band. He encouraged Creighton to audition for Idol and is there with him for this show. final song "NY State of Mind" and it sounds good. Creighton says he only wants to be himself. JLo tells him she feels he has a chance to touch people.
JUDGEMENT- He made the top 24.

Lauren Gray- Retrospect shows Lauren's dad singing. She says she is doing this for him. Judges tell her she is good but she lost it along the way.
JUDGEMENT- Did not make it this year. Told she should come back. I don't think she will.

Joshua Ledet- This retrospect tells us that Joshua is also a preacher's son. He sounds amazing on his final song. Sorry I don't know the name of it. Judges give him high praise.
JUDGEMENT- He made the top 24. "Thank you Jesus." - Joshua. JLo says "That's some real, right there. Randy- "That church kid is gonna go far."

We say goodbye to someone I don't ever remember saying hello to, Blaire Sieber(?) and to someone we rarely saw, Naomi Gilles.

Haley Johnson- We get a retrospective of her growing as an artist in this journey until she blossomed in Vegas. From college student/ coffee shop entertainer to rising star.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.

More Goodbyes:
Neco Star, Clayton Farhat, River St.James, and Caleb Johnson.

Elise Testone- Retrospective tells us that Elise has been working up to 10 gigs a week to prepare for Idol. this is her last chance.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.   Randy calls her "one of the best singers we've seen."

Reed Grimm- he is quirky and different. He wasn't comfortable with the last solo but pulled through after talking to his mom. he has been on stage since he was 2 yrs old.
JUDGEMENT- He made top 24.

Erika Van Pelt- JLo tells her she did not like her final song. The judges tell her it was not as amazing as it could have been.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24. JLo-"We're going to take one more chance on you."

It's time for the battle of the country girls: Chelsea Sorrell and Baylie Brown.
Chelsea messed up in Hollywood but the judges like her.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.
Baylie originally tried out for Idol five yrs ago when she was 16. Steven leads her on for a while but...
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.

Time for a little drama: Richie Law and Heejun Han.
Retrospect of Richie clashing with everyone he works with. For his final song, "Ring of Fire" and his voice is not pleasing at all on this. Richie says "I have a bad feeling in my stomach."
JUDGEMENT- Did not make it. Work on it and come back.   My favorite part of the show so far: TPTB are playing "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" as he walks out.
Heejun's retrospective shows Ryan asking him "What you Sweating? and heejun says "Mostly water." HAHA but seriously, Heejun works with special needs kids and says he was extremely depressed before the kids organization helped him. Heejun sings "NY State of Mind" for his final song and KILLS IT.
JUDGEMENT- Steven "You're a better star than singer" but He made top 24.  Heejun is in TEARS and is greeted by Phil Phillips as he exits judgement.

Jessica Sanchez- Retro tells us that she has been singing since she was 5. She's 16 now. Mom is unemployed because of her music career. Huge family waiting to see what happens. I think she's Filipino. Final song "The Prayer". A little too much vibrato for my taste but she is good.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.

Phil Phillips- Retro tells us that Phil messed up during the 1st group round in Hollywood. He
accompanies himself on guitar during final song. Randy tells him "you're so unique and different so its hard to know how that will play out in front of everyone else.
JUDGEMENT- He made top 24.

Colton Dixon- He was sent home on judgement day last season and it is bittersweet that he is where he is now. he wasn't going to audition this yr but judges amde him when he accompanied his sister Schyler to auditions this year. Schyler was sent home in Vegas this year. Colton sings "Fix You" as his final song accompanying himself on baby grand and dedicates it to sister.
JUDGEMENT- He made top 24.

Brielle Von Hugel- And the "Spray-tan" stage mom from hell. Brielle was eliminated in Hollywood last season. Final song, "Killing Me Softly". Sorry, but this girl is not one of my favorites.
JUDGEMENT- She made top 24.

Adam Brock- Retrospective brings us lots of pics of his little girl. Adam says his wife is allowing him to go after his dreams. It is really difficult to be away from wife and baby. After his final song JLo tells him he needs to fuigure out who he is as a singer. Adam tells the judges "I have to sing."
JUDGEMENT- Well, TPTB are going to leave us in limbo until the next show. The bums!!!!!

So after the first part of Final Judgement we have 6 of the guys selected and 8 of the girls. Ten more to be announced tonight.

American Idol 11: Vegas, Baby!

2012-02-17T10:24:00.002-06:00

After over 100,000 contestants auditioned, we are now down to the top 70 performing on the stage of Viva Elvis at the Aria in Las Vegas. The contestants have formed 3 or 4 member groups and will be given a song to prepare. The songs are from the 50's and 60's and are classic rock and roll. They must put together a complete performance package including choreography and costumes. The groups will perform over two days.

Day 1
Group 1- Skylar Laine, Colton Dixon, Chase Liken, Cari Quoyeser- "Dedicated to the One I Love"- Not bad. Chase is the best. Bye Cari. Rest are through.

Group 2- Jeremy Rosado, Gabi Carrubba, David Leathers, Ariel Sprague- "Rockin' Robin"- Good sound, fun- All are through

Group 3- Adam Brock, ErikaVan Pelt, Angie Zederman, Shelby Tweten- "Great Balls of Fire"- Nice energy and vocals. All are through

Group 4- Brielle Von Hugel, Schyler Dixon, Molly Hunt- "Why do Fools Fall in Love"- cute 50's military style costumes. Not bad. Molly goes home.

A quick montage of folks going home:
Wayne Wilson, Ashley Robles, Stephanie Renea, Aubree Dieckmeyer, Janelle Arthur, Tina Torres

Group 5- Haley Johnson, Eben Franckewitz, Reed Grimm, Elise Testone- "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"- Reed is awesome. Group is great. Well done on the syncopated rhythm- Standing O from the judges and they are all through to next round.

Group 6- Jermaine Jones, Richie Law- "Make it easy on Yourself"- two deep voices put together because they didn't work in other groups. Debra Byrd coaching them should make this a piece of cake if Richie closes his mouth long enough for instructions. Not a bad blend. I like Jermaine better, but Richie is OK too. Jermaine has a richer sound to his voice. Both move on.

A quick montage of contestants advancing:
Hallie Day, Baylie Brown, Chelsea Sorrell

Group 7- Jessica Sanchez, Deandre Brackensick, Candice Glover- This is our first time to see Deandre, a favorite from last season who was cut at 24, and Jessica Sanchez, who is the talk of the Internet. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"- Jessica is a power singer for sure. Deandre's range has grown from last year. Candice is good too, but not good enough. Bye Candice.

End of day one and the contestants are now told that they may not all be safe after all. Some may be cut after Day 2 performances.

Day 2
Group 1- All the rockers- Clayton Farhat, Scott Dangerfield, Adan Lee Decker, Curtis Gray- "Jailhouse Rock" Kind of rough in spots- mixed reviews from judges. End of the road for Curtis.

Group 2- Caleb Johnson, Joshua Sanders, River ?, and a girl whose name I didn't catch- "Burning Love" decent job. All through to next round.

Group 3- Shannon Magrane, Curtis Finch, Jr, Joshua Ledet, Amber ?- "Blue Suede Shoes" Joshua and Shannon are awesome and advance. Bye to Curtis and Amber.

Most groups are practicing but Johnny Keyser and hos group are at the pool. Might not be a good move.

Group 4- Britnee Kellogg, Courtney Williams, Jessica Phillips- "You Keep Me Hanging On"- all three of these ladies look scary in their tiny pink sequin dresses. Really rough. Jessica is going home and has an attitude. Too bad, I liked her until the attitude came out. Not sure why they kept the other two.

Group 5- Lauren Gray, Wendy Taylor, Mathenee Treco- Lauren not getting along with coach Peggi Blu, aka "The Queen of Mean" "The vocal coach from hell" - Peggi tells Lauren "there's no crying in music" "get a grip." "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"- Lauren is sick and her voice sounds like it. I don't like the girls dresses, especially Wendy's. Song is rough to me. Bye Mathenee.

Group 6- Heejun Han, Phil Phillips, Jairon Jackson, Neco Star- The guys are working with Peggi and Heejun is scared of her, but everything works out fine because she loves the group and they actually love her too. "I Only Have Eyes For You" Perfect song . Awesome delivery by all. Randy asks all to step forward one at a time, and then says " You four are not ... going anywhere. You made it through. All fall to the floor. Heejun is in tears. Jairon tells him"Turn that frown upside down."

Group 7- Creighton Fraker, Aaron Marcellus, Jen Hirsh, Nick Boddington- Practicing with a barbershop sound but must spotlight each person. "Sealed With a Kiss" Pretty good. Nick is a little shaky I think. Looks like the judges agree with me. Bye Nick.

So, all of the groups have performed and the judges now need to cut some more contestants to go from 70 to 40.

We say goodbye to:
Gabi Carrubba (she is heartbroken), Schyler Dixon (Colton is crushed), Angie Zederman, Candice Glover, Johnny Keyser (What? We did not see this performance so we don't know what went wrong. I thought he was one of the best.), Jairon Jackson (this makes me sad) and Britnee Kellogg (sorry, but I didn't like the Vegas performance)

Safe until next week:
Jeremy Rosado, Ariel Sprague, David Leathers, Chase Likens, Skylar Laine, Colton Dixon, Haley Johnson, Reed Grimm, Eben Franckewitz, Elise Testone, Brielle Von Hugel, Jermaine Jones, Richie Law, Baylie Brown, Chelsea Sorrell, Hollie Cavanaugh (we see her but still haven't heard her sing this season), Lauren Gray, Wendy Taylor, Joshua Ledet, Shannon Magrane, Jen Hirsh, Creighton Fraker, Aaron Marcellus, Phillip Phillips, Heejun Han, Neco Star, Jessica Sanchez, Deandre Brackensick, Adam Brock, Erika Van Pelt, plus 12 more(?) .

All in all, not too bad. A few disappiontments, especailly Johnny Keyser going home and Brielle Von Hugel advancing, but overall I agree with the judges so far.

27 go home in Vegas, 42 move on to the next round. Next week they go down to 24. And we have a disturbing preview of Steven Tyler mooning the camera and then jumping into the fountain (or pool ) on the set to swim.

American Idol: Hollywood Week #3

2012-02-16T13:38:00.000-06:00

This two hour show was packed with so much drama and names and yes even some singing.
I will not go into any in depth commentary on this or I won't have it posted before the next show starts.

This show started with the group rounds. Everyone was sick or exhausted or stressing so many mistakes were made. Last minute rehearsals would not help this time.

The Bettie's were sick and fighting between themselves and it showed. Terrible performance of a yucky song. Only Jennifer Malsch and Cari Quoyeser advance to next round, and they really weren't that good.

Groove Sauce looks calm. Creighton Fraker, Reed Grimm, Aaron Marcellus, Jen Hirsh, and Nick Boddington look like old pros up there and sound like it too. They are awesome and are all through to next round.

6-7-9 is an odd name for this group. Randy jokes "Is that their shoe sizes?" Kyle Crews is having a problem with the "Extra Members" of their group the parental units that are having too much say. Brielle Von Hugel's mom is the biggest problem. Brielle, Joshua Ledet, Shannon Magrane, and Amber ? are through to next round. Kyle is gracious in his exit and says he will keep doing music.

Make You Believers is the group with the 'Patient Zero" Amy Brumfield. Amy is feeling better but now Jacquie Cera is fainting now. Group falls apart as Dustin? forgets the lyrics, Amy can't sing, and Jacquie Screeches. Only Mathenee Treco is through to next round and he wasn't very good.

We get a lovely montage of more contestants who can't remember the lyrics. Funny and sad all at once.

Those girls and That Guy are another disaster waiting to happen. Alisha Bernhardt ,aka The Cop without a group, Christian Lopez, Samantha Novak, and some poor girl that was tuck with them are terrible and all are going home. They are definitely not "Stuck Like Glue."

Area 451 is a group with some promise until we see member Imani Handy faint during practice. Johnny Keyser tries to pull together the remaining members, Bryce Garcis, and Kristi Krause, to form a trio in case Imani can't return. We'll get back to them in a little while.

Hollywood Five is a group made up of all teens. You would think they would be nervous and spazz, but their parents kept them strong and so was their performance. Jeremy Rosado, Eben Franckewitz, David Leathers, Gabi Carrubba and Ariel Sprague are awesome on "Mercy." They are all through to the next round.

Back to Area 451 and I do believe the aliens have taken over. For some reason, Imani's mom does not have the guts to tell the girl to quit and so she rejoins the group and throws it into total chaos. Bryce forgets lyrics immediately, Kristi can't sing on key, Imani faints during the performance, and Johnny is the only one moving on to the next round.

Other familiar contestants going home include: Reis Kloeckener, Symone Black and WT Thompson (who needs to get home to his pregnant wife anyway.)

Final group shown, MIT which we are told stands for "Most International Team." this is the group with all the tension between members. Richie Law is still running the show, in his mind, and everyone else just wants it to be over. Heejun Han, Jairon Jackson, and Phillip Phillips all are made at Richie but they pull it together and squeak through to the next round.

Montage of contestants moving on: Erica Van Pelt, Adam Brock, Hallie Day, Elise Testone.

We see Heejun apologize to Richie and his parents for things he said about him to the cameras during this ordeal.

We finally move on to solo performances with the full Idol band. Contestants can play an instrument if they wish. There are 98 contestants left at this point. We see a few.

Joshua Ledet almost didn't go to Hollywood because he had an anxiety attack about flying. He was awesome and received a standing O from the judges and contestants.

Colton Dixon plays the keyboard while performing "What About Now" and is awesome.

Phil Phillips plays his guitar and his gravelly voice is awesome.

Jen Hirsh belts out a standing O performance to "Georgia."

Creighton Fraker is awesome on "Wonderful World."

A thunderstorm blows through LA and some of the contestants are disturbed by it.

Reed Grimm wanted to sing a Capella for this round but the producers tell him no, and he has 30 minutes to work up something with the band. He can't seem to focus and is very scattered. practice with vocal coach isn't really helping. We'll get back to him.

Shannon Magrane delivers a soulful "Wonderful World" and receives a standing O from the judges.

Reed Grimm has 15 minutes left and Michael Orland drops in to help him but Reed isn't comfortable with what he is singing and asks to call his mom and talk. Reed has an idea and decides to perform "Georgia" while playing the drums without practicing with the band. Good thing these guys are pros. He is Jazzy, Soulful and really good. Randy says he's "another Casey," meaning Casey Abrams from last season.

Skylar Laine has been sick and even went to the hospital for fluids. She tells us she is going to suck it up and go for it and she does and she is good.

Rachelle Lamb jammed with Randy and Steven at the start of the day and fried her chances when she strained her voice. It was a messed u version of "The House That Built Me."

Adam Brock says its time for Idol o have some "white chocolate" and he delivers "Georgia" while channeling Louis Armstrong.

Time for the rooms, FINALLY.
Room #1: Lauren Gray, Creighton Fraker, Jen Hirsh, Erica Van Pelt, Hallie Day, Adam Brock, David Leathers, Joshua Ledet, Aaron Marcellus, Colton Dixon, Johnny Keyser, Jermaine Jones, and a few more I don't know their names. THEY ARE THROUGH TO NEXT ROUND

Room #2: Phillip Phillips, Eben Franckewizt, Skylar Laine, Shannon Magrane, Nick Boddington, Hollie Cavanaugh (her name isn't mentioned but I recognize her), reed Grimm, Jeremy Rosado, Jessica Phillips, Jairon Jackson, and a few more. THEY ARE THROUGH TO NEXT ROUND

Room #3: Rachelle Lamb, Brittney Kerr, Jennifer Malsch, Jaron Gibson, Sarah Phillips, Madison Shanley, and a bunch of peeps I have never seen before. This room is tense,freaking out, and getting mad at each other. THEY ARE GOING HOME

Room #4: Stephanie Renee, Baylie Brown, Britnee Kellogg, Angie Zederman, Richie Law, Heejun, Han, Gabi Carrubba, and a few more. THEY ARE THROUGH TO THE NEXT ROUND

Okay, next stop, Vegas, Baby! This could be another disaster, like last year. Groups again.

Hollywood Week #2

2012-02-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

OK, just to recap, my DVR stopped right when we were to see Symone Black fall off the stage on Wednesday night. Guess I didn't miss as much as I thought I did.

We opened show #2 of Hollywood Week with Ryan telling us that "this is the most grueling Hollywood Week ever." Symone Black had fainted while answering Randy's questions and this is why she fell off the stage. Looks like the cameraman broke her fall a little. While the medics attended to her, the rest of the contestants were huddled in prayer. Symone was sent to the hospital with her dad (good thing she is a minor) to be checked out.

In the mean time:
Lauren Mink is sent home.
Jeremy Rosado is through to next day.
Ethan Jones is going home.
Symone is through to next day if she is ok.
Nico Starr, who hasn't been mentioned since a short clip in Savannah, is through to next day also.

185 contestants continue to day two, The Group Rounds.

Ryan tells us this is the most infamous part of Hollywood Week. The groups must form into 4 or 5 members with members from both day 1 and day 2 and choose from the 20 predetermined songs and learn choreography for the song also. This is not any different than the last couple of years and yet the contestants are all freaking out about it.

Some of the contestants are being stubborn about their song choice and can't find a group, like Alisha Bernhardt(?) and some are sick, like Amy Brumfield.

Some groups form quickly and then the members start to clash with each other, like MIT consisting of Heejun Han, Richie Law, Phillip Phillips, and Jairon Jackson. Richie puts himself in charge and Heejun is not liking what is happening. Heejun is hating "cowboys."

Most of the groups we are shown are in meltdown mode all night. I hope someone gets along and can sing.

Suddenly, lots of people start getting sick with the "Idol bug" flu symptoms. Phillip Phillips has a problem with reoccurring kidney stones and is missing for a while. Many of the groups are loosing people to sickness and lack of sleep.

Symone Black returns from the hospital. She was dehydrated, but is better now. She finally finds a group to join.

Basically, the whole show was people yelling, vomiting, and not getting along.

Idol leaves us in limbo as the groups are ready to take the stage.

Until next time, when I can hopefully see enough of the contestants to actually form an opinion of them.....

American Idol 11: Hollywood Week #1

2012-02-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

The beginning of the infamous Hollywood rounds of AI aired last night and all I can say is OK. I had hopes of seeing a few more contestants who we had not seen before but I came away disappointed except for one.

So, we start off with the proverbial peep talk from the judges and Steven Tyler's rambling. Contestants will be herded out in groups of 10 and each will have a few seconds to sing A Capella for the judges. Better make these seconds count people.

Day #1.
Johnny Keyser- yes- He is still loved by Jennifer, but maybe not the other contestants since JLo said he is sexy. Johnny is confident. Maybe too confident. Sings "Dreaming" by Amos Lee and is awesome. Randy is shouting "Amen" so Johnny is moving on.

Heeju Han- yes- I like this guy. Heejun tells us he feels everyone is tall and pretty, even the guys so he doesn't feel very good about his chances. Wish he could get past the nerves. Or is it an act? Hard to tell. He doesn't sound the least bit nervous when he sings. He gives JLo "goosies" again. He is moving on.

Elise Testone- She belts out a few bars of something and the judges are thrilled. She's moving on.

Baylie Brown- Country chick FTW- She's moving on.

Hallie Day- Hits us with "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" - She's moving on.

Jen Hirsh- 25- Agoura Hills, CA- someone new - "Up to the Mountain" - she's good and moving on up.

Lauren Gray- short and sweet- she's moving on.

Ok finally some NOs:
Heather Youmans, Sascha Julian, and Candice Russell all forget how to sing between before they get to Hollywood. I never heard of any of them before this show.

Phillip Phillips is back. Ryan tells us this guy is a fish out of water in Hollywood. This was also Phillip's first real plane ride. He is awesome and powerful and so moving on in the competition.

Reed Grimm- He's back. This guy is really funny, happy, experienced, comfortable on the stage. sings "I Got a Golden Ticket" from Willie Wonka and scats and is awesome. He's moving on.

Travis Orlando- Poor kid just looks so depressed all the time. I think he sounds just fine but the judges send him home. Well, they send him back to New York but since his family is homeless, well ...

Also going home:
Ramiro Gracia- NO, I really liked this guy. He is an inspiration to all. Born without ears. Come on judges, he is amazing.
"Wolf" Hamlin- I liked him but didn't think he would go far.
Jenny Schick- Wonder if she still has that teaching job back home?

Day #2.
Adam Brock- someone we haven't seen before. He tells us "I've been told there's a large black woman trapped inside my body." He's seems to be at ease with himself except for the fact that this is the first time to be away from his infant daughter. He sings "Walkin' in Memphis" and he is really good. He is moving on.

Jane Carrey- Not her best day and in an effort to reassure the audience that this is an up and up competition, Jim Carrey's daughter is not moving on.

Cool! We knew it had to be here somewhere. A lovely montage of contestants who blew it begging for another chance. Please leave with a little dignity, please.

David Leathers. The kid was the first contestant we saw on the first audition episode from Savannah. There still trying to pass him off as a ladies man. Sorry, no go. Kid sings "Because you Love Me" by Celine Dion and hits notes I don't think even Celine can hit any more. Sorry, but he really sounds like a girl and I want guys to sound like guys. He is moving on. though.

Shannon Lagrane sings "Fallen" by Alicia Keys and she hits all the notes and more. I like this girl. sounds much older than she is.

Jessica Phillips has come to Hollywood with her BF who had a stroke last April. He is watching her power through her song from the balcony. She is moving on.

We are told both Angie Zeiderman and Brittany Kerr also move on to next round.

Erica Van Pelt is still belting out some good sounds. She is moving on.

Creighton Fraker has an unusual voice but he is definitely interesting and different than normal Idol contestants. He gives us a little "Somebody to Love" and is moving on to the next round.

Aaron Marsellus blows up the mic and is moving on too.

Ok so this last part I'm not too sure about what happened.
Lauren Mink tried to sing Heart's "Alone" but changed the key in the middle of singing, and JLo caught it.
Jeremy Rosado sang "Superstar" by Luther Vandross and JLo got "goosies" again.
Symone Black told us she loves her "stage dad" and sang "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" Randy asked why this song and when she tried to explain, she fell off the stage. And my DVR stopped there so I don't know if there was more or not. I guess I'll find out tonight.

From what I saw on this airing my favors are: Johnny, Adam, Heejun for the guys and Shannon, Erica and Lauren for the girls but there are so many that we haven't heard from yet I will not even speculate on an outcome at this point.

To David, With Love From A Fan

2012-02-07T11:44:00.008-06:00

With the time for David's departure on his two-year Mormon mission quickly approaching, I felt compelled to rewrite the lyrics to his first hit song "Crush" as a tribute to him and how we fans all feel about him. It wasn't easy trying to wrap up all of these emotions into one neat little package. As all David Archuleta fans out there know, the reasons we all love David and follow his every move are quite personal to each of us. Some people are here just for the voice, while others have been touched by his spirit of peace, and love, and caring. Then there are those who only see the outer wrappings, which are quite nice, but not as striking as the whole package rolled together. For me personally, David is the hope for our future. Being the parent of an almost 20 yr old daughter and a 17 yr old son, I wish for each of them to one day meet a partner whose heart is as close to God as David's is. I wish for them to have the passion for life and living that David has shown us. I wish for the world as a whole to find a way to treat others with love and compassion each and every day, even if we don't always agree with each others choices. In a nutshell, I wish for everyone to follow David's example and be more Christ-like in their views of the world and their actions in it.

So, here is my attempt, to thank David for all he has given of himself these last four years and my pledge to be here when he returns to his music career. I would post a recording of myself singing this song, but "Crush" is not in my range, no matter how hard I try, so I will spare the world of this torture.

A Song for David

Tune: "Crush"

It was just four years ago

Something happened on our TV’s,

Changed our minds,

Changed our lives,

Changed our hearts.

When you stepped out on that stage

We were drawn to be your true fans

By your voice,

By your light,

By your heart.

Now your fans are standing here this day,

All our hearts are calling out to say,

You’ve got us hypnotized,

And mesmerized,

And we want you to know.

We will stand by you.

We will make you proud.

While you change more lives

The whole world around.

We’re not crazy, we’ve just fallen in love

With this voice so blessed by God above.

You have touched our hearts

With your special ways,

And we just can’t let

Goodness fade away.

So, we’ll stand here now and show the world

That this love for you ain’t going away.

Ain’t goin' away.

You have taught us how to live.

From your kind words, and your good deeds,

We’ve all learned

To be hope,

To be love.

Now we just want you to know, that

Wherever in this world you may go

We’re still here

We’ll be here

'Til you come back!

You come back!

We will stand by you.

We will sing the praise,

Of the lives you've touched

All along the way.

We’re not crazy, we’ve just fallen in love

With the one so blessed by God above.

You have touched our hearts

With your life and deeds.

Now we want to say

Thanks to you this way.

So, we’ll stay right here and tell the world

How this man of love ain’t going away.

Ain’t goin' away.

All your fans are standing here this day,

With our voices calling out to say,

You’ve got us hypnotized,

And mesmerized,

And we want you to know.

We will stand by you.
We will be your fans.

We will share your voice,

Make them understand.

We’re not crazy, we’re just showin' our love

For this one so blessed by God above.

You have filled our hearts

With a love so rare,

Which we need so much,

And we all must share.

So, we’ll stand by you and spread the word

That this voice of love ain’t going away.

Ain't goin' away.
Ain’t no way.

American Idol 11: St.Louis Auditions

2012-02-03T10:56:00.000-06:00

Show starts with a special tribute to the most successful Idol of all time, Carrie Underwood, who auditioned in St. Louis 8 years ago. Nice video of her Idol journey.

Johnny Keyser- 22- Pompano Beach, FL- server
This is the guy Idol had been promoting since the first ad for the new season came out several months ago. Johnny grew up with just his dad. They are best friends now. Singing "Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cook. Fantastic. Jennifer is in love. Judges don't want him to stop singing. Major yes from the judges and me. Jennifer says " he's sexy." Yes he is. He's going to take Hollywood by storm.

Time for the ever popular montage of terrible auditions form the past. This time it intros a really creative Black & White / silent movie clip of a contestant. Ryan says "Some contestants are better seen and not heard.
David Coleman- 28- St. Louis Park, MN- seminary student
Since this is silent, we don't know what he sang, but the clip is really cool. They should do this with all terrible singers.

Rachelle Lamb- 26- Mountain View, MO- construction
Another single mom going through a divorce, tells the tale of her ex holding her back from chasing her dream. Has her daughter , Maddie, with her during the auditions. Trying for sympathy votes, but she really doesn't need them. She can sing. She was a professional singer before she got married. Sings Faith Hill's "Find Somebody New." Nice job. Good country voice. She is on her way to Hollywood.

Now we get a montage of really bad auditioners wearing really bad costumes, including an Elvis impersonator.

Reis Kloeckener- 20- St. Louis, MO- student
This young man was bullied in high school until he was discovered by the choir teacher and found his "voice" in the choir. Sang "Lean on Me" and is really good. Not as good as David Archuleta singing this song, but still good. Steven tells him, "That was so beautiful, it made me cry." He is on the way to Hollywood.

Ethan Jones- 22- Pontoon Beach, IL- Musician
He was in a band with his dad, but dad is in rehab now. Ethan is running the band. Sings "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain and sounds great. Good looking guy with a really nice voice and a touching story. He should go far. JLo says he should be in a country music video and he laughs and says he's in a country band but his heart is soul. He is going to Hollywood and calls dad to let him know the good news.

Oh good. A sneak peek at Madonna's new video for her new song. It has cheerleaders chanting her name and football players hold her up as she walks on a wall. And the song will premier during her performance at Super Bowl halftime. so-so

Mark Ingram- 28- Collinsvile, IL- hotel auditor
This guy works at the hotel where this is being taped. His staff thinks he is great. They are obviously tone deaf. Singing(?) "overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder. Overrated is what it should be called. He is so staying at the hotel.

Lauren Gray- 22- Hardy, AR- Waitress/singer
This girl is part of her family business, a one-stop wedding shop. They do everything from the dresses to the food to the music. She sings with her dad in his southern Rock band but she likes more soulful stuff. Sings Adele's "One and Only" and is really good. Not as good as Adele, but definitely good enough to go to Hollywood. The judges are stunned by her powerful voice. Randy and Steven say she is "fearless" while Jennifer says she has "one of the best female voices we've heard." And she is on the way to Hollywood.

So Ryan tells us 46 contestants have moved on to Hollywood from St. Louis auditions.

My favorites for this show: Johnny, Lauren and Ethan.

***** Next week Hollywood rounds ***** I can't wait.

American Idol 11: Portland Auditions

2012-02-02T10:48:00.001-06:00

After last week's horrible representation of the Texas auditions (sorry,but on the whole it was terrible) I was reluctant to turn on my set last night, but of course I did, and here's what I saw.

This is Idol's first trip to Oregon. It looks like a beautiful place. I like the shots they're showing of the area.

Brittany Zika- 21- Portland, OR- Nanny/ Social Media Tech
Back story time- She had a dream- singing on stage with Sara Bareilles to Gravity. Then it happened. Now at Idol auditions for the next dream. Happy, funny girl. Dressed kind of nerdy with hat and big glasses. Singing "The Story" by Brandi Carlile. Nice voice. Great tone. She's through to Hollywood.

Ben Purdom- 18- Philidelphia, PA- cable tv salesman
Not looking promising. He's sick, and yucky. Tries to sing "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. It's bad. Not really sure if it would be better if he wasn't sick. Sings something else (Super Base?) and is still bad. NO

Jermaine Jones- 24- Pine Hill, NJ- Music teacher
Church singer, comes from a family of church singers. Mom says they are all "born singers." This guy is huge, 6ft 8 in- the judges keep talking about his height. Sings "Superstar" by Luther Van Dross. Good, soulful, nice lower register. "Really spiritual"- Steven. Momma's thrilled, He's going to Hollywood.

Britnee Kellogg- 27- Vancouver, WA- banker
Single mom of two little boys. Was married to a basketball player who she supported until he cheated on her. He kept her from pursuing her dreams. Sings "You're No Good" and means every word of it. Nice. JLo is singing along with her. The judges love her and so does every woman in America who has been burned by the one they gave up everything for. She is through to Hollywood, but before she goes, Britnee asks Jennifer how she does it with the kids and all. "You don't leave the kids. You have to be happy so they can be happy."

Sam Gershman- 21- Clarksville, MD- Motivational dancer
Weird- Sings "I'm a Woman" - squeaks to start off the song and it gets worse from there. NO

David Weed- 22- Mountain Home, ID- fast food worker
Dellusionally sings "Tom Sayer" by Rush. Scary. NO

Romeo Diahn- 22- Portland, OR- Shipping clerk
Originally from Liberia but spent most of childhood living in a refugee camp in Ghana. Nice voice. Definitely reggae sound - singing Bob Marley. JLo not sure how he will do with other types of songs. He's through to Hollywood.

Naomi Gillies- 22- Boston, MA- student
Sings "Crying" by Steven Tyler. Interesting sound. She's ok for me but the judges love her. She's through to Hollywood.

Time for a montage of No's with tears all around and some chicks getting violent with the cameras. Bring in the happy face.

Ben Harrison- 28- Eugene, OR- Shipping agent
OK, too much time given to this guy's scary smiling face. Baby-faced rocker who looks 12 and keeps getting kicked out of rock bands "because of his face." Queen- Somebody to Love" Now we know the truth about getting kicked out of bands, he can't sing. NO

Filler- another montage of No's.

Jessica Phillips- 25- Brooklyn, NY- Dental Hygienist
She is caring for her boyfriend who had a stroke last Easter. He is working to recover and says it is because of her. Sings "Again" by Faith Evans. Nice voice. Passion is definitely there. She is good and is going to Hollywood.

So, we are told that 45 contestants are through to Hollywood from Portland.

Here are my favorites for this telecast: Jessica, Britnee K, Brittany Z.

American Idol 11: Houston / Galveston Auditions

2012-01-27T11:58:00.000-06:00

I really like the intro to this episode: AI hits the Lone Star State. Nice touch including Commander Burbank aboard the International Space Station, since Houston is home to NASA. This is Idol's 9th visit to Texas. Not too bad.

Phong Vu- 25- Houston, TX- student
Well, we are not off to a good start here. Idol, I had higher hopes for you guys this year. Don't dis Texas right off the bat. This guy is way too emotional. Something just doesn't seem right with him. Okay, he's flamboyant, and loves to sing female pop artists, including JLo. Bad news is, he can't sing. Randy mocks him while he auditions. Steven and Jennifer manage to get him out of the hall without totally destroying him.

Well, after that total waste of time, we get a montage of cowboys from old westerns introing bad "cowboy" singers. More time wasted.

Skylar Laine- 17- Brandon, MS- student
This is a total country girl, hunting, riding 4 wheelers, deer head mounted on her wall. Very pretty young girl. Family has owned a diner for 71 yrs. she hopes to make enough to keep the restaurant going. Sings "Hell on Heels" by Pistol Annie (Miranda Lambert's all-girl group). Perfect song for her. Finally, She is through to Hollywood.

Baylie Brown- 21- Nashville (by way of Texas)- Nanny
Baylie is back to try it again. She auditioned and made it to Hollywood 5 yrs ago but forgot lyrics and was eliminated there. Sings "Bed of Roses" and is fantastic. Beautiful girl with a beautiful voice. She's through to Hollywood.

Kristine Osorio- 28- Amarillo, TX- mom with 3 kids going through divorce
Just a mom struggling to make a better life for her kids. Sang in husband's band before kids. Sings "One and Only" I think. She has a decent voice. Jennifer really likes this woman. She is through to Hollywood.

A war is going on between the judges. Jennifer against the guys seems to be raging with the next 4 contestants as the ammo. Short clips from each but major judge drama witnessed.
Rachael Turner- 20- Sugar Land, TX- Miss Houston 2011
yes from Jennifer, no from the guys.
Reagan Wilson- 23- New Braunfels, TX- choir teacher
yes from Jennifer, No from the guys
Cheyenne James- 17- Conroe, TX- student
yes from Jennifer, no from the guys
Linda Williams- 24- League City, TX- Bartender
no from Jennifer, yes from the guys (in fact they thought she was incredible. JLo thought she was terrible.)

Alejandro Cazares- 26- Houston, TX- cell phone repairman
This guy tells the judges, "Grant me the power to bring revolution to the world." This pretty much sums it all up. He can't sing, and his tongue is blue. YUCK Has to be tossed by very big body guard.

Cortez Shaw- 20- Garland- student/ warehouse worker
Cortez was homeless through part of high school but has a great positive attitude about his life now. "Only you can determine what will happen in your life." Sings Adele's "Someone Like You." He has picked up the tempo some. I like his voice and so does Jennifer. Randy and Steven aren't sure until he hits the chorus and then they are sold too. he is through to Hollywood.

Cool another montage of YUCK.
Julie Shuman- 28- Manhattan, NY- dancer
Terrible singer, horrible outfit. Actually quite scary.
Vanessa Hernandez- 18- Pasadena, TX- student
Terrible singer, plain looks. Why would the producers put her through except to humiliate her.
Erin "Nire" Kettl- 19- Beaumont- student
Horrible. Judges laughing. Why even?

Ramiro Garcia- 28- Houston, TX- Worship Leader at Lakewood Church
This young man was born without ears. Parents were told he would never hear of speak. At 4 yrs doctors started surgeries to at least make him look more normal. Discovered an ear drum. Amazing story that he can even speak much less sing. Sings one of my favorite worship songs. "Amazing Grace- My Chains Are Gone" by Chris Tomlin. Absolutely wonderful. Really nice voice. He doesn't go for the upper power notes at first, but hits everything he tries. I don't hear any voice problems. Tears from parents, Ryan and judges. He is going to Hollywood. I have found the person I'm following this year. Amazing.

Well Idol, I really only liked the last 5 minutes of this show. Only Ramiro was really worth watching.

So, we are told that 55 have advanced to Hollywood from the Houston/Galveston audition and yet you only showed us 6. Thanks Idol.

Here are my favorites from this show: Ramiro, Baylie and Skylar.

See you next week.

American Idol 11: Aspen Auditions

2012-01-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

The audition episodes of the new season of American Idol are moving right along. The latest one finds AI visiting of beautiful state of Colorado. I've been fortunate enough to visit this state twice in my life and I must say, it is as lovely as these glimpses shown on Idol. If I had to leave my wonderful state of Texas, Colorado would be on my very short list of places I would actually consider living. And that is saying a lot, since I hate cold weather. Now on with the show.

Jenni Schick- 24- Sterling, VA- Elementary School Music Teacher
I hate to say this, but if my child was a student at her school, I would move. Crazy girl, and so not the elementary teacher type. (To clarify why I feel like I have the right to judge this girl for her profession: 1) I have a degree in education. 2) I taught in elementary school for 13 yrs. 3) I am a parent. 4) I live in a very music-centered city 5) I live in a very liberal city) Now, I don't have a problem with her singing. She's really not bad, but her dress and demeanor are way over the top. She might not have a job in education when the school board sees this show. Steven is on her short list of celebs her boyfriend has ok'ed for her to kiss. So is Lady Gaga. Crazy chick sings Pat Benatar's "Heart Breaker" and the judges like her. Randy says "Yes, and you may kiss the judge." Close up of her kissing Steven on the lips. YUCK. She is through to Hollywood (where is will fit in much better that small town VA).

Next we get a montage of sleepy contestants waking up really early for their Idol auditions.

Curtis Gray- 28- Spring Hill, FL- Server/ In a band
Short audition clip. This guy has a nice voice and decent range. I'm not sure what he is singing but the judges like him and so do I. He's through to Hollywood.

Richie Law- 19- Centennial, CO- Student
Another short clip. This kid is Scotty McCreery 2.0. He has a deep voice, but is not as cute as Scotty or as talented. My daughter, who loved Scotty, says this guy is not as good. Sings country, of course. "I Wouldn't Be a Man" is the title, I think, but not sure. Randy says "Powerful voice." He is through to Hollywood.

Devan Jones- 26- Aurora, CO- Hotel Clerk
Another short clip. This guy has a high voice, but I like his tone. I don't know the song, but he had no problem hitting those high notes. Good range and effortless. He's through to Hollywood.

Mathenee Treco- 25- Centennial, CO- Dance Instructor
Another shot clip. This guy is singing "Hey Jude" and he's not bad. Kind of weird distracting mannerisms when he sings, but he has a really good range. He's through to Hollywood.

Tealana Hedgespeth- 19- Loveland, CO- Color Guard Coach
Her twin sister is into performing and acting but is not auditioning. this is our first "sob" story of CO. She has lived in the shadow of her very talented sister for 19 yrs. (Really? 19?) Her nose ring thing is creeping me out. Don't those go on bulls, not people? Sings Melissa Ethridge's "Bring Me Some Water" and is yuck. Randy and Steven offer her their Coke glasses, hoping she will stop singing. Please go back into the shadows.

Haley Smith- 18- Orem, UT- House cleaner/Busser/ Sausage maker- but she is vegetarian
This girl is a true nature child. She lives in a log cabin in the mountains. Jennifer immediately says she gets a 60's - 70's vibe from Haley. You think- she's very natural looking. She sings "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus/Chaka Kahn (written by Stevie Wonder, Randy reminds us.) she has an interesting sound. Steven is really into her. Randy says she put her own style into it - kind of Joni Mitchell ish. She's a real flower child- JLo. She is through to Hollywood. "Warm weather and Hollywood- Here I come."

Now we get to watch Steven eat. FUN

Alanna Snare- 22- Fort Collins, CO- Bartender
Gets a plug in for her boss. Works at a restaurant that sells "Rocky Mountain Oysters." If you don't know what those are, or have a squimish stomach, don't ask. Nasty. Alanna says she will sing Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and I'm temporarily excited until she opens her mouth. Terrible. Why did they have to devote so much time to a second terrible singer. Come on Idol.

Shelby Tweten- 17- North Mankato, MN- student
Okay, this weeks heartbreaker story has arrived. This young lady suffers from bipolar disorder. She has only recently been diagnosed but has suffered from depression since 4th grade. She and her mother sing that help her with her disorder. AI is her saving grace, making her stay on her meds. She is cute and has a nice personality when interviewed by judges before singing. She sings "Temporary Home" and is wonderful. She has a great voice and you can hear the passion in her singing. JLo says "BEAUTIFUL!!!" it's a BIG, HUGE YES from all the judges and ME. She's through to Hollywood. "See you later Minne- SNOW- da. I'm gonna be in Hollywood."

Another montage, this time of BAD singers including a chick Beat-boxing and singing to "Stand By Me." I need to listen to David Archuleta sing this now to get this awful thing out of my head.

Jairon Jackson- 19- Denver, CO- Host
This guy looks like he could be a disaster but he is not. sings an original song, "So Scarred" and sounds good. And the song is decent too. He has a good voice. Very mellow sound. JLo says, "Your're a lover." Randy says, "Good song. That kids the real deal." He is through to Hollywood. And the audience is finished being blinded by the light beaming off of Randy's earrings into the camera lens.

Another montage of beautiful Colorado landscape. So much better than scary singers.

Angie Zeiderman- 25- Delray Beach, FL- Waitress
She is a fan of Lady Gaga and wants to open for her. Calls herself a "vintage glitter queen." Sings a show tune that starts with a Swediah accent and sounds like a "stripper" song. Randy is turned off by the singing and song choice. JLo likes her and asks for a differnt song style. She sings "Blue Bayou" wonderfully. Now Randy loves her. Steven says she's "a little spitfire." She is through to Hollywood.

And last, and definitely least..... the Idol joke audition of the night and maybe the year
Magic Cyclops- ?- Davenport, Iowa- ?
This guy's back story tells us that he is an oddball. He is considered "frightening and homeless" by the other contestants. He is a master at air-guitar and owns 1600 of them. (OK) He is wearing a patriot emsemble and rocking his long-haired hippe look. Says he was born and raised in poverty in Davenport and could only watch PBS shows so that's why he has a British accent. What is he singing "Judges choice day. You have a coice between Neil Diamond and James Buffet (pronounced Buff-fay). Starts with Diamond's "Crackin' Rose" and sounds like a drunk, something. Jennifer asks for another song and we get "Margarittaville" which is a little better, but still terrible. Randy says he has to leave to go to the bathroom and Magic says he does too and proceeds to shoot a confetti popper from the back of his pants. The judges all walk out on him.

Well, the previous three shows all ended with awesome auditions, I guess they had to bring out the "big guns" for the ratings on this one.

My favorites from Aspen: Shelby, Jairon, Curtis.

On to Houston/Galveston next show. Please don't make us Texans look like a bunch of loose cannons like you normally do, Idol.

In These Eyes

2012-01-24T13:00:00.002-06:00

These recent photos taken of David at an appearance in Manila, Philippines where he is filming a television show, have inspired me to write some new poetry.

Photo credit: @cherry08mariano

Photo credit: Naree

In These Eyes

In these eyes I see Happiness and joy overflowing to brighten the darkest day.

In these eyes I see Peace in the knowledge God is in charge and we are not.

In these eyes I see Passion for a life lived to the fullest each and every day.

In these eyes I see Innocence in thoughts and actions but never ignorance.

In these eyes I see Hope for a future where men can live their lives in harmony.

In these eyes I see Understanding that all is not perfect but we should still be grateful.

In these eyes I see Compassion for those burdened with sorrow and pain and poverty.

In these eyes I see Love for this world and all of God’s people who dwell here.

In these eyes I see a Heart, pure and gentle, encompassing all that is good.

American Idol 11: San Diego Auditions

2012-01-23T14:40:00.001-06:00

In all of the ads Fox ran leading up to the San Diego auditions aired last night (which was in my opinion the absolute worst time to air the episode- right after the NFC championship game which went into overtime) we were told that this would be the most unusual auditions ever. I had high hopes of seeing and hearing great contestants but what we were shown in this hour of noise and yawns was the same-old-same-old with just a different wrapper.

Yes, it was unusual to hold the AI auditions on the aircraft carrier, the USS Midway, anchored in the harbor. Actually, it was more than unusual, it was dumb. I'm not sure why the Navy would allow this to happen. To me, it was disrespectful of the importance and magnificence of this great vessel. My son who is joining the Navy in a few months agrees with me. We watched this episode together because of the Midway and we both left slightly annoyed and totally disappointed.

Jennifer Diley- 19- Columbus, OH- waitress
Not starting this off on the right tone, Ms Diley auditions in her "patriotic" bikini. Sings "With You" by Jessica Simpson. Just the fact that she would sing something by Ms Simpson should have her booted from the carrier. I am totally shocked and surprised when Randy and Steven actually criticize her singing. What- they actually listened to her, not just looked. Thank you! she is SO NOT going to Hollywood.

Ashley Robles- 26- San Diego, CA- Insurance Acct. Mgr.
Ashley is a single mom of a 5 yr old little girl. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston is usually a disaster when chosen as an audition song, but this girl is really good. Randy says she is a natural. I really like her. She is on the way to Hollywood.

Jayrah Gibson- 26- Long Beach, CA- singer
The intro with Jayrah babbling about why he is auditioning makes no sense. This guy is overly excited about this audition which normally spells "bad voice." Jayrah calls himself a R&B/ pop artist and sings a song he wrote about Jennifer. Everyone is somewhat impressed. The real audition song is something I have never heard of by someone I've never heard of either. He sounds better than expected. I'm not a fan, but they didn't ask me either. He's through to Hollywood.

Aubree Dieckmeyer- 20- San Clemente, CA- receptionist
Off to a flying start, the ditsy girl says she's the "Next Top Model." Sings "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble. Guess no one told her that the song is older that Michael is. I am not a fan of her high squeaky voice. Judges say she has natural talent (but I'm not sure in what). She's going to Hollywood.

Ali Shields- 19- Lodi, CA- student
Aw. How nice. Another ditsy chick. this one has been on Ellen's show because she wrote Ellen a song. That definitely qualifies her to audition for AI. Raps something awful, then "ghetto dances" something else awful. Sings something I have never heard before and I can't understand what she says is the name or what the words are. Annoying voice. Judges think she's a hoot and put her through to Hollywood. Well, I guess they need to have someone to quickly eject from the competition.

Kyle Crews- 19- San Diego- college student at UC Berkley
Frat boy who thinks he's a ladies man. Sings "Angel of Mine" by Monica. Not too bad considering. the judges are surprised but tell him to get a new wardrobe. He doesn't look the part to them. He's a 19 yr old college guy. What do they want him to look like, Justin Bieber? We'll see him in Hollywood.

Montage of contestants battling not each other, but the crazy sounds of the world around the Midway.

Jane Carrey- 24- LA- waitress
The description is deceiving. Jane is a waitress, mom, musician, and daughter of Jim Carrey. "It's hard living in the shadow of him." She's trying out to make her own mark in the world. Jennifer remembers Jane as a 2 yr old when she worked with Jim Carrey on set. Jennifer is freaking out about age here. Sings "Something to Talk About" and does a decent job with it. I doubt she would have been put through if they didn't know her dad but then stranger things have happened on Idol. On to Hollywood she goes.

Montage of girls with Golden tickets but we don't know their names.

Jason "Wolf" Hamiln- 24- Livermore, CA- mechanic at a golf course
Huge guy. Makes Seacrest look like sickly. Brought along the "git-fiddle" his deceased dad handcrafted for him. Sings "Midnight Special" by CCR. ok but not stellar. Steven asks for something else and they let him play his guitar to Folsom Prison Blues. Starts out better and then totally rocks it. I think I have found my favorite so far. Unassuming mega teddy-bear. Looks like a rock version of Michael Sarver from season 8 (and I liked Michael a lot). Hollywood look out, Werewolves of Hollywood is going to rock.

So even though we are told 53 Golden tickets were given out in San Diego, we have been presented with 2 really good auditions, 3 ok auditions, and 2 why o why auditions. Thanks to TPTB. Wouldn't want us to see too much too soon.

My favorites: Jason, Ashley, Kyle, Jane

*******News flash*********
Just watched the "Road to Hollywood" video feature on AI website and Kyle Crews listed David Archuleta as his favorite AI contestant of all time. I just might need to root for this boy yet.

American Idol 11: Pittsburg Auditions

2012-01-20T13:36:00.001-06:00

So, since the first audition episode of the new season wasn't bad, I've decided to keep going with am blogging about Idol.

The Pittsburg auditions were shortened a lot, so I guess the contestants were singing songs tptb couldn't get cleared. Either that, or they didn't want to overwhelm us with knowledge about the Golden ticket winners yet. I wish we had heard more but I'm hoping we will get more in the weeks to come.

Heejun Han- 22- Flushing, NY via Korea- non-profit organizer
Poor guy almost had himself psyched out of the competition before he saw the judges. Good thing those crazy arm flailing exercises relaxed him some. Sang "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" from Michael Bolton. Not bad. Nice tone. Totally surprised the judges. You could tell that Randy thought he would be terrible. I'm glad he wasn't terrible. He's through to Hollywood.

Reed Grimm- 26- Ellsworth, WI- Nanny (on-screen bio says been performing with family since he was 2)
Dressed casually in shorts and flip-flops. Seems kind of odd. Sings the theme song from Family Guy (I think). Nice scatting and col sound effects of upright bass. Judges are impressed. He's ok. Through to Hollywood.

Aaron Marcellus- 27- Teaneck, NJ- voice teacher
Very short clip. Sounds really good. He's through to Hollywood.

Chase Likens- 20- Point Pleasant, WV
Short clip- Sounds good, easy on eyes. JLo has goosebumps again. He's through to Hollywood.

Samantha Novacek- 19- Sutersville, PA
Accompanied by her older sister, Patricia (aka Patty the Planker). Um, why is this crazy girl planking on the platform while her sister auditions? Samantha sings "Like We Never Loved At All" by Faith Hill and sounds good. Why are the judges sending the planking sister along to Hollywood? Please don't show up in Hollywood Patty.

Creighton Fraker- 28- Queens, NY- starving artist
This gut seems pretty weird but I guess someone that tries to make a living singing on the streets of NY would be weird. Took a bus for 9 hrs to get to auditions. Wrote a song for the audition about the Idol judges. Judges laugh at him, expecting this to be a disaster. Not too bad really. Interesting voice. Judges are shocked for the second time in one show. He's through to Hollywood.

Eben Franckewitz- 15- Milford, OH
Really young but seems to be very mature. Ryan asks him how he feels about competing against older contestants. "It's a privilege to be here." Judges ask him who people think he looks like. Bieber- Not to me he doesn't. And the good news, he doesn't sound like Bieber at all. "Ain't No Sunshine" is wonderful. JLo says "Some people just have it." Randy says "Natural God-given gift." He's through to Hollywood.

Travis Orlando- 17- Bronx, NY
Travis auditioned last year. Had luck story from last year is even worse now. So sad but Travis still wants to sing. "Isn't She Lovely" isn't bad, but he is cutting some of the words short. Might be nerves though. Judges give him another chance in Hollywood.

Erica Van Pelt- 25- South Kingston, RI- mobile DJ/ wedding singer
Sings Carol King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" nicely. Definite Alto. Maybe not so many runs would make her better in my book. She's through to Hollywood.

Montage of happy Golden Ticket winners who are not named. I want to hear them too.

Shane Bruce- 19- Moundsville, WV- coal miner (yes really he is)
Seems like a really sweet guy who really needs a break but won't get it today. He's nervous and tackles a song that is way too big for a first audition, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." When he referred to it as the song from Shrek I knew he had bitten off more than he could handle. Please come back again next year, and move away from those coal mines or your voice, which I thought was pretty good for no training, will be toast.

Montage of rejects who are not giving up. Much better than montage of rejects slinging obscenities and gestures.

Hallie Day- 24- Baltimore, MD- waitress
As a teen , she was a member of a girl band, Plum Crazy. Life fell apart, she became an addict and almost OD'd on pills. Got her life back together finally. "I will Survive" is definitely her song. Hope she didn't set the bar too high with that as an opener. Powerful voice and the judges love her. She's so through to Hollywood.

So, my top three for this show are Eben, Hallie, and Heejun.

American Idol Season 11 Begins: Savannah Auditions

2012-01-19T12:27:00.007-06:00

I wasn't really going to blog about American Idol this year, but since I don't know when the normal subject of this blog, David Archuleta, will be leaving for his LDS mission, I thought I would go ahead and do this again. This is just a warning. If I don't fall in love with any of the contestants by the end of Hollywood week, I just might pull the plug on these posts. We'll just have to wait and see.

January 18, 2012
Week one the the Idol auditions takes us to Savannah, Georgia. All of our usual suspects are back this year: Ryan, Randy, Jennifer and Steven are ready to amuse and amaze us with their critiques of this years crop of potential new superstars. I like the intro to the show. Nice touch showing some of the young auditioners as even younger kids, watching Idol and hoping to one day be like their heroes. Let's see how many dreams can be crushed this year.

David Leather, Jr- 17- Fayetteville, NC
I don't like his initial attitude. Too big for his britches if you ask me. Take off the shades, fix the hanging belt that looks dumb. David competed against Scotty McCreery, last years winner, in a previous competition. They came in first and second, but he will not admit which one of them won. I bet it was Scotty. David sings "Remember the Rain" by Century 21. I'm not familiar with this song. I also don't like it. He looks and sounds 12 to me. Judges think he sounds like MJ and asks him to sing a Jackson song. I think he sounds better but nowhere near the high praise the judges are giving him. I'm not impressed. He's through to Hollywood.

Gabi Carubba- 16- New Haven, CT
Tells us she is a champion tap dancer. OK, nice to know. Has watched AI since season 1. Wants Steven Tyler to make his "happy face" when she sings and hugs Nigel when she comes in to judges room. Sings "Sunday Morning" from Maroon 5. Does a nice job with it. She's cute and confident without being cocky. I like her and so do the judges. She's through to Hollywood.

Breanna Faulk- 15- Monroe, GA
Really short clip but she sounds okay. She's through to Hollywood.

Neco Starr- 20- Atlanta, GA- Unemployed
Short clip but okay if we really need another Bruno Mars. He's through to Hollywood.

Molly Hunt- 15- Franklin, TN
Short clip. Soulful and good. Not really the style I like and she looks much older than 15. Maybe its the way she is dressed. She's through to Hollywood.

Ellise Testone- 28-Charleston, SC- Musician/Vocal Coach
Soulful, but not really what one would expect from a vocal coach. She's through to Hollywood.

Jessica Whitely- 19- OH
For someone who has been singing since she was 10 and is asked to sing the National Anthem at lots of events, she is terrible. Tells the judges she will see them again in Texas. Let's hope not. NO NO NO

After a commerical break, Ryan has little kids doing his Idol "talk" and then we meet someone who thinks they are Ryan Seacrest.
Shaun Kraisman- Can't sing but could replace Ryan if you don't mind it deja vue feeling. NO NO NO

Shannon Magrane-15- Tampa, FL
6 foot tall volleyball player. Dad was a pro baseball player.Joe Magrane pitched for the St Louis Cardinals in the world series in 80something. Judges bring in the whole family and Steven makes his first really awkward comment to Joe's question "How's things in Beantown?" to which Steven answers "Hot Humid and Happening, just like your daughter." Awkward silence!!! Shannon finally gets to sing "Somethin' Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James and does a really nice job. She's through to Hollywood and I hope her dad will be accompanying her there to keep the lusting old man away from her.

Now for a montage of bad singers set to Elvis' "You're the Devil in Disguise."

Amy Brumfield- 24- Gatlinburg, TN- Unemployed
Lives in a tent in the woods with her BF and their dog. Very happy girl despite living conditions. BF's mom got the audition outfit for her. Sings "Super Woman" by Alicia Keys and is awesome. Steven tells her "the spirit of the children of the woods snuck into you." I think she is great and I hope she advances far, but LA might be too much for her. I hope she gets some good advise about CA before she heads there. She's through to Hollywood.

Joshua Chavis- 23- Camdon, SC- Unemployed (that seems to be the theme with everyone over 17)
Thinks he's a combo of Brad Paisley and Chris Daughtry. I think my cocker spaniel sounds better than him.
Sings Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" terribly. NO NO NO

Stephanie Renee- 15-
Favorite Idol Carrie Underwood. Has watched since a small child. Sings a Carrie song, "Inside Your Heaven" and isn't half bad. Is very open to constructive critique by judges and is handling it all really well for just turning 15. Split vote, but going to Hollywood.

Schyler Dixon- 16- Murfreesboro, TN                     Colton Dixon- 19-
Back from last year. Judges recognize her and want to know if her brother Colton is auditioning again also. She says no but he is there with her. Judges ask her to get him and make both of them audition. Schyler sounds sweet and young on "Breakeven" and Colton has definitely grown as a singer on David Cook's "Permanent." Both are through to Hollywood. Schyler says "Well, that was unexpected." and Colton says "I have no idea what just happened." Unless he has been taking acting classes, he was truly surprised by this turn of events. I'm glad he is back. He was one of my favorites last season.

Time for a montage of crying rejects set to "I Fall To Pieces."

Lauren Mink- 25- Winchester, KY- works with adults with disabilities (an adult with an actual job!!!)
Sings "Country Strong" --Really good. Gives JLo goosebumps. Randy says she has a Jennifer Nettles/ Sugarland sound. She's through to Hollywood.

Montage to the HEAT in Savannah set to Lauren Alaina's "Georgia Peaches."

Mawuena Kodja- 25- Togo West Africa/ Nashville, TN
Sings Rascal Flatts "Stand By You" terribly with a heavy African accent. Not a chance that he would advance. Ryan takes him out to look for people who like his singing and brings back some little girls and one elderly man to talk to the judges. NO NO NO

Ashlee Altise- 28- Kinston, NC
She invented the "Joy Hopping" dance. Looks like a nut but can actually sing. Nice job on "Come Together" so she's through to Hollywood.

Montage of rejects handling things better than expected.

W T Thompson- 25- Appomattox, VA- unemployed but was working at a prison before Idol audition
Wife is 6 1/2 months pregnant. Nice country voice. Split vote with Steven not so sure, but He's through to Hollywood.

Montage of Girls go gaga for Steven. YUCK!!
Stalker girl Erica Novack- Buffalo, NY gets to audition. She says Steven is her future EX husband. Grabs his bottom during a hug. YUCK to both of them.  Sings "Super-Duper Love" by Josh Stone. She is Scary. NO NO NO

Brittany Kerr- 24- Charlotte, NC- NBA dancer
Really pretty, so she is through before she even sings. Okay singer. Through to Hollywood

Philip Phillips, Jr- 20- Leesburg, GA- works at dad's pawn shop
Very personable, not bad looking. Sings "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder really well. Randy asks for something with his guitar. Sings an amazing version of "Thriller." Judges are on fire about this guy. Jlo says he is "super special."   He's through to Hollywood.

So, 44 golden Tickets were handed out in Savannah. We saw 16 of them. Wonder what the rest of them will be like or if we will ever actually see them.

Here are my top 5 picks from Savannah auditions: Philip Philips, Amy Brumfield, Colton Dixon, Gabi Carubba, Schyler Dixon.

Yes, Idol is back.

Confessions of an Addict

2012-01-04T12:00:00.003-06:00

As you can tell by the title of this post, I Have A Problem. I want to go ahead, right here and now, and acknowledge this problem in hopes that I might be able to start to heal from this terrible affliction, which has taken over my being, before it is too late. Of course, it might be too late for me already. The problem is, I don't really want to be cured of this addiction, but I believe it will be necessary if I want to survive the next couple of years.

My affliction is not one of the usual addictions that you hear about in every day life, but one that is prevalent in the online world that I am happy to be part of. What is it that ails me you ask? Well, it is a strange, rather new – just came about in the past 4 years- but quite serious problem called ODD. For those of you who need to ask what ODD is, turn in your fan membership cards; you are not true Archies.

ODD, Obsessive David Disorder, took over my life on January 22, 2008 when American Idol season 7 aired the San Diego auditions in which David Archuleta first appeared. Since that day, when my daughter and I first saw “the really cute boy from Utah,” my world has not been the same. It was simple at first. Just watching our television twice a week to hear what new songs he had to share with the world and to make sure that he was advancing to the next week’s shows. No problem there. David blew people away every week; even those weeks when he was not 100% healthy or even forgot some of the lyrics. Although he did not win, he made it to the finale and is still the winner in my book.

After American Idol’s season came to an end, David became a greater obsession. It became extremely easy to find more information about David as the Idol summer tour progressed across the country. With each stop, there were more interviews, more fan videos and more recaps of fan encounters to be had. I was so happy to just sit in front of my computer all day, soaking in all that I could find. David was becoming an addiction.

My first encounter with the sheer pain that is possible from this type of addiction came that summer also. I so wanted to attend one of the two tour stops in Texas, but these came at the absolute worst time possible for me; the day before school started in Austin and the day school started. There was no possible way for me to attend these shows. If I had only realized then how many painful “I can’t go to that show or tour” moments there would be in the next four years, I would have probably gotten cured of this addiction while I could. The most painful “I can’t go” came this past December when I couldn’t attend any of the My Kind of Christmas tour stops because none were close to Texas. If I had only known what was to come, I would have found a way.

As each year has advanced along the timeline, I have become more and more enthralled by this phenomenon known as David Archuleta. ODD has happily become part of my existence. I can’t wait to see what each day will bring in regards to new David sightings or his words of wisdom or his songs. In short, I am addicted to David. I can’t go an entire day without reading or hearing about this remarkable young man. I even started this blog as a tribute to what I have learned from and how I have been inspired by David.

But now the ultimate ODD pain has set in and I have no control over it. Sometime this year, David will be putting is career on hold to participate in a full-time mission, probably for two years, for his church and for God. I’m excited for him, but sad for myself, as I won’t be able to hear about all the new and wondrous things he will experience each day. I will not be able to simply sit down at my computer each day and view new pics of this increasingly handsome man. I will not have easy access to information about what town he is in and what he is doing. In other words, he will be living an ordinary life, out of the spotlight which has enveloped him these past 4 years.

Of course, nothing about David is ordinary and the work he will be taking on will most likely be quite extraordinary, since it will be for the glory of God and not for man. This is the one thing that makes this pain all worth it. Knowing David will be doing the work of the Lord will make my pain bearable. Knowing that David says he will come back to music when he has completed his mission makes it more bearable. Knowing that David will be blessed by the Lord for doing this, and in turn, all of his fans will also be blessed by David’s growth during this time away from the limelight makes it all bearable.

So David, go forth and serve God and His people. Help millions of other’s on this planet that have not yet had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting you and the healing light of your soul. I will miss you while you are gone from my everyday life. I will still have your words and music to get me through the days and I will be here when you get back. Hopefully, by the time you return, I will have a new life plan in place for myself and I will never have to experience the pain of missing a tour because I couldn’t afford to fly to another city again.

David, stay safe and hurry back. My ODD isn’t going away.

2012 Already ?????

2012-01-02T12:22:00.001-06:00

So, today is January 2, 2012 already. Time is really flying by. I guess most people have made their New Year's Resolutions by now. I have thought about it too, but I don't usually make a written list of resolutions like other people do. To me this is just setting myself up for failure. It's good to have goals and to keep them but I have never been good at the typical things included on these kind of lists.

My husband always makes a list and it usually starts with exercise more, loose weight, eat healthy, etc. I tried to put these on my mental list one year and it was a total disaster, to say the least. It's not that I don't want to loose weight or be healthier, because I do, but every time I try to get into any kind of exercise routine or program, something happens. I tore a tendon in my foot on year and could barely walk, much less exercise, for almost 2 years after that. After my foot finally healed I tried to start out easy and just walk around the neighborhood. this was short lived because January is in the middle of Cedar pollen season in Austin and, since I am allergic to cedar, breathing is a struggle for me this time of year. I don't have the money for a gym membership so that is out for now too.

Another idea that I have seen included on the resolution lists is get a new job. Well, I have been unemployed for a number of years now and have been unsuccessfully job hunting for at least 4 years so this isn't looking very promising for me. No one wants to hire a 50-something woman who hasn't been employed for a while.

I don't want to sound negative by just listing the things I can't do here because I am not a negative person, just realistic. There are many things that I hope to accomplish this year. Here are a couple of things I really want to do.

1. I am going to keep submitting my manuscript to agents until I find one who will help me get it published. I spent the past year writing and rewriting my first ever novel and I really want to find a way to get it published.

2. I will keep trying to find a job. There must be something out there for a woman with a college degree, years of experience at many things, and the desire to work.

3. I will try to be a better wife and mother. It's not that I'm bad at either of these, it's just there is always room for improvement. My role as a mother will be changing even more this year as my youngest graduates from high school and enlists in the Navy. This will be a huge change for our entire family, so I know that I need to come to terms with it before it happens.

4. I will try to live a less sedentary lifestyle. Hopefully, after cedar season, I will be able to start walking again and maybe I can loose some weight. I need too. At the very least, I need to get away from this computer more often than I have this past year.

Well, these are the things I will be working on this year. I might add a few things along the way. Hopefully I can actually accomplish some of these things. It would be nice.

Happy Birthday David

2011-12-28T09:19:00.003-06:00

So, today's the big 2 - 1 for David. I'm quite sure he will celebrate it in simple rather than grand style. That's just who he is. I'm sure he will hang with his family and maybe a few friends. He certainly won't be out to all hours of the night drinking anything and everything that comes his way, like most celebrities, or for that matter, most young people turning 21 today. Of course, David Archuleta is not your ordinary 21 year old. David is not your ordinary anything. Extraordinary, yes; Ordinary, no .

So, here's a little poem I wrote in honor of this day. I actually wrote this before David announced his upcoming Mission, but I think it all still applies.

Happy Birthday David

There’s 21 candles on your cake this year,
They herald in a new frontier.
For as each day we watch and learn,
A greater respect we do earn.

Wisdom tells us you won’t go astray,
So go have fun on this special day.
Eat some food, laugh at friend’s jokes,
Leave plenty of time to hang with the folks.

Your parents surely will shed a tear,
Your siblings will also want to be near,
For the baby God placed here not long ago,
Is now ready to soar and run his own show.

So on this day go have some fun,
Eat and play, and when you’re done,
Your fans will still be waiting here;
We have your back, so have no fear.

David Archuleta Teaches Me Again

2011-12-24T00:36:00.002-06:00

Well, by now I'm sure all of you have heard the news of David opting to go on a full-time mission for his church, so I won't go into all of the details about that here. I will tell you how I felt about this news. Here is part of what I wrote on the David fan site, the Voice the day after the news broke.

Last night was such a surreal night. I rarely get a chance to watch a livestream of David's concerts. Something always comes up. This was a rare occasion when everyone else, including hubby, went to bed early, so I had time all to myself. To top it off, my internet didn't crash, not even when a thunderstorm came through. How very fitting now that I think back; the skies were rumbling and crying here in Austin during Silent Night. A foreshadowing of things to come.

My initial feelings as I listened to David say those words were "NO, NO, NO. I can't make it through a day without him." How extremely selfish could I be. It has taken me a few hours to completely come to my senses about this.

David has more courage in his pinkie finger than I have ever had in my entire 54 yr old body. I would not be able to make this decision he has. I profess that I am a Christian, but I pale in comparison when it comes to putting myself out there for the world to see my faith. I am going to take this extraordinary example this incredible young man has shown us and try to follow it. If I could even make one one-millionth of a percent of the impact on this world that this young man has made and will make, I will count my life a success.

Little did I know when I wrote my latest post about David and mentioned twelve things he has taught me this year, the greatest teaching was yet to come. I plan to keep my blog up, as I also WAIT for the day this Man whose Voice and Heart are gifts from God returns to us mere mortals. David never intended to become an Idol when he appeared on our TVs. He merely followed the promptings of the Only One who should actually be our Idol, the Lord.

Thank you David for being you.

A couple days later, after I had time to process this all a little more, I commented on the Golden Archies board:

Good morning all. Yes, I said GOOD MORNING. And it is good. We are alive. David is alive. The world is still turning as always. Yes, changes are in the works. Change is always happening, it is inevitable. We can't stop it. We just have to embrace it and go on.

As you can tell, I have now had time to deal with all of the unexpectedness of Monday night. Initially, I was stunned, floored, shocked, numbed, saddened, and sickened. Then, as I processed it all yesterday, I was moved, stirred, enlightened, comforted, and reassured. This morning my life is so much better than it was yesterday.

I'll warn you now, this might take some time to explain. A lot has happened in my life this year that has not been positive. My family has struggled with much including too many household things breaking to mention including two vehicles, health issues, teenage daughter leaving home, teenage son (who has always been the smart one, the perfect one - Eagle scout personified) screwing up majorly - multiple times, and money struggles galore. Just last week I told my family that I will be so glad when 2011 is over and we can try it all again, to see if it can get better.

Through all of these struggles, David's power over me through his music and spirit and his life example has been my saving grace. The friendships I have forged with other David fans have become priceless to me as you all have become my sounding board. Thank you all for your prayers at the times when I didn't know what else to do. My abilities to express myself more eloquently have grown by leaps and bounds since I have been writing for my blog about David, and now writing a novel and multiple short stories. I truly believe that I have found my voice and my passion that I was always confused over.

When I first "meet" David, I was in a very dark place in my life. My mother had recently died, my daughter was very, very sick, I was very sick, my marriage was in big trouble. David brought hope and happiness back into my life. Over these 4 years, he has always been there to save me. As I listened to him say those words Monday night, my heart stopped. How could he do this to me? Me, his devoted follower who needs him so much. I need him, not some person on the other side of the world who doesn't have a clue who he is.

WOW. I don't think God was particularly happy with me at that moment. This young man is temporarily giving up everything in his life and handing his life over to God and all I could think about is me. I feel so greedy and guilty and disgusted with myself now. This would not make David happy either.

David has taught me so much with his songs, his words, his examples of how to live your life. As I thought about all of this yesterday, I suddenly had an epiphany. This is going to be another way of helping me deal with my own life situation; giving up something I don't want to give up. Letting go, even temporarily, of something I love.

I have always felt, like many of you, that David is like a son to me. I have that motherly protection thing going on here. Well, mom needs to let the baby fly at some point and that point is now. I think letting go of David, not good bye but spread your wings and fly, is good for me as I will be letting my own son fly in a matter of months. He will be joining the Navy after graduation and following his own “mission.” God is preparing me for this. It will hurt, but I can make it through this hurt, knowing he is doing what God has told him to do. Brandon has prayed about this and put much thought into it, and it is what he has been told to do. I have prayed about it and I feel it is what God wants. No, it is not the “safe” choice that a parent would want their child to make. Stay at home, attend college here. That’s what the mom wants. Safety. I’m sure Lupe would be content knowing that David was safely hanging out in LA or SLC writing music, and traveling sometimes to sing for people, but is this the best thing to do with his life right now. Does it please God or just her? Will he grow as a man by doing the simple and safe thing? Maybe, but not necessarily? Sure, Brandon can receive an awesome “education” by attending the University of Texas, but will he learn to be a Godly Man just hanging out in the same place, with the same people?

I am in a much better place now about my own son’s choices as I have considered David’s life choices. I will be here with open arms the minute both of them return home from their “Missions.”

But now, after viewing a simple video of one of the most beautiful, simple songs I have ever heard, sung at the VIP of the last My Kind Of Christmas tour stop, the one right after David's announcement, my heart has been set completely right. I no longer wonder why David felt the need to do his LDS mission. David's entire life is this song. So, please watch this video of the most extraordinary singer and human being I know of, singing what David tells us is a Primary (Kids) Song of the LDS church, I'm Trying to be Like Jesus. See if you don't agree with me on this: If the entire world would take the time to listen to the message of this song, sung by this man, we could have instant peace.

video by 8throwcenter

So, once again this young man has taught me something. He has shown me what unconditional faith and love look like, for it is absolutely impossible to listen to this performance and not feel the presence of the Holy Spirit flowing from him and into you. He makes you understand what it feels like to know Jesus personally, as he does, on a first name basis. He shows you just how wonderful life can be - with Jesus in your heart.

The Twelve Months of 2011 : Professor Archuleta Style

2011-12-17T00:21:00.002-06:00

In the first month of 2011
David taught us about compassion
By washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the second month of 2011
David taught us about courage
By leaving his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the third month of 2011
David taught us about patience
By taking the time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the fourth month of 2011
David taught us about fearlessness,
By playing a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the fifth month of 2011
David taught us about commitment
By Breaking the Silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the sixth month of 2011
David taught us about optimism
By performing with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the seventh month of 2011
David taught us about gratitude
By singing for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the eighth month of 2011
David taught us about perseverance
By introducing a boy named Marius,
After he sang for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the ninth month of 2011
David taught us about humility
By seeking our help with a problem,
Once he introduced us to Marius,
After he sang for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the tenth month of 2011
David taught us about caring
By singing for kids with illnesses,
Since he sought our help with a problem,
Once he introduced us to Marius,
After he sang for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After he washed the feet of lepers in India.

In the eleventh month of 2011
David taught us about virtue
By amazing us with interviews,
When he sang for kids with illnesses,
Since he sought our help with a problem,
Once he introduced us to Marius,
After he sang for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

In the twelfth month of 2011
David taught us joyousness
By slaying us with epic shows,
After he amazed us with interviews,
When he sang for kids with illnesses,
Since he sought our help with a problem,
Once he introduced us to Marius,
After he sang for grateful fans in Asia,
When he performed with his new band,
Because he broke the silence about child soldiers,
Since he played a charity basketball game,
While he took time to ponder,
Once he left his record label,
After washing the feet of lepers in India.

David Mindboggles The Crowds

2011-12-02T21:01:00.004-06:00

David started his My Kind of Christmas tour yesterday in Westbury, NY. The reports are rolling in and it looks like Mr. Archuleta has reached a new level of magnificence once again. I wish I could attend one of the 13 scheduled performances for this tour, but it is not meant to be. Instead, I will just have to watch every one of the videos and read every one of the recaps provided by the oh-so-fortunate fans in attendance.

Today, after viewing videos of some of the new music presented by David last night, and reading the accounts of a few of those in attendance, I was hit by a wave of creativity. You know what that means - A new poem. So here it is: AWAKE. I think I'll subtitle it : Ode to the Critics.

Awake: Ode to the Critics

Awake all you naysayers and cynics, Awake!
Feel the mighty tremble as the ground does shake!
Hear the roar of the Voice you’ve tried to ignore,
He’s grown in power and is knocking down your door.

For years you have doubted the worth of this one,
By laughing and taunting and saying he’s young.
While mocking his values and goals for his future,
You critics have failed to view the whole picture.

There’s more to this troubadour than just his age,
He shows wisdom, and passion, and magic on stage.
His voice soars above the ugly discord below,
As each day he continues to learn and to grow.

The heart of this one is so pure and so right,
It does beckon to all to reach out for the light.
For darkness could never take root in his soul,
God’s goodness and blessings his life does extol.

While humble and honest and good to a fault,
He still had the presence to wage an assault.
With all of the power of the throngs of his fans,
He readied to strike out and lay forth his plans.

Those skeptics who said he could never advance,
Will soon be proved wrong when shown his new dance.
By watching and waiting and crafting his wares,
This young man has blossomed; now no one compares.

So I’m here to tell you that the day has arrived,
When those who concocted and jived and connived,
To bring down the curtain on this one so blest,
Will find that their words have surely failed the test.

What once was a whisper in the ears of a few,
Has grown to a symphony in this new venue.
The jury’s returned with a positive verdict,
His life plan acknowledged by all to be perfect.

The ABCs of David

2011-11-23T15:54:00.124-06:00

AbsolutelyBeautifulCharacter

I love to try my hand at new poetry and this one has been the biggest challenge to date. I started this poem a couple of months ago but just haven't felt that it was complete. Something was missing, but I didn't know what until I saw the latest photos of David from the LDS Living photo shoot. Then it dawned on me: I needed a photo ... or two ... or 26. Now it is complete.

Amazingly unique; mere words can not describe this young man.

LDS Living/ Michael Schoenfeld

Blessed by God with the power to heal another's soul with his voice.

CMN Awards/ Orlando Attractions

Captivating and charismatic, his unique personality draws people in.

LDS Living / Michael Schoenfeld

Devout Follower, not afarid to let others know of his beliefs.

MoTab performance Dec 2010 / screen cap

Exquisite vocalist; bringing immense pleasure to all that hear.

Fascinating enigma who can change demeanour in a matter of seconds.

Jennifer Leigh Barry

Gifted artist, possessing skills only obtained from a higher source.

Asia Tour

Honest; presenting fears and faults to us so that we can learn from these.

Inspirational; his actions and words lead others to be better human beings.

Rising Star Outreach

Joyous perspective on life and its struggles shows us how a light heart soars.

Malaysia 2011

Keen sense of what is right and wrong makes us all re-examine our actions.

Ronald McDonald House NY

Love of God and family and friends and music drives his life.

Somos el Mundo

Mesmerizing eyes reach deep into our souls, triggering our emotions.

David Archuleta Official

Naturally shy, he transforms when placed before an audience.

Ronald McDonald

Optimistic about all that is to come, he tries to look on the bright side.

Duffy's Hope

Patriotism flows through is veins; love for his country is evident.

US Open

Quentessential artist that delivers songs in a way no one else can.

Foster Fest

Respectful of all cultural differences while holding steadfast to own beliefs.

@DavidArchie twitter

Searing vocals pierce hardened hearts and ease troubled souls.

Foster Fest

Talented beyond belief and yet humble in knowing that all is from God.

Christmas From The Heart Tour

Utah and family recharge him, bringing a wealth of comfort to the busy soul.

@DavidArchie twitter

Velvet on a red cupcake; His voice is smooth and transports us to heaven.

CMN Awards

Wise beyond his years, this young man holds fast to what he knows is right.

Rising Star Outreach

Xerox could never make a copy; He is one of a kind.

Christmas From The Heart Tour

Young at heart.

@DavidArchie twitter

Zero gravity is reached as his voice soars into the stratosphere.

LDS Living / Michael Schoenfeld

Third Anniversary of David's First Album

2011-11-12T19:17:00.005-06:00

Well, this took me a lot longer than I thought it would, but I have finally completed a new acrostic in honor of the 3rd anniversay of David Archuleta's self-titled album. All 18 titles of the tracks released for various versions of this album are included in the second part of this poem.

Oh, just in case you were wondering, this is a true story. It is my story.
PandasMama (Margy)

David Archuleta entered my life, and consequently the lives of my family, in January of 2008 through
American Idol. Now, I had never really paid attention to this TV show very much before that year, only
Viewing it ocassionally to laugh at crazy auditioners, or to catch the final "good" acts. I really didn't think
Idols were a good thing to have. But the minute I heard David sing "Waiting On the World to Change,"
Devoted fan became my new title. The young man with the Voice of an Angel changed my world that day.

Angels are sent here to help us. This theory Works For Me. While evil tries to put up Barriers and
Rears its ugly head at every possible chance, these earthly helpers lift us above the attackers, those who
Crush people's hopes that Somebody Out There cares. A greater power says "never fear. My
Hands are here, I'll help if you're Falling or Desperate. I can Save The Day. I want To Be With You."
Until you David, I was Running, just Waiting For Yesterday and all the demons to devour me. I thought,
Let Me Go. I don't want to be here any more. No one will miss me. But through David's humble, earthly
Examples of how to act I have been reminded that God says "You Can survive everything if you
Touch My Hand and Don't Let Go of hope. Happiness and love can be yours if you just believe." So,
Acknowledging I'm A Little Too Not Over You, DJA, is my way of saying Thank You for being an angel.

Imagine: David

2011-11-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

IMAGINE! Just imagine what this world of ours would be like if
More people allowed their hearts and minds to be open to
Accepting the wonderful message presented by David. What
Good things could possibly transpire on this crazy planet
If everyone here really tried to concentrated on the positive
Not always dwelled on the negative? What if all the people
Everywhere chose to exhibit happiness and love, not hatred?

Imagine the marvelous possibility of what
Music could sound like if more of today's so-called
Artists followed David's lead and chose to present
Godly values in their works. Wouldn't it be absolutely
Incredible if all the songs played on our radio stations
Narrated the positive message of hope and caring?
Everyone would feel so much more loved and appreciated.

Imagine how much the world might be improved if
More people followed David's example of compassion
And used their time and money to help those less fortunate,
Graciously giving of themselves to help others in need.
Involving himself with causes that champion children around the world,
Noble David sets an example for all. With his help, the world can
Evolve into a place where everyone and everything is cared for.

Imagine waking up each day and appreciating the beauty of the
Marvelous world that surrounds us. What if we all took the time to
Admire the majestic mountains, rolling rivers, colorful flora, and
Gorgeous creatures placed here for our pleasure? Taking time to
Imbibe in nature's artistry is something that David has told us he enjoys.
Nourishing the mind and body by relaxing in a breathtaking yet simple
Environment can bring immense happiness and peace in our hectic lives.

Imagine looking at the world, not through "rose-colored glasses," but with a
Magnanimous heart, acknowledging that we are not a perfect people
And forgiving indiscretions. How wonderful would the world be if we practiced
Good-will towards all of mankind; showing kindness to all, even to our enemies.
Ill-will could be replaced by friendships with those we once considered opposites.
Nation's leaders might learn a thing or two if they listened to the words of this young
Emissary of Love. There's so much to learn from this humble David. Just IMAGINE.

Zombies Invade Austin

2011-10-31T23:00:00.006-05:00

Today might be Halloween, but last night zombies invaded Austin, Texas. Maybe I should clarify that statement: Zombies invaded Austin's hottest new music venue, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater.(That's the fancy name for the studio where the 37 yr old megahit PBS music show, Austin City Limits, now resides.) Normally, I would not be excited by the invasion of our fair city by zombies, but these were not your everyday run-of-the-mill zombies. In fact, these were very special zombies, and we are the only city where these type of zombies have been spotted.

If you frequent this blog, then right about now you are probably wondering what has gotten into me. Why am I talking about zombies instead of my normal subjects of David Archuleta or American Idol? "Has she lost her mind?" is probably one of the first things that you said to yourself. Well, I probably have lost it but, have no fear, these zombies are not far off of my normal subjects.

Last night was a great night for me as a lover of American Idol as I was fortunate enough to attend the first Austin concert of AI Season 7 winner - and good buddy of my favorite Idol contestant- Mr. David Cook. (Dave as he introduced himself to the crowd.) Now "Dave" is on tour with Gavin Degraw and they, along with Carolina Liar, stopped by ACL Live last night as part of their tour, each supporting their newest albums. I was so thrilled to get word of this concert. My husband is a live music photographer here in Austin and we have been working together recently doing music reviews for an online music magazine, All Access and we were lucky to secured both photo and review passes for this concert. My husband, Limelight Imaging, owns the rights to all of the photos of Cook and his band seen below. More images from this concert and many more can be found here.

I am not familiar with the opening act, Carolina Liar, and I only heard their last two numbers, so I won't try to review their performance. Gavin Degraw was ok, not my favorite by any stretch of the imagination, but he was well received by the crowd. I was there to see Cook.

"Dave" had tweeted that they would have a different look for this concert but I don't think anyone was really expecting the whole band to appear as zombies.

They looked great. Not overdone, but just enough to set the mood for a great pre-halloween show. (The night before the venue had hosted an intense Zombie Ball, so this was really fairly tame.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Cook and the band really rocked the venue. Although the setlist showed 14 numbers, Cook actually performed 13 songs: Circadian, Heroes, Mr Sensitive, Paper Heart, Come Back To Me, Let Me Fall, I Did For You, Last Goodbye, a cover of Muse's Stockholm Syndrome, Lie, Barbasol, Light On, and Fade Into Me.

All were very good, but my favorites were the last two, Light On and Fade Into Me. I also loved the a capella section of Lie.

I didn't have my regular camera with me to shoot pics and videos since my husband was shooting pro shots but I recorded Light On and Fade Into Me with my iPhone.

It's not the best visual since I was in the mezzanine but the audio is pretty good. (Please don't judge the venues incredible sound but my poor videos. This place is amazing.)

Although I had a great time finally getting to see one of my favorites from my favorite season of AI, three things about this concert made me sad.

First, I wish Cook had been the headliner and had played even more of his great music. There are many other selections from his albums that I would have liked to hear. More selections like the acoustic performance of Fade Into Me would have been great.

Second, I was really disappointed in the turn-out for this show. At one point Cook even noted it himself saying "I guess everyone didn't get the memo." ACL Live can easily hold 2700 to 3000 guests but for this concert, in which the floor was made GA standing, and most of the third floor balcony was curtained off, I would guess that the attendance was less than 1000. After Cook's performance, it was probably only 750 left in the building. The ticket prices weren't bad so I don't know why the attendance was so low. Probably because none of these artists get their music played on radio stations in this town.

Third, the one artist that I really want to see live in this venue is David Archuleta. While others need amps and mega sound systems to fill up this space, David just needs his voice. I hope one day to actually see and hear Mr. Archuleta in this venue.

Well, I see Mr. Archuleta dropped by to check up on his friend, Mr. Cook. Now, if I could just get him to drop by the new ACL Live venue here in Austin, I would have a spooktacular review to post here.

Hope you all had a fantastically ghoulish Halloween.

David's Heart Voice

2011-10-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago I read an article on the David Archuleta Fansite Snowangelz in which the author, therealnewangel, wrote about David's performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir last December. In it she talked about what she felt when David performed all of the amazing Christmas songs with the choir. She named it "Heart Voice."

"I have no idea what you call the various vocal techniques, how you define all those terms, head voice, chest voice… All I know is heart voice. Heart voice was definitely there. I don’t know how to describe what I feel or picture when David sings spiritual songs. Maybe it’s that I see a feeling, if that’s possible. I see peace– can I say that? It sounds stupid and New-Agey, but there it is. I see peace."

I've known all along that David has a special quality about him when he sings certain songs. It's there when he sings spiritual songs for sure, as therealnewangel said, but I had never really thought about other songs that bring out this quality in David until I listened to his newest rendition of Lean On Me, performed over this past weekend at DisneyWorld for the Children's Miracle Network Awards Ceremony. When I first heard this recording this morning, I got chills, and the first words that came into my mind were "Heart Voice."

Video courtesy of AttractionsMagazine

David's heart was totally laid out for everyone to hear and see when he sang Lean On Me. He meant every word that came out of his mouth. The opening of the song in the lower register, possibly the lowest I have ever heard David sing in, took my breath away. He was soft and strong, subdued and powerful, all at the same time. Then David kicked into overdrive and delivered the song on a platinum platter, not a silver one that can tarnish easily with time, but platinum, one of the rarest and strongest elements on this earth. David, the sometimes thought of as meek and always humble artist, gave these incredible children, who have gone through so much in their short lives, a platinum performance, a "Heart" performance, truly meaning every word.

"Lean on me; When you're not strong; And I'll be your friend; I'll help you carry on."

I know that every person present must have been able to feel David's heart during that performance. I could feel it, and I was only viewing a video. David's "Heart Voice" was ringing through the heavens on Saturday, lighting the world as it touched each person. I'm sure that he healed many a soul that night. I know that he healed mine again this morning. Thank you, David. I, for one, needed a renewing of your "Heart Voice" surging through my soul, healing all of the wounds of everyday life.

Now, if only there were a way for every person on this planet to SEE and HEAR David. Imagine what the world would be like if we all felt this amazing "Heart Voice."

My Kind of Christmas Equals A Thousand Miles

2011-10-07T09:45:00.005-05:00

So, like many others in the middle section of the Land of the Archuleta, I am sad. I know that I should be all excited about the new Christmas tour but I just can't bring myself to rejoice when I know that I won't be able to attend one of David Archuleta's concerts this tour. Since I did not have the opportunity to attend the Christmas From The Heart Tour in 2009 because there were no stops in Texas, and I was unable to attend the MoTab performances in Utah last December, I had high hopes of attending a Christmas concert this year. But alas, the My Kind of Christmas Tour is not my kind of tour, for it does not include a stop anywhere near me.

I guess that I should be happy that I was able to attend the Children's Hospital benefit concert in Dallas last December. I loved every minute of that performance, even if it was way too short. I did actually get to shake David's hand at the very, very rushed and limited Meet and Greet before the show. And I was able to attend David's performance at the Kaleidoscope skating show taping a few days later in San Antonio. He only performed two songs there, but it was worth every second of my time to go there. I was even fortunate enough to get his autograph on the program after the show. (ArchuCaroling in the wee hours of a cold San Antonio night FTW.)

But as any true fan of David knows, after you have seen and heard David perform live, there is no possible way that you can exist without hearing him live again, and again, and again. And it doesn't matter what he is singing, it just matters that he IS singing. Once David's voice has been allowed to enter your mind, body, and soul, there is no turning back. Nothing can be substituted for the immense euphoria that you experience when you feel his music. To me, Christmas music sung by David is the ultimate in this feel-good euphoria. I could listen to David sing only Christmas music for the rest of my life and I would be completely content.

Nonetheless, as much as I want to be able to attend a Christmas show of David's this year, it will not be. Since I do not have the funds for catching a flight to anywhere right now, I would be required to drive to this concert. After the dates were posted, I did a little research to determine if I could possibly find a way to one of the venues and discovered that the Beaver Creek, Colorado show is the closest to me. But since I live in the middle of Texas, closest does not mean much. It is about a 12 hour drive just to get out of Texas. And then another 6 to 8 hours to get to Beaver Creek, located A Thousand Miles from me. And driving into the mountains of Colorado in December really doesn't sound like a smart idea for this very "Texas" girl. I will just have to live vicariously through the videos of the lucky fans who are fortunate enough to live on one of the US coasts or have ample money to fly wherever their hearts desire.

To deal with my disappointment over not seeing David perform this year, I have rewritten the lyrics to the perfect David cover, A Thousand Miles.

So, David, I just want to say that we might not get a lot of snow here in the middle of the Lone Star State but we do celebrate Christmas, BIG TIME. Come check it out sometime.

P.S. Don't worry, your Texas fans still love you and will continue to support you, even if you are a million miles away. Once a fan, always a fan!

My Kind of Christmas Equals A Thousand Miles

(sung to the tune of A Thousand Miles)

David announced his tour,

Happy day,

Check the list,

Where will he be?

Staring at my screen,

Not believin' my eyes,

It can't be,

Nowhere near me!

But I need him,

And I miss him,

And so I ponder ...

If I could jump

Onto a plane,

I'd fly to where

He'd sing each day,

'Cause I'd have to drive

A thousand miles

For me to

Just see him

On tour.

I see there's thirteen stops,

But they are all so far,

So I wonder

If he could just

Come this way.

'Cause money here is tight.

So I can not fly.

Texas for tour

Is where he should be!

'Cause I need him,

And I miss him,

And so I ponder ...

If I could jump

Onto a plane,

I'd fly to where

He'd sing each day,

'Cause I'd have to drive

A thousand miles

So I could

Just see him

On tour.

But I, I

Just can't afford to fly.

I, I

Can't drive to Beaver Creek.

I, I

Don't want to miss his tour.

I'm, I'm

SAD!!! :( :( :( :(

David announced his tour,

Happy day,

Check the list,

Where will he be?

Staring at my screen,

Not believin' my eyes,

It can't be,

Nowhere near me!

And I still need him,

But I will miss him,

And so I ponder ...

If I could jump

Onto a plane,

I'd fly to where

He'd sing each day,

'Cause I'd have to drive

A thousand miles

So I could

Just see him ...

If I could jump

Onto a plane,

I'd fly to where

He'd sing each day,

'Cause I'd have to drive

A thousand miles

So I could

See David ...

So I could

Hear David

On tour!!!

Didactic Cinquain Poetry

2011-09-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

I never really got into poetry when I was in school but lately I have been trying to find different ways of expressing myself through writing so I have been researching poetry. A different form that I recently found is cinquain poetry. Cinquain has 5 lines with progressive number of words in each line. There are several variations on this form of poetry but I have decided to attempt a didactic cinquain first.

The didactic cinquain poem works like this:

First Line: Title

Second Line: Two words that describe the title

Third Line: Three words that give more information on the subject

Fourth Line: Four words that describe feelings related to the subject

Fifth Line: Single word that is a synonym for the title.

The example that I found that best helped me see how this works is:

Tree

Strong, Tall

Swaying, Swinging, Sighing

Memories of the Summer

Oak

Simple but effective. I can picture it perfectly in my mind.

So, to relate this to a topic I love to write about, I happened upon a new piece of artwork on the Fans of David site from my favorite graphic artist in the land of The Archuleta, Juan Morales. (Go here for Juan's blog.) The minute I laid my eyes on this new piece, I knew that I had to write about it. Thanks Juan for always inspiring me to dig deep into my mind and soul for just the right words.

First, here is the artwork entitled, Lightburst.

Now, here is my interpretation of this work.

Lightburst

Radiant, Explosive

Brilliant, Fiery, Unexpected

Expression of Spiritual Enlightenment

David

Patriotic Music

2011-09-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

Ok, I have a great idea but I'm going to need a little help from some of you out there in Archuleta-Land with putting my plan into action. You see, after listening to the incomparable Mr. Archuleta sing the National Anthem of our country at The Constitution Fair in Gilbert, AZ in a way that I have never heard it performed before by anyone, I have decided that he should be the only person to ever sing this song again. Not only does he know all of the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner as it is normally sung, but he also knows the lyrics to more than one verse of the song. Amazing!! Most "famous" singers that are asked to present this incredibly difficult song at various events, have a problem remembering the words to the first verse. Many a "superstar" has bumbled and stumbled their way through this magnificent acclamation of our country's might, embarrassing both themselves and our great country. Why? If you don't know the words to the song, which would be very sad if you are an American citizen, LEARN THEM.

Here is David performing our National Anthem in Gilbert, AZ. Video credit to Jonerzz.

Many beautiful songs have been written proclaming the special qualities of our country yet very few of these songs are ever performed in public any more. Yes, the "butchered" Star Spangled Banner can be heard before many sporting events and occasionally another patriotic song is tossed in the place of the National Anthem, but unless it's the 4th of July, don't plan on hearing more than one song of this type at any event. What happened to these beautiful songs that tell of our country's history? Why don't we ever sing them anywhere today? The biggest reason that I see for this incredulous problem is that too many in our country have gotten too slack in teaching our kids what it really means to be an American. I guess they don't want to offend "visitors" to our nation by showing them just who and what we are. People want to be "politically correct". Many of these songs also have references to God, so I guess people don't want to acknowledge that our country was founded by "Believers." We wouldn't want others to know that we have faith in a higher power. I say that this is not the way for our visitors to learn about our country. We should be proud of our past, even if it was not perfect. We should stand up and Thank God for our country every day.

Here is David performing God Bless America . Video credit to Jonerzz

I have noticed a very disturbing trend in the past month that goes along with this same line of thought. My son plays high school football here in Texas. His team has now played 4 games so far this season and the only patriotic song that I have heard performed by any of the marching bands performing at these games has been our national anthem. When I was in high school, I was a member of my high school's marching band and each game, each routine for half time, we always performed at least one patriotic song, usually a Sousa March. These are beautiful pieces of music that honor our great country each time they are performed. As I sat watching the halftime performances this past week, a thought came to me; I can't remember the last time I heard any band play a Sousa march. Then another terrible thought occured to me; Sousa has been replaced by - Katy Perry. Yes, you heard me. At each of the four games that I have attended this year, one, if not both of the marching bands have performed a Katy Perry song. I have heard Hot and Cold, Firework, and Teenage Dream already this season, and we are barely started. What else can we be exposed to before the season is over. I have also heard The Blackeyed Peas and Lady Gaga already. What is high school band coming to? This new trend is very sad and kind of makes me sick. Is this the image we want our kids to emulate? I certainly don't.

Ok, I'm finished ranting now. I got a little sidetracked there. I was supposed to be talking about the wonderful David Archuleta performance at the Constitution Fair this past Saturday. This is yet another fantastic performance given by David that I so wish I had been able to attend in person. I did listen to the concert live on ustream, but this is nothing like being at the show; it simply gives the fans a chance to know what David is singing at the moment. Many of the videos taken by lucky fans in attendance are amazing, but once again do not do justice to the power of the Archuleta when experiencing him live. Every fan knows this is true. No recording devise has been made that can capture the feeling you get when listening to David in person. There is nothing in the world like David "Live."

Here is David performing Stand By Me. While this is not a patriotic song, David manages to elevate the status of the song by dedicating it to our military. He is a very wise young man, knowing just what songs can work for an ocassion. Once again, video credit to Jonerzz.

While David performed many songs at this concert that had nothing to do with patriotism, he did end his performance with the patriotic medley that he first gave us for Utah's Freedom Fest in July. This is another beautiful example of David showing us how he feels about this country. I so wish that other performers would follow David's lead and bring back some patriotism. We need it so badly these days.

David sings My Country Tis of Thee and America the Beautiful. Yes David, it is OUR COUNTRY and it is BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for reminding us of that and thank you for being beautiful also.

Video credit once again to the very talented Jonerzz.

Glad Christmas Tidings

2011-09-07T12:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Sept. 6, 2011, was the official release date for Glad Christmas Tidings, the annual Christmas gift to the world from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. As is the norm, this performance was recorded last year in December for release this year for the holiday season. Each year special guests are featured with the choir and this past year David Archuleta was the musical guest. Actor Michael York also appeared with the choir narrating a story. I so wish that I would have been able to attend one of these tapings, but it was not to be, so I have waited anxiously for 8 months for this date to arrive.

As of late, I have taken to writing poetry about all kinds of David events and songs so I decided to write another acrostic poem in honor of the release of Glad Christmas Tidings. As I thought about what I wanted to say in this poem, I contemplated what the words of this title really mean. As I did research on the words and possible meanings for each, I discovered something; this title, though it sounds old-fashioned, is absolutely perfect for David. The thesaurus I consulted gives synonyms for "glad" that include "happy, delightful, joyful, cheerful, blessed, favored, and merry" to name a few. These words perfectly describe David. I'm not sure that I have ever met or seen anyone as happy or blessed or joyful as David. Synonyms for "tidings" include "greetings, news, announcement, broadcast, knowledge, enlightenment, message, proclamation, and intelligence." To me, this is David through and through. David has been announcing to the world that happiness is within our grasp if we seek enlightenment and knowledge and use our intellect to process the message of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Since this is no ordinary recording, I decided that my poem would not totally convey the extraordinary uniqueness of the event if I were to use ordinary words, so my thesaurus, as well as my brain, has gotten a workout.

Now, I present to you my interpretation of the soon to be classic recording, Glad Christmas Tidings. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Margy

Glad Christmas Tidings

Gladsome faces welcome the delighted assemblage to the magnificent amphitheater.
Lively dancers unite with countless voices and a multitude of instruments to create an
Amazing blend of robust power and delicate grace. Harmonious notes rise to the heavens,
Declaring the good news of the infant's birth while lifting up praises to the Almighty One.

Celestial sounds fill the air as the marvelous company is joined by a phenomenal yet
Humble soloist, intent on sharing his jubilant message with those gathered before them.
Reverent selections show the significance of this august performance, while highlighting the
Impeccable power and purity of his majestic voice. Light-hearted and sometimes whimsical
Songs remind all in attendance that this is a joyous occasion, to be celebrated with great elation.
The sensational orchestra creates a majestic backdrop as the resplendent vocalist delivers each
Magnificent selection with awe-inspiring style and precision. Glorious notes waft through the
Air as the choir's sublime chorus accompanies the young virtuoso as he passionately delivers
Sumptuous vocals for each of his stunning performances, producing sweet sounds for the ears of all.

Tears of joy fill the eyes and tender moments touch the hearts of the audience as they so
Innocently succumb to the divine power of this message of love and peace and happiness.
Dignity and poise are the order of the night as all marvel at the transformation of this normally
Introverted boy into the confident strong man standing before them. Never before has one so young
Navigated the waters of this massive undertaking, nevertheless he forges on to reach the zenith.
Glad Christmas tidings fill the air as the gathering thanks their benefactors for this blessed evening.
Sparkling eyes, a radiant smile, and an aura of peace proclaim this young man's mission is a success.

Things Are Gonna Get Better

2011-08-28T20:20:00.014-05:00

For the last couple of weeks, my life has been spinning out of control at full force in many different directions all at the same time. I know that happens to everyone sometimes but I don't like it one bit. I need to be in control and I am not even close to it right now.

I have been listening to David's inspirational songs a lot lately, trying to find some peace of mind. One song that has helped me a lot this weekend is Things Are Gonna Get Better. I wish that David would perform this song again, because I think it has a message we all need to hear each day. Life isn't easy but we can make it. Life will get better. We will be fine.

video credit to jhann062392

I have written an acrostic poem for Things Are Gonna Get Better. I hope you like it. I hope it helps you with whatever problems you are facing in life just like David's song has helped me.

The storms of life work hard to rage against us,
Hurling anything and everything our way. Sometimes
It feels as if the entire world is out to get us, plotting
New and painful ways to bring us down. We might
Get kicked over and over again by strangers or even
Stepped on by the people that we love the most.

All of us have made mistakes in our past but sometimes
Regret rears its ugly head and, POW, it won’t let go.
Everybody hits their breaking point sooner or later and hope is gone.

Grief can take a hold of us and cause our normally happy minds to be
Overcome with sadness and confusion. “Why did this happen to me? I’m
Not a bad person. I don’t deserve all of this trouble, all this pain.
Nothing’s right all of the time but why does it seem that I have my share
And everyone else’s too. Can’t I catch a break sometime?”

Great burdens can be placed upon our shoulders, forcing us to become
Exasperated by this life and world. We feel as if we can never rise up again
To the heights that we once aspired to. Our spirit can be crushed in an instant.

But, I know things are gonna get better. I know that God will be there with me
Every step of the way, holding my hand, keeping me from falling off that
Terribly rocky ledge called life. I just need to ask Him for help and He will send
The right people to stand by me, to love me, to help me find my way.
Everything happens for a reason but that reason is not always my fault.
Real hope is here for me. Life is gonna get better. I will be fine.

Believe

2011-08-15T16:35:00.001-05:00

So, once again, Juan Morales has created a beautiful David Archuleta album cover for his fanmade album "Home." This one is entitled "Believe" and Juan has said that he envisioned this reflecting David's strong faith. While I can not profess to know David's exact beliefs, as I do not follow the same religious practices as David, I do know that David leans on his Heavenly Father and asks for his help in life. He is a believer.

I too am a believer. I am a Christian who believes in the power of the Holy Trinity. The following poem is my personal profession of my own belief in a God and His love for us.

Graphics created by Juan Morales

Believe

Life can be so confusing,
     You never know what will come.
People can bring such sorrow
     And stomp on your heart so hard.
But when these things do happen
     I will not get mad or wail,
'Cause I know my Heavenly Father
     Knows my needs and answers my prayers.

I believe in the Great Almighty,
     The creator of all that is.
I believe in the Lord of Love,
     And his Spirit that sets me free.
I believe that He cares about me,
     Just as much as He loved his Son.
I believe that my life is so blessed,
     Because of His amazing Love.

I ask Him for his wisdom
     When I have a choice to make.
I ask for strength and courage
     When life's trials my spirit break.
I ask Him for forgiveness
     And his grace for all of my flaws.
I ask to wear His armor
     To shield me from evils' claws.

Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who is so good to me.
Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who sets me free.

Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who is so good to me.
Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who sets me free.

I believe in the Great Almighty,
     The creator of all that is.
I believe in the Lord of Love,
     And his Spirit that sets me free.
I believe that He cares about me,
     Just as much as he loved his Son.
I believe that my life is so blessed,
     Because of His amazing Love.

I know he's watching over me
     In case I stumble or fall.
His outstretched hand is there for me
     To grab hold of in the dark.
I feel Him there right by my side
    When pain is all around.
His loving arms hold me so tight
     When evil seeks to strike.

Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who is so good to me.
Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who sets me free.

Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who is so good to me.
Believe! Yes, I believe!
I believe in the One who sets me free.

My Plea For An Austin Tour Stop -Revisited and Revised

2011-08-06T20:41:00.002-05:00

I originally posted this article on January 4 of this year. At that time, David was still signed to a label and everyone was anticipating a nationwide tour to promote his latest album, The Other Side Of Down. In in this article, I explained why I felt that a tour stop in Austin, Texas would be a great idea. Unfortunately, this tour never materialized. Jive dropped the ball and didn't promote TOSOD, much to the bewilderment and disappointment of David's fan base. Since that time, David has split from Jive and has taken time to relax and find himself. David just completed an exceptionally powerful mini tour in Asia this past month. Now we fans are all anxiously waiting on word of tour stops for a possible winter tour in the states. As fans start to wonder where and when we will be able to see and hear David "live" again, speculation grows and our minds start to ponder ideas of songs he can cover and venues worthy of the magnificence of The Voice. Just yesterday the Canadian fan site Snowangelz posted an article asking "Where is your @DavidArchie dream venue." So I have decided to update my post with some new venue information as well as venue photos and send this idea back out into the world. If, by any minuscule chance David or any of his team happens to read this, please consider Austin for any future tours.

Note: The top four shots of David and the shot of The Civil Wars are mine. All of the other shots are my husbands Limelight Imaging except for the house shot of ACL-Live which belongs to Scott Newton, their house photographer.

My Plea For a Tour Stop in Austin

David Archuleta has been telling us, his fans, that plans are in the works for a tour. We all are anxiously awaiting the details, hoping that our cities, or at least some that are near us, are included on the itinerary. We all want to see David in our home towns but obviously that can't happen. He can't be everywhere. There are many fans who have been fortunate enough and financially able to travel all over the country, and some all over the world, to be able to see David perform live. Unfortunately, there are many, many more fans who are not able to travel anywhere outside of their own cities, who would love to see David perform live. I have been blessed with the opportunity to see David perform live 4 times now, all in the state of Texas, but never in my home, Austin. I traveled to San Antonio to see him in March 2009, on his first tour,

and then to Houston, to see him open for Demi Lovato on July 3, 2009.

Then there was a terrible drought in Texas, both meteorologically and "Archieologically" (Oh, I made up a new word!) and I didn't see David in an actual performance until this past Dec. 2010, in Dallas at the Children's Hospital benefit.

and then a few days later in San Antonio, again, this time with Kaleidoscope, but performing only two songs.

These last two performances were absolutely wonderful but not long enough to satisfy the need to see and hear David live. The Dallas show gave us a few songs from The Other Side of Down and a couple of the songs from Christmas From the Heart and a couple of songs from David Archuleta, David's first album. Unfortunately, David's performance for the skating show, Kaleidoscope, only gave us two songs, Falling Stars and I'll Be Home For Christmas. Beautiful, but he left me wanting more. I need to see and hear a full concert from this incredible young man, soon.

Since everyone is talking about where new tour stops should be, I thought I would put in a plug for my favorite possibility: I would like to nominate Austin, TX as a great tour stop for David. David has never appeared here. We are the capital of Texas and are centrally located for easy access. (Or at least as easy as it gets in a state this big. An eight hour drive is not that long for David’s fans, right?)

We are a very music-oriented city. We are known as “The Live Music Capital of the World” with over 200 live music venues in our city. This city lives and breaths music. On any given night you can find acts performing any kind of music you want to hear: jazz, rock, hip hop, country, Tejano, indie, rap, pop, etc., basically, anything you like.

We are the home of the legendary PBS music program “Austin City Limits” which began in 1976. This year ACL has moved to a new venue and it is wonderful. In the past, only show tapings took place in at the ACL studio but now the theater is open to regular bookings also. The seating capacity is 2,700 in three tiers. There is not a bad seat in the house and this is a seated venue. This photo is from opening night featuring Willie Nelson and a full orchestra.

We are the home of the “ACL Music Festival”, an outdoor fest celebrating 10 yrs this Sept., which this past fall hosted 125 acts on 8 stages over 3 days and had approximately 80,000 attendees.

Austin also hosts the South by Southwest (SXSW) music fest and conference. The fest, which is held in March, began in 1987 and has grown to include over 2,000 acts from all over the world playing in over 90 venues in downtown Austin. The music industry conference, which is held at the same time, had over 13,000 industry reps attending last year. David's good friend and co-writer Joy Williams was here this past year for several days of mini shows with The Civil Wars. I was very fortunate to catch them at a small show in the parking lot of a hotel. Yes, music is everywhere in Austin during SXSW. I guarantee they will never play a parking lot here again.

We have some wonderful outdoor venues built specifically for music, including one that overlooks the Texas Hill Country, that David would love. One in particular is The Backyard at Bee Caves. This venue is built on a huge track of hill country land. I love this venue, especially since my husband is the house photographer here. The second photo is Arcade Fire, who performed there recently.

If David prefers, I could suggest a standing room as well as seated venue. The Austin Music Hall is a fun venue that has two levels and excellent acoustics. The upper level is seated but the floor can have SRO or have chairs placed in it. I have attended concerts both ways here, and I prefer the SRO for the floor. This photo, which shows the upper balcony as well as the stage and floor, was shot during a performance by Third Day.

As you can see, Austin has a variety of wonderful venues which would work well for a David concert. He can perform in any size venue that he likes, from tiny clubs to fabulous theaters to a stadium that holds 100,000+. The above listings are just a few of the marvelous concert halls. There are also several on the University of Texas campus that would be perfect as well as the wonderfully ornate Paramount Theater in downtown Austin, just steps from the capitol building, which was built in 1915.

I think that The Backyard would be a perfect place for the concert in late fall. (Maybe then it will have cooled down here and temperatures might be under 100 degrees.) The Austin City Limits -Live at the Moody Theater could be an excellent seated venue. I'm really not worried about which venue David plays at as long as he finally comes to Austin, Texas. I just hope to actually see and hear David perform live in Austin sometime in my lifetime.

This Crush Ain't Going Away

2011-08-01T14:26:00.002-05:00

Today, August 1, 2001, is the third anniversary of David Archuleta releasing his first single, Crush. Crush is still loved by all of David's fans the world over. It is our anthem. Our crush on and our love for David is never going away. In fact, as these three years have unfolded, many of us have gained an even greater passion and appreciation for this young man. Each performance, each interview, each tweet or vlog, reveals another little morsel, another little glimpse into his mind and being. And we all marvel at the complexity of this young man. How can one person have so much passion for and knowledge of the world, especially at his age? It boggles the mind.

So today, in honor of David and Crush, I have added another poem to my collection.

OUR CRUSH ON DAVID

Cries of "Da...vid" "Da...vid" rock the venue as our hero prepares to take the stage.

Reeling with anticipation, our minds and hearts explode as we await his entry.

Unbelievable energy flows through the audience as he bounds out before our eyes.

Sheer delight radiates from every person in the house as his voice touches our souls.

Heartbeats quicken and all in attendance realize that our "Crush" on David ain't going away.

David: Your Words Keep Running through My Head

2011-07-28T15:31:00.003-05:00

Look out world, my mind has been in overdrive lately with new ideas for writing projects. The idea for this letter to David popped into my head right after I heard that he sang Crazy at his concert in Malaysia. I have used lyrics from all of the songs that David sang on his Asian tour. There is at least one phrase or partial phrase from each of the songs. Don't ask me how many I used, I didn't count them. Actually, I did and there are at least 75. I'm sure I missed a couple as I was skimming through it. This little fun endeavor is actually a piece of non-fiction. If any of you know me, you know what I'm talking about.

I hope that you like it.

Margy

Dear Mr. David Archuleta,

I remember, I remember when I lost my mind. At least I think I did. It feels like I did. You see, I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have listened to my conscience but I kept telling myself don’t think about it. I know that life is unpredictable and nothing ever lasts forever. If only I could get through this phase of my life when the night has come and the land is dark, then I won’t be afraid, no, I won’t be afraid. I won’t cry, no I won’t shed a tear, even when I feel like I might stumble and fall. I’m trying to hold on for dear life but I don’t think this is working. I realize that only once in your life you find someone who will turn your world around, that will help you through the good times and the bad. They say give it time and if you just go with the flow, it’s gonna be alright, but I know I can’t do this alone.

That was how I felt in January 2008, but that’s over now. You see, I decided that I couldn’t carry on this way. I realized that life, it’s an endless ride; sometimes it takes you up, sometimes it tears you down inside. What you don’t expect can come and find you. I know better than to let it get the best of me. I could give up or I could move on, and move on is what I chose.

All I know is that, just over three short years ago, I was flipping channels on my television, searching for something to take my mind off of my problems when I was introduced to my kind of perfect. Since then, I’m in Heaven. There’s something ‘bout love that flows from you and all I know is that you take me away from the troubles that arise in this life. I’m not gonna analyze or try to fight it. I don’t even care if it makes no sense at all. You opened up my eyes, you turned my lows to highs, and you keep me coming back for more. It never crossed my mind at all that I’m wasting time following you, even though I’m too good at wasting time. If you tell me that it’s not possible that you have made this huge impact on my life, I won’t be offended. I know that you don’t see yourself that way. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m right, but I can’t let the music stop; your words keep running through my head. You have said to hang on, hang in for the ride of your life and that is what I have done, and it works for me. I didn’t know that I could feel the way that I do now. I just can’t figure it out so maybe you can tell me what you did to me.

In these three short years, I have discovered that nothing brings me down when you’re around and nothing is illogical. I always knew that the day would come when the rest of the world would realize that you are so beautiful in so many ways, and that day is now. I’ll never understand why it took so long for others to see it, but now there’s no turning back from this point. I guess that you were only waiting for this moment to be free so that you could tell the world that “it’s bad business the way you’re stomping the roses.” It’s reassuring to me, a fan, that you’re gonna keep on fighting until you make it to the other side of down. I didn’t understand what you meant by this at first, but now it’s perfectly clear.

I wonder, when you were younger, did it occur to you that this early in your life you would be reaching heights like never before? It certainly crossed my mind when I first saw your smiling face on my television screen and then listened to the voice of an angel melt away my pains. Now, every night, it’s all the same. I hear the lyrics to your songs floating through my mind, telling me live and let live. It’s not as if nothing can touch us, because many things can tear apart the weakest hearts, but now I let others try to hold on to my hands and help me along the way.

I had a dream last night that I wrote you a letter and tried to explain why I’m just a little too not over you, but some things you can’t put on paper. I even tried to explain that I would walk a thousand miles if I could just see you perform tonight. Does that make me crazy? Probably!

So, David, welcome to your life. Now that you have shown the world a whole new side of you, there’s no turning back, so I hope you’re having the time of your life. Your awesomely fantastic tour of Asia has rekindled the fire in your fans and it isn’t too hard to see we’re in Heaven. Even those of us who were not in Asia are excited about things to come. I’m sure that we will find you acting on your best behavior, as always. It’s great to know that now our dreams are coming true and the world is finally seeing you the way that we do - a superstar on the rise.

Well, thanks for listening to my ramblings. All I can say is Maybe I’m Crazy, but I know this Crush ain’t going away, yay, yay, yay, going away yay, yay, yay, yay!!!! OH!!!!

Forever,

PandasMama

David Takes Asia by Storm

2011-07-19T13:11:00.001-05:00

photo credit to davidarchuleta.com

Well, as any true fan of David Archuleta already knows, he has been performing in Asia the last few days. And these performances have been epic. So far David has performed for insanely stoked fans in Jakarta, Indonesia and Manila, Philippines with so much intensity that I'm not sure how these fans are still functioning. Just watching on Ustream and YouTube is almost too much to handle. David's performance of "Heaven" at his concert in Manila on Monday night is arguably his best performance ever. It definitely left me speechless and I was just watching a jumpy, glitchy Ustream broadcast. I can't even imagine what it was like live. These fans were so blessed.

Now that my mind is finally returning to normal (I have avoided watching "Heaven" on YouTube so far today so that I could get other things accomplished) I have written an original piece of poetry to commemorate David's epic visit to Asia. The form I chose to use this time is that of the limerick. I hope that you like it.

David Takes Flight

There once was a young singer at Jive

Whose career it did sputter, not thrive.

So he left after three,

His idea to be Free,

His mission, his lifework to revive.

This young man he went home for to pray

For his life and his options to weigh.

As his fans wept and worried,

He took his time, was not hurried,

And he thought and he planned a new day.

Now this artist named David was sly,

With his band he would take to the sky.

Off to lands far from home,

He would ramble and roam,

He would rise; his critics to defy.

There once was a young man from Murray

Whose voice left his fans in a flurry.

To their hearts they were clinging

'Cause "Heaven" he was singing

And their minds did go numb and blurry.

So in Asia young David took flight.

He has shown them his instincts were right.

He brought them his song,

And proved he's still strong,

And his fans know his future is bright.

God Bless America

2011-07-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

July 4, American Independence Day. This is one of my favorite holidays, following Christmas and Easter. I love this day, not because I love BBQs or picnics or parades or fireworks spectaculars, even though I do, but because it celebrates the country that I love.

I have always loved my country, the United States of America. I was raised to love my country. My parents, uncles, and grandparents were members of veterans organizations, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. My dad served in the Army in WWII during which time he fought in 3 major battles in Germany. My uncles all served in WWII and the Korean War. My maternal grandfather served in the Army in WWI. Military service has always been respected and honored by my family. We have always been proud to fly our American Flag.

Even though we struggle with many problems, we still are a strong people. We will not let any other countries take us for granted or abuse us. We are always there to help others if the situation arises. We are "the land of the free and the home of the brave." After 9/11 and the terrorist attacks on our country, our beliefs, a new strength and pride in our country was fostered in the younger generations.

Today, I also feel a new sense of pride in this great country. This pride comes from the knowledge that my son, my one and only son, my baby, has decided that he will join our country's armed forces this time next year after he graduates from high school. The idea gives me both great pride and scares me to death. I'm sure I don't need to explain this to any parent that might be reading this.

Brandon has been considering this step for quite some time now so I have had a little while to get use to the thought. It still scares me to think that he will most probably be placed in harms way at some time during his service to our country but then again, I think that our lives in general place us all in harms ways each day. Driving down the road or flying in an airplane or even going to your school or place of work can bring you into contact with some nutcase bent on harming you, maybe even killing you. At least I know that he will be trained in and equipped with the means to defend himself when confronted with those individuals bent on doing harm. That is more than most of us can say.

So as I ponder today the enormous sacrifices that many have made for the betterment of this great nation, I lift up my prays to God for the safety of our troops and our country as a whole. I asked for prayers for our country's leaders, and all the decisions that they make. And I thank God for the great blessing that He has given me by allowing me to live in this country which definitely is "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

I will leave you with this video from David Archuleta's July 2, 2011 Stadium of Fire performance in Provo, Utah. It just became my absolute favorite. Thank you David for loving our country so much. video credit to 8throwcenter

The Riddle

2011-07-01T17:11:00.002-05:00

Everyone has heard the old joke, "What's black and white and red all over? A newspaper." This type of joke is considered a riddle.  A riddle is something intended to confuse the mind and my mind is confused right now so....

I have a new riddle for you.

"What can be both 'cool as a cucumber' and hotter that fireworks; innocent as a newborn yet wiser than an ancient sage; and brings out the 'Mother' in you one minute but strikes a 'different' chord the next.?" If you don't know the answer to this riddle, you have been living under a rock recently. So, get out from under that rock and join us here in the world of the Archuleta.

David Archuleta has been in the news a lot lately, the last few days in particular.  He has been preparing for a tour in Asia later this month and for his performance at Provo, Utah's Stadium of Fire 4th of July Celebration that takes place tomorrow. David has been doing a lot of interviews with Asian news agencies about his tour. A couple of days ago, a radio station in Sinapore premiered a new song by David and the internet exploded. Everyone in the entertainment world is talking and blogging about "Everything and More." I even saw a tweet from MTV asking what people think of the new song. Wow! To think that the simple act of playing this song on a radio station on the other side of the world has gotten more attention than Jive ever managed to get for David's album The Other Side of Down when it came out in October of last year, is just mindboggling.

But I digress. I don't want to rant about old news (Jive, we are so over you) but bring your attention to something that hit me today as I was watching the incredible interviews David participated in with some Utah TV stations while promoting the Stadium of Fire performance. And here is what came into my mind.

David Archuleta is a riddle. He is confusing. Above all, he is not normal. Period. That's it. What else is there to say. I think the lovely host of Good Things Utah summed it up very nicely this morning when she said to David , “Do you even understand the extraordinary talent that you are?” She definitely hit the nail on the head with that. David doesn't understand it and he probably never will. He doesn't have an ego, so the statement probably can't make any sense to him. But we, as fans, know all too well about that extraordinary talent and the extraordinary young man that possesses it. But I, for one, am confused. For someone who tries so hard to be so unassuming, how can he be so uninhibited when he starts singing? How does this shy boy become this fierce man who takes our breath away when the notes flow from his mouth? I can't explain it. It doesn't make sense to me. And this is my problem. I want to be able to promote this young man to the world that doesn't know him, but words fail me.

As I thought about these interviews, and tried to process what I had heard and seen, I thought how odd it would be to try to explain David to someone who had no idea who he is. What would I say to them. Is there a word to describe him? As I tried to wrap my mind around the "idea of David," I started thinking about words that could be used in this description. Now, just so you know, I have a Bachelors degree in English Education, but this doesn't make me an expert on the English language, by any means, especially when it comes to talking about this young man. I searched my mind to try to formulate a description and the first word that came to my mind was "enigma." I know that this word will not help most people picture what I am trying to say, so I headed to a dictionary and a thesaurs to try to get a handle on this problem.

Here are a few words that I feel can be used to describe David Archuleta. I have included definitions for those of you struggling, as I am.

Enigma: a person of puzzling or contradictory character.

Riddle: a person or thing that puzzles, perplexes, or confuses; enigma.

Paradox: a person or thing exhibiting apparently contradictory characteristics.

Conundrum: anything that puzzles.

Mystery: any affair, thing, or person that presents features or qualities so obscure as to arouse curiosity or speculation. Or anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown.

Anomaly: a deviation from the average or norm.

Curiosity: a curious, rare, or novel thing.

I know that these words only scratch the surface when it comes to describing David. I will need to work on this description. I'm not sure if I will ever actually find the proper words to complete it. I'm not sure if the correct words actually exist that can fully encompass the essence of this young man. So I remain confused.

I now have a project for the long weekend.  I will continue to research this curiosity, this conundrum. I will leave you with this one item that I am using for part of this weekend's research project. I'm sure that you will agree with me that it should be an essential part of any research.

I believe that Matt Clayton is to be thanked again for another incredible photograph.

Character Makes the Man

2011-06-21T00:25:00.002-05:00

As any fan of David Archuleta knows, the young singer is a study in contradictions. One minute he can be a shy, humble boy, at a lose for words during an interview, and the next, he is a powerhouse, taking charge of the conversation and leaving the most seasoned interviewer wondering what just happened to them. He can transform from a modest, private soul tweeting inspirational quotes into a "smoking hot" performer rocking the stage in the blink of an eye. His voice can gently caress your soul and then rock you like there’s no tomorrow, all in the same song. And his music is just as diverse as he is; soothing love ballads, quirky pop songs, inspirational or spiritual messages, and smoldering R&B can all be produced by this same young man at any given time. You never know which side of David will hit you. Even a simple event like singing the National Anthem at a hockey game can leave his fans in a frenzy, wondering what just took place. But, although David can be many things to many people all at once, there is one absolute constant about him that his fans are sure of, David has impeccable character.

Character is defined in the Cambridge dictionary as "the particular combination of qualities in a person or place that makes them different from others." Character traits are what these different qualities and values are known as. There are a plethora of character traits that a person may possess, both good and bad, ranging from adventurous to mischievous to worried but there are, according to The Character Education Network, 11 basic positive character traits or values which are vital for us to teach to today's youth.

These basic positive (good) character traits include:

Responsibility: Being accountable in word and deed. Having a sense of duty to fulfill tasks with reliability, dependability and commitment.

Perseverance: Pursuing worthy objectives with determination and patience while exhibiting fortitude when confronted with failure.

Caring: Showing understanding of others by treating them with kindness, compassion, generosity and a forgiving spirit.

Self-discipline: Demonstrating hard work controlling your emotions, words, actions, impulses and desires. Giving your best in all situations.

Citizenship: Being law abiding and involved in service to school, community and country.

Honesty: Telling the truth, admitting wrongdoing. Being trustworthy and acting with integrity.

Courage: Doing the right thing in face of difficulty and following your conscience instead of the crowd.

Fairness: Practicing justice, equity and equality. Cooperating with one another. Recognizing the uniqueness and value of each individual within our diverse society.

Respect: Showing high regard for an authority, other people, self and country. Treating others as you would want to be treated. Understanding that all people have value as human beings.

Integrity: A firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. Being honest, trustworthy and incorruptible.

Patriotism: A love for and loyalty to one's country.

All of these are very good traits for a person to possess, though I wonder, when did we stop teaching our kids about these qualities? To me, all of these sound like normal things that parents should teach their kids at home, all the time, no matter what generation we are speaking about or what religious affiliation we have. These are traits that I was taught as a child and that I have tried to instill in my own children. These are traits that our country was founded on. These traits are basic to our human lives and livelihood. Maybe that's what is wrong with so much in our world today. Somewhere along the line, people forgot about these basic values that make us decent, caring people. Some people have decided that the world should revolve around them, and them alone, and that the rest of the people that God placed on this earth don't matter; these values don't matter. Even David himself recognizes this lack of values in today's society. While talking about his own participation in Boy Scouts, David states that Boy Scouts is "one of the greatest programs for developing character and values in youth, the things that are rarely addressed these days it seems."

In his autobiography, Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song, and the Power of Perseverance, David Archuleta begins each chapter with an inspirational quote. These quotes speak to topics such as dreams, optimism, confidence, happiness, and success, to name a few. Two of my favorite quotes that David uses in his book are: "The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." by Johann Sebastian Bach and "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." by JK Rowling. Each of the quotes used by David in Chords of Strength give us a glimpse into his heart, soul, and mind. They tell us about those things that David deems important. To me, the most telling of these deals with the topic that many fans believe sets David apart from most other people in the public eye - his character.

While following a code of ethics and values may not be the norm today, many fans believe that his adherence to a code of values is what makes David Archuleta different from so many others in the limelight. David does not just try to follow some of these values, he lives and breathes them each and every day. In February of this year, David sent this message to his followers on Twitter: "'Values are the principles and beliefs that guide your life... Honesty, integrity, respect, tolerance, kindness, solidarity, fairness, courage, and peace are some of the universal ones.' What values will you choose or have you already chosen to live by/for?"

David has obviously chosen his path, the values and beliefs that will guide his life and they are the positive character traits that we all should aspire to follow ourselves. Here are just a few examples of how, in my opinion, David Archuleta exemplifies a life lived using positive character traits.

Integrity:Whether he is singing a song, “tweeting” a message to his fans, answering interview questions or just grabbing a bite to eat, David is always the same person. He doesn't pretend to be someone or something he is not. "I’m not going to pretend to be somebody else just to humor society.” -David Archuleta, March 2010 (Brian Mansfield- Idol Chatter).

In chapter 10 of COS, David reminds us that "it's really important to do everything you possibly can to stay true to yourself." David tells us that "The greatest joy and satisfaction I feel is from trying to simply do what is right..."

Caring:

Also in COS chapter 10, David says that “to be a good person, means you think about others and care about them, usually before you worry about yourself." David lives this value to the highest degree. In the past year, David has given his time to countless charities. The list includes Children’s' Hospital of Dallas, Invisible Children, Rising Star Outreach, Children's Miracle Network, Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, Stand Up 2 Cancer, Dream Foundation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge, Mentor's International, Duffy's Hope, Skate for the Heart, and Greenville Zoo's Zoo-A-Palooza, just to name a few.

"To serve others even when we expect nothing in return for ourselves, that is where the greatest understanding of love is gained." Twitter quote- Jan. 2011.

Courage:

Being intrinsically an extremely shy person, David has had to overcome a lot to even be in the public eye. “The main thing is, ‘So what if I’m nervous?’ Sometimes you have to take those risks, and sometimes you’ll be nervous, but why should that be an excuse? Some things, you need to do that way. And sometimes those are the most fulfilling things in life. -David Archuleta, March 2010 (Brian Mansfield- Idol Chatter)

In the introduction to COS, David reminds us that "Sometimes you just have to face your fears," and "If you want to get better at something, you need to start in the first place even when you don't feel like it..."

Self-discipline:

Although the pressures of life affect David just like anyone else, I have never heard of him uttering an unkind word to anyone. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened, but that it would be a rarity for him to lose his cool or used inappropriate words. David sent out this quote on Twitter, "Be kind and courteous to everyone- no matter what they do to you, because at the end of the day, you have to sleep with all the choices you've made- not the ones they made."

I think that this statement could easily be my favorite quote David has sent out to his fans. "Your character is not based on what life gives you, but rather on how you handle what life gives you." -Twitter, Oct. 2010. Bravo, David.

Perseverance:

In chapter 10 of COS, David tells us that "...life isn't always pretty. Everyone knows that the human condition comes with all kinds of situations- the good, the bad, and the ugly... Rather than feeling sorry for ourselves when the chips are down, we should take stock of the things that we actually feel happy and grateful for... If we always focus on what hasn't worked out the way you wanted, you miss out on seeing those things that have... Without the struggle, we can't really appreciate the joy when it comes."

Respect:

It is general knowledge to all in the entertainment industry that David is kind to everyone. “We all have our own way of seeing the world and dealing with the ups and downs that life gives us, and I think that part of being able to relate to as many people as possible is in accepting the differences and imperfections in us all." -COS - chapter 8.

"Remember the decisions you make do not just influence your life, but also the lives that intersect with your life." -Twitter, Jan. 2011

Responsibility:

David has a strong sense of responsibility. He wants to do the right thing. "If we do not do what we are supposed to do then we should not be surprised when the end result is a disappointment- and we have no one to blame but ourselves." -Twitter, Oct.2010.

Honesty:

I feel that David's entire autobiography, Chords of Strength, and his openness in presenting his life story at such a young age, is a testament to his honesty. How many other people of any age would want their lives laid out like that for the world to critique? Not me, for sure.

Patriotism:

Whether it is taking to Twitter to thank the military for their contributions ("It's important to remember!! All that people have done for us to influence what we've become today. Happy Memorial Day!”) or starting an event off with a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (“Singing the National Anthem tonight for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs!! Ducks vs. Predators") David never fails to amaze and show his passion for our country.

These are but a handful of the many examples that David shows us each day of how we too should live our lives and be the best people we can be. I believe that David has decided how he is going to live his life: A life filled with good morals, values, and character, as a person here to serve others, not himself. As a person not taking from society but contributing in every way that he can, and thanking God that he can do it.

Over the past two years, Twitter has become a vehicle for David to remind his followers of where he is, what he's doing, and, most importantly, what's on his mind. In July 2010, David sent out this quote for his fans to ponder. "Decide today how you are going to live your life. It could be simple but profound. You might want to raise a family, help spread the word for an organization, get more involved in your community or do something you never thought you'd be able to do... You'll look at the opportunities within each day in a different way that you may not have even noticed before, but start today."

Here is one last quote, attributed to HJ Brown, which David used in COS to remind us of the importance of having a good, positive character: “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece.” And that is exactly what David strives to do, build it piece by piece.

New Things to Come Soon

2011-06-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I am a very random person and I love to follow the adventures and career of another very random person, David Archuleta. He has had a huge impact on my life the last three years. If you are also a fan of his, then you know what I'm talking about when I say that he changed my world. If you would like to read more about me and how I have been affected by this interesting young man, check out the original posts on this blog.

Over the last few months, I haven't written a lot about David except for comments on other blogs and fan sites. I did try to keep up my writing skills by blogging about American Idol season 10. It was interesting, but nothing will ever come close to equaling the greatness of season 7.

With David getting ready to take on the world, or at least Asia again, I have decided to resume my writings about him. At the moment I am putting together an article on Character traits. It should be completed by Monday.

In the meantime, I have been working on a manuscript which I hope to have published in the future. (I'm working on the final edits of it now.) It is a fictional story of two teenagers told in their own words through their journals. Here is the first chapter of the story. Please tell me what you think about it so far.

Can Dreams Come True?

Margy Moore

Chapter 1

Decisions

The Diary of a Dreamer
May 18, 2008- Sunday

Hello world! My name is Candice Jones, and, obviously, I’m loosing my mind.

Can't take this anymore.

Can't stand my life this way.

Gotta open a new door.

Gotta make a better day.

Gonna get in my car and drive.

Gonna laugh instead of cry.

Wanna feel like I’m alive.

Wanna live before I die.

      I started writing this song last week. Lately, these words have become my anthem. Life has become almost impossible to endure. Dad's gone and Mom has decided to drown her sorrow in a bottle of Jack. Nasty stuff. I know, I tried it. Didn't help at all. In fact, it made it all worse. Life isn't easy all the time but there has to be a better way to deal with it. Drugs and alcohol aren't the answer.
     I can't wait for school to be over. Two more weeks and then ... GRADUATION! Yes, that's what I need. That little piece of paper that says that I don't have to live with my mom any more. I can go anywhere I want. I am 18 years old already. I'll be 19 in 4 more months. Mom can't make me stay here with her. It's not like she is my only way to survive. She relies on me more that I do on her. Maybe, if I'm out of here, she will sober up and face life. Life without Dad.

Candice
May 19, 2008- Monday
     Wow. I can't believe that I actually wrote all of that yesterday. What a way to start this journal. I guess the counselor was right about letting my feelings out. It really does feel good to write it all down. And it is true what I said. I have to get out of here ASAP. I feel like I could explode at any moment. My brain could just give in to all of these terrible thoughts and I would be gone forever. Dad wouldn't want that for me.
     Dad!!!!! I miss you so much. I have tried to be strong like you asked, but it isn't that easy. That horrible cancer took a toll on all of us. And Mom, well, she has totally lost it now that you're gone. She tried for a while but now, well, sound judgments are not part of her parenting skills anymore. In fact, the only real skills that she has been showing lately are drinking and crying. I refuse to live my life like this. I need to figure out where I'm going from here.

Candice
May 20, 2008- Tuesday
     I have an idea for a change in my life, but I don't know if it is the right thing to do. I was looking at a magazine in the library at school today and I saw an article that really made me think. It was talking about all of the wonderful places to see and explore in Texas. I've never been to Texas before. I've never been out of Kansas for that matter. I'm kind of tired of all of the corn fields around here.
     Texas looks like it has everything that a person could want: mountains, beaches, forests, and people. Lots of people. Lots of different cities to explore. Some are huge and some are tiny. And it looks like there are people of every possible culture of the world to meet and learn about. It would be fun to meet people who are completely different than me. I wonder what Mom would say if I met and fell in love with a guy that was from, maybe, somewhere on the other side of the world, like Italy. Hummm, the other side of the world sounds really good to me right now.
     Texas! I hope you're ready for me because I'm ready for you.

Candice
May 21, 2008- Wednesday
     I had an interesting dream last night. In it, I was driving down this long road that I had never seen before. The road seemed to go on forever. I must have been in another state because the scenery didn't look anything like Kansas. There were rolling hills and sparkling lakes all around me. There was someone with me in the passenger seat of the car, but I couldn't tell who it was. I'm pretty sure that it was a guy my age, but not anyone that I recognized. The weirdest part of the dream was that we were singing a song as I drove along. I don't know what song it was, but I know that it made me feel really good to sing it, especially with "him."
     Today at school, I talked to my best friend Jenny about this Texas idea. She thinks I'm crazy.... and is ready to go with me. If we take my car and combine all of our money, we can probably get a cheap hotel for a couple of weeks and then, after we get jobs, we can get an apartment together. It's a good thing that we had those jobs at Sonic the past two summers and nothing to spend money on. We have almost $6,000 between us. We're not rich but it should get us to Texas. Now we just have to look at all of our options and decide which city to check out first.
     I am getting excited for this adventure. I've heard of rich kids going off to Europe for the summer when they graduate, so this doesn't sound too much different, just a little closer to home.

Candice
May 22, 2008- Thursday
     No time to write today. Need to go to the book store and get some books about Texas.

Candice
May 23, 2008- Friday
     Texas!!!! Everything that I read makes me want to be there even more. It looks like there are several different regions of Texas. The northwestern part of the state is called The Panhandle. It looks like that part is too much like Kansas. It has farms and not a lot of people. The northern part is where Dallas and Fort Worth are. These are huge cities so I'm not too sure if I'm ready for that yet. West Texas is ranches and oil wells, and the land is flat. The Eastern area has some forest land which might be interesting but I don't know how many jobs will be available for someone my age. Houston is huge and right by the coast. I know there are tons of jobs there. Also tons of traffic problems from what I'm reading. There are a lot of smaller cities and towns all along the coast. These would be great for jobs during the summer but maybe not during the winter. The southern part of the state is called The Valley. There are a lot of farms in that area and a lot of small cities. I have read that a lot of people from Mexico live and work in this area all year round. “Me no speak Spanish.” (I knew that I should have taken Spanish instead of French as my foreign language.) In the middle of the state are the two cities that I am really considering for my new home, San Antonio and Austin.
     San Antonio is really big. Not as big as Houston or Dallas/Fort Worth, but still monstrous compared to where I am now. It also has a lot of Spanish speaking people but not as much as The Valley. We would probably be able to find jobs there.
     Austin is the state capital, but it is also a college town, so there are lots of people our age there. That would be great. I also read that music is very big in Austin. There are hundreds of clubs with bands playing every day and night. I love music. I can even sing pretty good and I play a little guitar, too. Maybe I could get a job with a local band. Now that would be fun. Maybe we would get really good and famous and get to travel all over the world. Maybe we would get so famous that everyone in the world would know who we are, and all of my old friends in this boring old town would want to see me and talk to me. And they would be jealous of me and my decision to leave this place. Now that sounds like the life that I want.
     Austin!!! I think that we have a winner. Now I just need to talk Jenny into this move and get past this graduation thing. Then I can get on the road to my future.

Candice
May 24, 2008- Saturday
     I am so excited for the end of the month. All last night I just kept thinking about how cool Austin will be. I'm going to get on the internet as soon as Mom is out of the house and see what I can find about Austin. I need to know where to live and work and where to eat.
     Oh, my gosh. So much to think about. I need to come up with a plan. I hope that Jenny is still on board with this. She didn't want to talk about it at school yesterday. It would be fun to have her along but, if she decides not to go, it won't change my mind. I am leaving here on June 1st, no matter what.

Candice
May 25, 2008- Sunday
     I had a dream about Austin last night. I was driving around checking out all of these really interesting historical places. I meet some nice people who were letting me stay at their house until I had enough money for an apartment of my own. The weather was nice, and I spent a lot of time just hanging out in a park.
     The more I read about Austin, the more I want to be there. I was looking at some info about the city and found out that it has tons of really cool and beautiful parks all over town. Some are huge and some are just tiny places in neighborhoods. The biggest park is Zilker Park and it is in the middle of town and right on a river.
     There are lots of places to swim and several of them are open all year long. And most of these pools are outdoors; natural swimming areas like the pool in Zilker Park. This pool is actually a natural spring. It's called Barton Springs. I read that the water temperature is 68 degrees all year round. That sounds like it would be perfect in the middle of summer when I get to Austin.
     Most of the year, the weather in Austin is perfect. It looks like Austin might get a little warm in the summer, but the absolute best thing is that it doesn't get too cold in the winter. AND IT ALMOST NEVER SNOWS THERE. I really like that. I would not be sad if I never saw snow again. I am so tired of trudging through that stuff to get to school in the winter. I am not a fan of cold weather.
     Texas, I love you more every day. I wish I could fast forward to June 1st.

Candice
May 26, 2008- Monday
     Too mad to write tonight.

Candice
May 27, 2008- Tuesday
     I am so, so, so mad at my mom right now. Half a week to go until I'm out of here and Mom pulls a great one. Last night she had way too much to drink before I got home from Jenny's house and decided to drive to the store alone. She managed to total her car two blocks from the house. God was watching out for her though, because she didn't hurt anyone else and only had a few bruises on her head from the crash. The police are making her go to a counselor and AA to get some help or she will have to go to jail. I'm so glad that I'm an only child so that I don't have to take care of younger brothers and sisters like this girl I know does. Both of Sydney’s parents have issues with drugs and now she has to be the guardian for her three little siblings or the state will put them all somewhere else. Not a fun life for Sydney to have to take care of 3 little kids at 19 yrs. old.
     Mom, I'm sorry but I have to get out of here and make my own life.

Candice
May 28, 2008- Wednesday
     This was the last day of school. It was okay. Everyone was talking and comparing notes about what they are going to do now. There are a couple of people that I know that are moving away for college. Of course, they are only going to State, so they will still be only an hour away from home. Two guys are joining the Army. They really want a way out of this place. I think my way out is a much safer escape but they feel that this will be the best for them.
     I talked to Jenny about Texas again today and it looks like she will back-out of the trip. She is afraid to be that far from home. Well, I guess I should be happy that she changed her mind now instead of when we get to Texas. I guess I'm going to do this alone. I won't have as much money but I won't have to worry about us agreeing on what to do either.

Candice
May 29, 2008- Thursday
     Mom saw me sorting through stuff in my room today, but didn't ask what I was doing. You would think she would want to know why I have all of my clothes in two piles on my floor. Maybe her mind is still too numb from all of the alcohol the past 24 months. I guess I better sit her down and tell her what I am doing. I don't know how she will react to the news that I am moving out of here in three days. I may not tell her that I don't plan to come back to this town anytime soon. I don't want her to think that I hate her. I just need to be somewhere else to live my own life. I hope that she understands.
     Well I guess that tonight is the night. Right after dinner, I will tell her.

Candice
May 30, 2008- Friday
     Well, plans didn't go like I wanted them to last night. Mom had some drinks before dinner that I didn't know about and, when I told her about my travel plans, she blew up. I don't want to even think about all of the ugly words that she used and called me. I thought that she loved me more than that. If that's what alcohol does to you, I will never be putting anymore of that stuff into my body.
     Tomorrow is graduation and then I will be ready to roll out of here bright and early Sunday morning. I've decided to take a tent that dad and I used when I was younger so that I can camp out along the way. It may take a couple of days to get to Austin. I could just drive straight there but it would be more fun to look at stuff in the northern part of the state while I'm driving through it. I wish that I had a travel companion, but I have to go, no matter what.
     I just have this overwhelming feeling that Austin is where I should be.

Candice
May 31, 2008- Saturday
     This has been the most frustrating day and the most exciting day all rolled into one. Our graduation ceremony was boring except for our speaker. Our guest speaker was this singer, Jessie Shaw, who graduated from our school 20 years ago. She told us about her time in Kansas and how she had left here to find fame and fortune in the music business. She did not become as famous as she had hoped she would, but she was really happy with the way her life was working out. She told us to follow our dreams and don't let anyone tell you that it can't ever work out. The most exciting thing that she said is that she now lives in ... Austin, Texas. I couldn't believe it. Could it really be a coincidence that she lives in Austin and today of all days she is here speaking at my graduation, the day before I leave to find a new life in Austin?
     My heart was pounding so hard when the ceremony was over. I had to find Jessie and tell her about my plans. I thought I would be able to find her after the ceremony but I looked everywhere and just didn't have any luck. I'll just have to find her when I get to Austin. She said the name of the club that she sings at a couple times a week so I guess I'll just have to go there and introduce myself.
     When I got outside, I got the next surprise for the day. Mom was nowhere to be found. I asked a couple of her friends if they had seen her and they were no help. Finally I found her best friend, Lillian, and she told me that when she went by our house to pick up her up, my mom told her that she was not going to my graduation. She said that I was an ungrateful, mean daughter and that she wasn't going to waist time going to some dumb ceremony for me. Wow! Thanks for all the support mom. I'm sure that's the booze talking, but just the same, it hurts. It hurts a lot.
     I can't wait to get out of here in the morning. TEXAS, HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Journal of Alexander James Matthews:
What to Do With My Life
Sunday- May 25, 2008
      I hope that this will help me figure out my life. I've been reading this book by this famous musician and he said that he likes writing in a journal each day because it helps him keep his thoughts clear and this writing process has given him some of his best song ideas.
      Clear thoughts and ideas are what I need right now. I will be graduating from high school in a few days and I really don't know what to do with my life. My parents think that I should go straight to college and that I should become a doctor or lawyer; something big like that. I guess that would be the most logical thing to do. I have always had good grades in school. I would be able to do the work. I have already applied to and been accepted by 3 really great schools including the University in Austin. The problem is that I don't really feel like that is the kind of work that I want to do for the rest of my life. Sure it would be good to have a job where I can help people. I have always liked to help people and I have a lot of experience doing that. I'm just not sure if ten or more years of school is what I'm supposed to do. There are other ways of helping people that don't require that many years of school.
      Being the oldest kid of four, I have always been expected to help with my younger siblings in any way that I can. Being the only boy, just makes it that much more important. Any time there was a boy messing with one of my sisters, all I have to do was show up and they immediately stop causing problems. It's not that I'm that big or mean but I am from 2 to 8 years older than them. Age does have its advantages. A few months ago, this boy was picking on my littlest sister, Ashley, and I decided to take her to school and walk her into her class so that I could see for myself what this kid was like. Ashley walked into the room while I was talking to the teacher, Ms. Miller, who I also had for fourth grade, and this boy, Joey, immediately went over to Ashley and started taking her lunch items out of her bag. I walked into the room and caught him "red handed" with my sister's lunch. I was very unhappy about this. Ashley was starting to cry until she saw me and the expression on my face. As I walked up to her she turned to Joey and said "This is my BIG BROTHER, Alex, and I think that I want my lunch back now." Joey quickly returned everything to the bag and handed it to Ashley. He has never bothered her any more. He even brought her some candy a couple of times and asked if I was coming back to their school soon. I like helping without even having to do anything.
     Well, I guess that it is official. I have now started a rambling journal. I tend to talk a lot without really saying anything so this will probably be the same. Look out world, Alexander James Matthews is on a mission to figure out life through writing.

AJM
Monday- May 26, 2008
     This is day two of my rambling and incoherent thoughts. I'm still reading the book about the musician. I won't tell you who it is because I might end up telling you that I don't normally like his type of music. I try not to categorize people, especially ones that I don't know. I suppose that is easier to say than do. Most people are very judgmental and are always assuming things about people just because they are different than them. I have always hated that. God made us all different. He doesn't want us to be anyone except ourselves. Anyways, that's what I was taught. Be yourself.
     You probably are wondering why I am reading a book by a musician whose music I don't like. I was wondering that too. I just saw the book in the store when I was there one day and something told me to read it. Maybe it might make me like his music more.
     You see, I LOVE MUSIC. All kinds of music. I have been playing the piano since I was 3 or 4. I know a lot of songs. And I love to sing. I have been in the choir at church and at school for as long as I can remember. I have been singing the leads and solos since I was probably 10. Everyone always tells me that I have a very unique and powerful voice. I think that means that they like it. I think that playing and singing are my favorite things to do in the world. If I could, I would sing for a living.
     Wait, did I just say that I would like to sing for a living? I did, didn't I!!!!!! I wonder what my parents would say if I told them that I want to be a singer and not go to college. I think that I will sleep on this idea for a few days and see how I feel about it then.

AJM
Tuesday- May 27, 2008
     What a great day today. I found out that I aced all of my finals and everything is "Go" for graduation on the 31st. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next in my life.
     I have a couple of weeks before I have to decide where I am going to college in the fall. I just need to sit back and really consider what is best. I think that I need to get away from Mom and Dad for a little while so that I can really think it all out. It is my life, after all.
     Maybe I'll go visit my grandma in Austin for a while. She has always been helpful to me when I have needed answers in the past. I haven't gotten to spend much time with her since Grandpa died either, so this would be good, especially if I move away from Texas for school.
     I think that I'll call Grandma in the morning and see if it is all right if I come to stay with her.

AJM
Wednesday- May 28, 2008
     Well, today was a surprise. First, last night I had an amazing dream. I was singing on stage with an incredibly talented girl. Her voice was not like anyone's that I have ever heard before. She sounded like an angel. I was sad when I woke up because I never saw her face during this dream. I don't know who she is.
     Then, when I got to school, I found out that I am the valedictorian for my class. Total Surprise. I thought that Johnny Rosen would be, but he was a little too confident and went out drinking the night before the test and totally bombed his Trig Final. He still passed the class but his low test score made his GPA fall by .05 and guess who became the new GPA leader. ME. I should be excited and honored but I don't like speaking in front of a lot of people. The entire graduating class, their parents and friends will all fill up the city auditorium. Just the thought of all of those people scares me to death. I hope that I can pull this off without getting sick.
     Well, I guess I better start deciding what to talk about at Graduation. Wish me luck!!

AJM
Thursday- May 29, 2008
     I feel like such a hypocrite talking about all of our bright futures and big plans in my speech when I don't really know what I am going to do with my life. Maybe the problem is that I have too many possibilities that I am considering. Should I go to college or not? Should I go, but wait for a semester or year? Should I just go to a junior college or a community college and take a few classes until I know what to do? My mind is a blur of indecision.
     I know that praying is a good thing to do when you are confused. I believe in God and everything but I have never spent much time praying for help on stuff like this. I did pray when Grandpa got sick but that didn't seem to help.
     My grandma is the one person that I know who really understands how and when to pray. I think that I will ask her for help sorting this all out. I had planned to call her yesterday and ask if I could visit for a while next month but I got the call about being the valedictorian and forgot to call her. Well, she is coming to our house tomorrow to help with my graduation party and stay through the weekend, so I should have time to talk with her then.

AJM
Friday- May 30, 2008
     Well, tomorrow is the big day. I either will go down in school history as the most honest or the lamest valedictorian. I have had a really had time deciding exactly what to say in this speech. I know what I am supposed to say, but I don't like to lie, so it has been hard to verbalize a positive message while not saying that I don't know what I will do. I don't want to confuse any of my classmates who have already made up their minds about college. I'm the one that is confused.
     Grandma told me to just be myself and talk about a future where we all have choices to make. We need to put a lot of thought into those choices. I think that she is right. We don't have to have everything worked out the day we leave high school. We need to put thought into it and make our best decisions after that. I think that I will tell them that I'm not sure what to do yet and it is okay for them to be confused also. We need to think about how we want the future, our future, to be.
     On a happy note, Grandma has plenty of room at her house and wants me to stay with her for as long as I need or want to. She said that if I decide to attend the University in Austin, I am welcome to stay with her then too. I wonder if she has anyone staying in the garage apartment now. She normally has a college student living there for cheap if they help her around the house and yard. I could do that for her.

AJM
Saturday- May 31, 2008
     What an insane day this has been. I woke up to my sister's scream and the day has continued like that. My next-to-the-youngest sister, Anna, had a nightmare and suddenly awoke with a terrifying scream. Her room is next to mine. I was the first one to get to her. I tried to calm her down but she just kept crying when she looked at me. Mom finally got to the room and took over. Anna finally stopped crying but they wouldn't tell me what the dream was about. It sure did upset her. I hope that she never has that dream again.
     I left for the city auditorium about an hour before everyone else in the family. I wanted to get there ahead of time so that I could look over everything and get a little more comfortable before my speech. On my way there, I had a flat tire. I had to change to my spare tire. By the time I got to the auditorium, I was all sweaty and gross feeling. Always good.
     As I looked over my speech, I decided that it didn't really matter if I was sweaty from changing the tire because I would be sweating from the speech anyway. I did not feel that I was qualified to make this speech. Grandma had told me a simple prayer that I could say right before it was time, so I closed my eyes and said that prayer. I was saying the prayer when this incredible feeling came over me. I could hear this voice in my head saying "You will be fine. The speech will be fine. Enjoy your day. Look forward to the future. Going to stay with Grandma will be the best thing that you have ever done. Your life will be changed forever by doing this."
     The prayer worked. The speech was received with great enthusiasm. After the ceremony several of my classmates came up to me and thanked me for acknowledging the feelings that they have been having also. It seems that I am not the only one caught in a limbo state in their life. Many of my classmates are just as confused as I am. They just didn't want anyone to know about it.
     Now I am looking forward to moving into Grandma's house and seeing what this "life changing event" that I was told about, turns out to be.

Almost There

2011-05-26T19:48:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, one of my favorite David Archuleta fansites, fansofdavid.com, posted a wonderful fan-made graphic picture made by Juan Morales. Juan is an extremely talented fan who is always contributing new inspirational work to the fandom of David. This picture was entitled "Almost There" and is part of a fictional album Juan is designing centered around "the journey home" theme. Fans were encouraged to to try their hand at writing lyrics for this graphic so I gave it a try. I felt an interesting connection to this photo, so it didn't take long to come up with the words. I don't claim to be a lyricist, or that these words could even be used in a song, but I do feel that they convey the idea of the graphic as I see it.

Almost There

by Margy

This life is tough, it moves so fast;
Decisions rushed, and dreams don’t last.

Goals that most regard so high

Now make me want to say goodbye.

This craziness that I’ve been living,

Has asked too much; I can’t keep giving.

I long to know the peace I feel

Inside of me is true and real.

I need to see the land I love,

The mountains rise, the sky above.

I need to breathe that air so clear,

Bring back my life, push out this fear.

I won’t look back, can’t make it right,

The past is dark but my future’s bright.

It’s within my reach, I won’t despair.

I’m going home. I’m almost there.

American Idol 10: The Finale Rocks and Country Rules

2011-05-26T12:45:00.002-05:00

Well another season of American Idol has come and gone. Some moments were incredible and many were excruciating, but in the end, I think the right contestant won.

Ryan started us out telling us that they received over 122 million votes for the finale and almost three quarters of a billion votes on the season. Sound crazy and impressive.

First performance, all of the Top 13 singing Gaga's Born This Way. This is actually the first time I have liked this song. They all sounded great together. That's weird. All are dressed in white. Scotty and Lauren look happy, Stefan looks "hot" and Jacob looks scary. Put your hand somewhere else boy.

James sings with his idols, Judas Priest and they are awesome. This is not my normal type of music but I like these guys together. Black leather and metal spikes FTW. James is totally in his element. Awesome.

First judges' tribute is for Randy, "Our Dawg." Ryan says "we need to get you a new writer."

Jacob sings with Kirk Franklin and Gladys Knight. Interesting. I like Kirk and love Gladys but Jacob I could do without. Thank goodness the choir drowned him out after a while.

Casey gets his dream duet with Jack Black. It is funny and awesome at the same time.

Top 13 ladies minus Lauren come out in red and black and perform a Beyonce medley. They sound pretty good on this. Beyonce joins them with her dancers and I notice that there is more flesh showing on the stage than costumes. Just my opinion.

Second judges' tribute goes to Steven Tyler, "The Loose Cannon." Ryan says he's "too much to handle."

Haley has the best performance of her run on Idol with a fabulous duet with the legendary, Tony Bennet. They sing Steppin' Out With My Baby and he really seems to enjoy singing with Haley. She looks beautiful as always. What an honor to get to sing and dance with a legend who is about to turn 85. Wow!

Third judges' tribute is for Jennifer. Idol decided to show some of the crazies who were in love with her and the top 13 guys crushin' on her. Marc Anthony must be pretty awesome to be able to put up with all of this.

Up next, another "what?" performance on Idol this season. Ashthon, Naima, This, and Karen must perform with TLC with Lil Jon. What an honor. Not.

Scotty does have an honor though. He sings Live Like You're Dying with Tim McGraw. Awesome choice. I love this song and Tim so this is a win, win. Yeah Scotty.

Now, instead of Idol having last years winner, Lee Dewyze, sing, or any other Idol alum for that matter, we are subjected to a clip of audition rejects narrated by reject announcer/singer "Big Joe". So sad.

Marc Anthony is up next. He qualifies for Idol since his wife is a judge. Marc is actually really good, although he is singing is Spanish which most of America won't understand. He has shelia E. on the drums and Jennifer comes out to dance for him. Very hot. Man, can she shake it!

We get a "shocking elimination" clip as Stefano, James and Casey discuss which one of them was the bigger surprise elimination. Pia settles the debate when she arrives wearing a tiara and a sash reading "most shocking."

Top 13 guys come out in all black and sing a Tom Jones medley. It is pretty good. Stefano is "hot" in black as well as the earlier white. James is totally out of the norm singing What's New Pussycat, and is wonderful. Scotty sings a classic the Green, Green Grass of Home and Jacob even sounds decent on this kind of music. Surprise! And Tom Jones is in the house. Nice. And man is he getting old. Sorry Tom.

We are once again forced to watch a Ford music video. They have not been that good this season, and we are reminded of that as we watch clips for the previous vids this season while Lauren and Scotty sing When You Remember. Must we?

Scotty and Lauren, with the help of Coke, brought their teacher that had impacted them the most to the Idol finale. Lauren brought her principal and Scotty brought his choir teacher. Ford gave each of the a new Focus and Lauren and Scotty get to pick any Ford vehicle that they want.

Lady Gaga is back again to sing The Edge of Glory. She is standing on a rock tower, dressed oddly, as usual. The song is ok but the performance, with everyone in leather underwear, is way too sexual for the audience at home for sure. If my kids were watching this, I would be very unhappy with AI. I'm glad my 16 yr old son was not in the room when this mess was on. I would have been very embarrassed.

Lauren sings with Carrie Underwood. Poor Lauren, your voice is shot for now. Get some rest and get ready for promos and tour.

Another short clip this time the other members of the top 13 tell what they think of Scotty and Lauren. Stefano sums it all up with "There are two 6th graders in the finals , and they are kicking everyone's ... "

This is really dragging along now.

Beyonce is back to sing her new single, One Plus One. Oh, joy.

Bono and The Edge drop by to promote their floundering Broadway musical, Spiderman. They brought along the star of the show, Reeve Carney, to help them sing Rise Above. He looks a little like Kris Allen, but does not sound like him. I spy Dave Filice in the back behind the spiderweb. He recently played bass for David Archuleta. He is very good. Spidey had been springing through the audience at the beginning of the performance and, at the end, he comes down, upside down, right in front of Jennifer and startles her. She pulls his mask up and touches his nose. Cute.

The next surprise guest, who is not even a surprise, is Steven Tyler. He plays the piano and is accompanied by the Idol band and an orchestra. He rocks out to Dream On. Totally Awesome.

Finally. Results time.
Scotty in a gray tux and Lauren in sunshine yellow dress, and she looks like she is about it faint.

Scotty is the winner. Not a surprise but still awesome.

Scotty first "Thank the Lord. He got me here. Big hugs all around for family and other contestants and judges. As confetti falls to the floor, so does Scotty, in tears. He pulls himself together and, being a 17 yr old after all, tried to catch the confetti with his tongue.

And the last thing that we hear before the show cuts out is Scotty saying, "Thank you so much."

And I also say thank you to all who have endured my aimless ramblings this season.

American Idol 10: Top 2, Battle of the Teens

2011-05-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

What an unusual season this has been. Lowering the audition age to 15 made for a few unexpected moments on Idol this year and eventually to the youngest finals match up in Idol history. Combine that with both finalists preferring the same genre, Country, we come to a very unique Idol final performance show.

I loved the opening clip showing Carrie Underwood and David Cook and how their dreams came true. Nice to see David Archuleta in the audience also. Ryan tells us that there are 7000 Idol fans in the audience to see the performances.

Late breaking news from TMZ had Lauren unable to performa and Haley taking her place, but that is not the case. Lauren says she is ready to go. The Idol voice doctor, the one who is also David Archuleta's ENT for his paralyzed vocal chord, says Lauren blew out a vocal chord at rehearsals but they have gotten her meds and she will be able to perform.

The show will have three rounds: contestants favorite performance form the season, contestant's idol's choice, and Jimmy's choice which will be their first single if they win. Hummmm!!!!!

At the end of last weeks results show, Scotty won the coin toss to decide this week's performance order but he let Lauren decide and so he will perform first and Lauren second.

Round #1
Scotty sings "Gone" and he sounds wonderful again. Fun song. Scotty looks all calm and confident out there on that big stage.
Lauren sings "Flat on the Floor" and she is sounding great too. Don't hear any voice problems so far.

Round #2
Scotty gets a song chosen by George Strait, his own song "Check Yes or No." I think this is a little too laid back for Idol. Scotty sounds great and I like the song but not sure if the average non-country fan will appreciate it. Should have been something with more umph.
Lauren gets a song chosen by, you guessed it, Carrie Underwood. Lauren sings "Maybe it was Memphis" by Pam Tillis. What a dress Lauren is wearing. Country beauty pageant FTW. Good song, but I hear a couple of rough spots. Don't give you girl.

Judges get to put in their two-cents worth now. Randy says that America did a fine job picking these two. Round 1 to Scotty and Round 2 to Lauren. Jennifer says that we have an explosive start and agrees with Randy; round 1 Scotty, Round 2 Lauren. Steven says "Scotty, Lauren, if you sang that better you would be on the finals of American Idol." Both rounds to Lauren because she is prettier. Scotty agrees with that. Of course, Randy has to tells Ryan that "Their both in it to win it."

Oh good, promo time. We have the premier of the "hot new single" that American Idol fans helped write. Positive by Tao Cruz. What an annoying song. My 16 yr old doesn't even like it. Perfect, the mic cut out for a while so we had a short reprieve from the annoying song. Drummers were weird and useless.

Round #3
Scotty is saddled with a "big" song for his big voice. Jimmy picks "I Love You This Big" for Scotty's first potential single. It s a good song but not a great song. Kind of slow and bland for a "big" song. Randy said "Not sure if this was the perfect song for you" but good job. Jennifer says that Scotty is a great storyteller. Steven says "You proved that you can't make a 3-point shot from under the net. You nailed it. Ryan tells Scotty "You're so chill."
Lauren gets a song that has been recorded a few times but not by successful artists, one being Kristi Lee Cook from season 7. Jimmy picks "Like My Mother Does" for Lauren. He thinks that the "mom-factor" will be big for Lauren. Lauren is happy to be singing it for her mom; she deserves it. Lauren is doing great and Mom is crying so Lauren decided to go into the audience and give her a hug in the middle of the song. Ryan runs over to Lauren to assist her on the stairs. Good job, Ryan. Randy says great song and gives her a standing "O." Jennifer says "It is a tight race, but with that song, you might just have won." Steven says something about Mom's being bedrock and tells Lauren "You were my American Idol the first time I saw you."

Judges sum it up, please.
Randy- slight edge Lauren.
Jennifer- Tight race. America has a tough job.
Steven- Lauren gets it hands down.

So, is it the kiss of death from the judges for Lauren? Will America follow the normal path and vote like mad for the contestant that the judges did not favor? Will Lauren even be able to perform on the results show? I guess we will see.

Ryan promises lots of surprises on the two hour star studded finale.

But before we go, here is the performance of "Don't You Forget About Me" from David Cook that we had been promised much earlier in the season. Great job, Cookie. I like the season highlight reel playing in the background too.

So here it is. My prediction of the winner. While I love Lauren and think that she did a great job this week, I think that Scotty has been more consistent throughout the season. I also feel that he will be more inclined to handle the pressure of actually being "The American Idol." He is more confident and emotionally together than Lauren is at this point. They will both have careers and recording contracts, and, in the end, that is all that matters.

Scotty for the Win!

American Idol 10: Top 3 Results - OMG, Can It Be

2011-05-20T12:08:00.002-05:00

After over 95 million votes cast this week, Jimmy goes out on a limb and predicts a boy in the finals. Since Scotty is the only contestant that has not been in the bottom and seems to actually have the highest vote count each week, this is really stretching it there, Jimmy.

We start out with a video of the Top 4 visiting the studio of JJ Abrams and a preview of Super 8. (Yes, Idol seems to be running behind on their trip videos. If they had left off that sad video by ST, or any of the three yuck performances during last weeks results show, they could have been a little more timely with this fun clip.) JJ gave all 4 a Super 8 movie camera to use during their hometown visits. Nice!!

Elle Fanning, star of Super 8 and Dakota's little sister, is in the audience to plug the movie and squee over Scotty.

Hometown visits looked interesting.

It rained on Haley's parade, literally, and then she cried at her high school.

Scotty said "Wow" a lot, and cried a lot, and got to sing with Josh Turner, and cried some more.

Lauren was very popular at her high school, toured the tornado damage in the area, met with a little boy who saved his family after the tornado, cried for others pain, and threw the first pitch over the catchers head at a baseball game.

This week the Ford Music video was set to "Smile" on the beach. Why was Lauren wearing a skirt at the beach. Did they forget to tell her where they were headed?

In recent weeks, I have like only two "live" performances by other artists that have been featured on Idol, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland. Other than these two, which were actually "live" and not taped live, all of the performances have been kind of disgusting to me. Tasteless songs and half dressed women have been the norm. Even on this results show, another sorry performance was added to the lot with Nicole Scherzinger and 50 cent bopping around making noise. I actually had to mute the TV during this fiasco.

Tonight there was one rare exception to the recent performances. The young Italian tenors known as Il Volo were absolutely fantastic singing "O Sole Mio." Even my 19 yr old daughter and 16 yr old son liked this performance, and they had no idea what this song was or what it was about. They thought the guys were extremely talented. I am proud to say that I had already heard of these young men, having watched several of their videos on youtube.

Well, on to the results, which I am ecstatic to say, I got right. Yes, there is a first time for everything.

Scotty is safe, Lauren is safe and Haley seems to be totally shocked that she is not in the finale. I wonder what the Idol peeps have been saying to her to make her think that she would actually make the finale. Wasn't this match-up predetermined a long time ago. I mean, never once since Hollywood week have I ever thought that Scotty would not be in the finale. And Steven basically named Lauren the winner of this season during the audition in Nashville. TPTB know that the teens are the heaviest voters out there now. That's why they lowered the audition age to 15 this year; to get the contestants that the voters will want to vote for on the show, and to keep America's Got Talent and Simon Cowell's X-Factor from taking all of the teen contestants and audience away from Idol.

So, next week we have the two teenage finalists for the first time in the shows history; 17 yr old Scotty and 16 yr. old Lauren. I guess since they have missed their high school proms, they can dress up this next week and pretend that they are each other's dates for their own private prom. Hey, they can even be crowned King and Queen. Maybe the votes can be manipulated enough so this year there is a tie on American Idol and then Country Music is declared the winner.

American Idol 10: Top 3 Performances

2011-05-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Idol is down to just three contestants already. The season seems to have flown by. Ryan tells us that over 125,000 auditioned for Idol this year and we are down to 3. (I won't say the best three, because I don't believe that is the case. Some of my favorites left the competition a long time ago.)

We started the show with a mini review of the hometown visits. I would expect more coverage of that on the results show. TPTB were nice and let James' hometown have his homecoming also even though he was eliminated last week. That was so nice of them. I remember in season 7, Jason Castro went out at #4, and Rockwall, Tx had a spectacular homecoming for him too, just not the same weekend as the Top 3 and not supported by the AI peeps.

This year, the top 3 will have three songs to sing: their choice, Jimmy Iovine's choice, and the judge's choice. In past years, for the judge's choice one judge chose a song for one contestant. This year, it was a group decision.

First round is Contestant's choice and Beyonce' is the mentor.
Scotty sang "Amazed" by Lonestar. He was awesome. I love this song and Scotty did a great job with it.
Randy said "Scotty's got money, Ryan." I think that means he did good.

Lauren sang "Wild One" by Faith Hill. I am not real familiar with this song but I thought it sounded good. It is definitely country and so is Lauren. Lauren's outfit was a little different for me. My first thought was "Country goes Hawaiian."

Haley sang a classic, "What Is and What Should Never Be" by Led Zeppelin. TPTB actually let her daddy accompany her on this song. He was pretty good but, as a parent, I'm sure it was hard for him not to drop that guitar and run to Haley when she tripped going up the stairs. She pulled it together and kept going but seemed to lose a little along the way. I wasn't thrilled with the performance. I think it was the female voice that made it seem weird. It was also kind of difficult to catch all of the words, which is important to me.

According to the judges, Round #1 goes to Haley. ( I'm not sure which performance they were at, but I don't agree. I thought Scotty was much better that both of the girls.)

Round #2 songs are Jimmy's choices. I thought he did a pretty good job. Don't want to give these kids bum songs when you will be signing two of these three to contracts in the very near future.

Scotty sang "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" by Thompson Square. This was a fun song for Scotty. It sounded pure country. Steven Tyler told Scotty "You were living the song."

Lauren sang "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. I like this song a lot and thought Lauren was doing great until she zoned out and forgot where she was. It has to be hard to be up in front of all of these people at 16 yrs old but if she wants to succeed she has to get use to it. Poor thing was having trouble even before the singing started. Her hose ripped and we saw her getting make-up on her legs as her beginnings clip rolled.

Haley sang "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac/ Stevie Nicks. this is a very difficult song and I'm not sure that Jimmy did her any favors asking Haley to perform this song. Everyone knows Stevie Nicks' version and Haley wasn't even close to it.

Judges opinion, Round #2 split vote. ST- Lauren, JLo and Randy- Scotty.

Next we are tortured with Beyonce's new music video to "Run the World (Girls)" . YUCK. Enough said.

Round #3 songs are the judges' choices. Two out of three are good ideas. Haley has been thrown under the bus. YES.

Scotty sang "She Believes in Me" by Kenny Rogers. It might be an old song, but it does some definite high points that Scotty needs to show . ST said "it was over the top." Jennifer said "We picked this for you to see if you could hit the chorus. You showed us."

Lauren sang "I Hope You Dance" by Leeann Womack. That is some fancy, beautiful dress that she is wearing . She soared during this performance. JLo got goose bumps. Steven told her "You walked out here like you owned the Grand Ol' Opry. Randy said, "Ryan, she's in it to win it."

Haley sang "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrisett. I thought it was too screechy and had rhythm problems. I didn't like it . Hard to understand the words for me.

Judge's opinions for Round #3, ST- Haley, JLo- Lauren, Randy- Lauren.

So, now for the hard part. One goes home tonight. All I know for sure is that Scotty will be safe. Unless all of the teenage girls had their phones confiscated last night, Scotty will be in the finals.

The girls are a different story. From all of the reviews I have read, most people don't think that both Scotty and Lauren can be in the finals since they both are country. My daughter and I don't follow that line of thinking. We want Lauren and Scotty in the finals. It would be totally insane to have an all teenage country final. I think that it would work. I think that America would be fine with it.

Now that I have said that, if you look back over the weeks at my predictions here, you will see that America and I have not really been in total agreement very much. I guess, if I really think about it, in the past four seasons, America and I have not agreed either. Season 6 when I really started watching this show, I had liked Melinda Doolittle, who left too early. Season 7 my favorites were David Archuleta and Jason Castro , who came in second and fourth. Season 8 I had favored Danny Gokey for the win, and he came in third. Season 9, I was pulling for Casey James, who came in third. I don't seem to have the best record on picking the winners. But this is just for my fun, so here goes.

#1 Scotty
#2 Lauren
#3 Haley

We'll see what happens in a few hours.

American Idol 10: Top 4 Sing Stuff

2011-05-13T19:37:00.001-05:00

Ah, yes. Top 4 sing to see who gets to go home for the weekend and loose even more sleep. I hope that they don't actually think that they will get to see their houses, family or friends because that is not real likely. As past top 3 contestants have told us, this visit is even crazier than the normal week in LA. I did enjoy the three-second glimpses of David Archuleta during his homecoming for season 7.

Idol had to be difficult this week and give the kids two different themes and a new crazy mentor. The themes changes were bad enough, we really didn't need Lady Gaga and her inappropriate shoes (had to change them for the TV sensors) in the mix too.

First up, songs that are inspiring to each contestant, as opposed to Inspirational songs, I guess.

James decided to rock out to Randy's old buddies, Journey, with Don't Stop Believing. No problem James, I believe every word you sang. Great job.

Haley, girl. Michael Jackson's The Earth Song? Didn't JLo tell you last week how important song choice is? If you are going to sing MJ at least sing one of the many songs that people will recognize, not one that Idol viewers have never heard before. You sounded ok, I guess. You growled again and had the Idol Choir backing you up, so it was hard to tell. Lectured by JLo. Shot down in flames by Randy. Casey loved it and I think Steven was too busy drooling to hear what you sang.

Scotty sang Alan Jackson's Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning. I'm not sure if he is picking all of his own songs or if there is a very wise mentor helping him, but this song was perfect for the tone in our country right now. It was American/Patriotic, Christian, and spot on perfect. "Singer of simple songs" as the song says is just the right tactic for Scotty. Randy- perfect song choice. JLo- I'm in love with you, what you stand for and what you bring to your music. Steven- Passion is evident.

Lauren chose Anyway by Martina McBride. She is so sweet and beautiful. Great song choice. Powerful, passionate. Connected well to what has been happening in her home state of Georgia. ST says she broke his heart and he is in love with her shoe buckles? JLo says she is listening to what they are telling her. Randy says she is back in it to win it.

Midway judges opinions: JLo says she likes all and the crowd screams for all. Randy says its a three way tie with James, Scotty and Lauren. Haley is mouthing off something.

Part 2, Songs of Leiber and Stoller with Lady Gaga helping Jimmy mentor. Help me!!!!

Haley singing I Who Have Nothing. Could be renamed "I Who Am Going Home But Not the Way I Wanted To." Gaga tells her to put drama into the song so it won't be plain. The studio audience and judges liked it but I don't really like Haley's singing so I didn't like the song.

Scotty was very embarrassed by his encounter with Gaga. She was much too sexual for this down to earth country boy. I thought his Young Blood from The Coasters was good but not as good as the first song tonight. Lots of praise from the judges. Definitely a fun song and showed opposite side of first song.

Lauren sang Trouble by Elvis. I didn't agree with Gaga's advise to not worry about the word "evil" that Lauren had to sing over and over again. If it does not sit well with her, she should not sing it. David Archuleta does not sing lyrics and words that he does not agree with. Don't compromise your values for the competition. The song came off alright. She was sassy and had a good stage presence. I thought it was creepy when the cameras showed the judges as everyone clapped and ST was sitting there with a look on his face as if he is lusting after this poor girl. Grandpa, tone it down.

James had the most awkward encounter with Gaga. Didn't anyone tell her that he has a condition? Why does she have the right to put her hands anywhere on his body. He will move his hips if he wants to. He is not Elvis. Great performance of Love Potion # 9. James rocked the house with a song that normally doesn't rock like that. I am so glad that he did not just stand there and move his hips. He was all over the stage. Nice job James.

Well, here is my opinion as to the finishing order this week. Only four on the list and 3 of these I have been voting for since the beginning.

1. James
2. Scotty
3. Lauren
4. Haley

I feel that an unrecognizable MJ song and I Who Have Nothing, even if she was good on it, will do Haley in. I predict the two guys in the finale. Oh, wait. I have another week to determine that, don't I. Maybe we can hear from David Archuleta on next weeks results show or maybe the finale.(He is practicing with a new band right now.) Jordin Sparks sings tonight.

American Idol 10: 4 Becomes 3, and Wow, Am I Wrong

2011-05-13T15:21:00.005-05:00

So, Ryan tells us that almost 72 million votes were cast this week, the highest top 4 ever.

James and Scotty start things off with a song that I have never heard before, Start a Band.

Lauren and Haley follow with another song I don't know, Gunpowder and Lead. And I thought I was a pretty good music connoisseur . Guess not.

A new plug for Windows 7 as the kids get to video chat with family via web cams.

Results- Lauren is in the Top 3.

Top 4 watch a video taped performance of Gaga's You and I (sounds familiar since Haley did it last week) and we are all forced to watch it to. So sad that the girl doesn't make enough on these concerts to afford a complete outfit. Has to perform in her underwear.

Enrique Iglesias was the next video up. Yes , we all know that you want us to think that it is live, but it is not. Not a fan. Sorry.

Trying to make us think that this last performance was live, peeps are playing with big balloons, Seacrest falls off the stage. Now that was live. Yes.

Ford Video with Fireflies was the best of the season. Love that song.

Jordin Sparks hits the stage with her new single, I Am Woman. And she roared and I did not like it. Boo to you Jive. I normally love Jordin, but not this time. Sex Kitten look and moves, NO. I am so glad that David left Jive when he could. Not the direction he would want to go.

Next unnecessary thing for this show, Steven Tyler premiers his new music video, It Feels So Good. More like it is so weird. Randon animals and half-naked women all over the place. What is the point of this video, and song for that matter. My husband loves Steven, but walked out on this video.

Finally, more results. Two girls in the top 3, Haley is safe. (What! No!!! She can't be!!!)
America is crazy. They must be revolting against the judges or something.

You can see it in his face - James knows that it is him before Seacrest says it.

James is a classy guy with an enormous amount of talent. The right people will come his way. Jimmy is not the right person to care for James. He sings us out with a classy version of Maybe I'm Amazed. Yes, I am amazed with this young man who struggles with two very difficult conditions but still gets out in front of all of America and the world and tries to make a better life for his family in the most difficult business out there. Bravo, James. We will see much more of you, I am sure.

American Idol 10: 5 Become 4- Exit, The Diva

2011-05-06T08:59:00.001-05:00

According to Mr. Seacrest, 60 million votes were cast in this week's Idol competition, the most so far this year. I wish someone would have told me about 8 weeks ago that it would take that many votes to get rid of the wailing diva. I would have called all of my friends who don't watch this show anymore and begged them to vote for two hours straight to get him off the show. I know of a fan base who love to vote in crazy polls but who have given up on this Idol thing. Oh well. It's over now, finally.

So we start the show in true Idol fashion, with a few personal plus for Steven's new tell-all book, and Jennifer's new music and performance, and Randy's bake sale this weekend?

Next we are tortured with the at best times pitchy Ford video sung to Just Be Yourself. My son wanted to know why we never see these Ford videos at any other time besides during the Idol show. Well, son. It might be that for most of these videos, only an Idol audience would be able to sit through the commercial with out running from the room. That is especially true for this terrible performance. these kids can't sing together and harmonize for the life of them. Are there any other Idol fans out there that remember the awesome Ford videos from season 7? Those guys could sing these group songs like no other season. I still have several of these performances on my iPod today. Oh, the good old days.

Look! Idol found a new way to waste our time and prove that these kids have a life besides music. Today we find them in Hell's Kitchen with chief Ramsey attempting to make omelets. I guess they wanted to see who will another job outlet when they are cut from Idol. Looks like most of these kids better become millionaires soon, or they might starve to death if they have to cook for themselves. Didn't their parents teach them anything. My son can cook up a mean omelet and he is 16. My daughter has been cooking this can of food since she was 8. Come on parents. Don't make your kids useless members of society. Well, at least Lauren won't starve. Nice job on that omelet, girl. James, I am ashamed of you. A father should always know how to cook.

Lady Antebellum dropped by to prove to the world that two or more people can sing together on the Idol stage and actually harmonize. I loved Lady A's new song, Just A Kiss. They always sound great together.

Oh boy. More filler. A useless video of the kids without make up, attempting to explain how the contestants pick a song and their wardrobe each week. A more fitting title would have been How the kids get told what to sing and how to dress each week, but the Idol producers like to fool the audience.

Finally some results or Jimmy rates the contestants. Jimmy says that James should not cry, it hurts his singing ability. He gets an 8 out of 10. Lauren backed out of her high notes in Unchained Melody so Jimmy declares her in the bottom 2. James sent to one side of the stage and Lauren to the other. the dreaded groups are back. I wonder who the "pick-a-group" victim will be. Probably Scotty. he should know what to do here.

Another trip to Hell's Kitchen. This time it is a show-down between Lauren and Jacob with a blind taste test. We find out that neither of the kids has good taste- I knew that about Jacob already but had higher hopes for Lauren. Well, at least she knew what a hotdog tastes like.

Jennifer performs her new song featuring Pitbull, Live? Not really sure about that. Seems like we are supposed to think it is live but you never know with Idol. Best part of the whole performance was before it started and Ryan dumped the bucket of popcorn on Steven Tyler's head.

Then we got a teaser of Jennifer's new video, I'm Into You. Two for the price of one JLo tonight.

Results time again. Jimmy says that Jacob had a rough night (Ya think?) Both of his songs were slightly off- 6 out of 10. Jimmy told Haley that she needs to take risks, and since she did, he gave her a perfect 10 and declared her the winner of the night. Scotty, win or lose, will have a great career.
Jacob is sent to stand with Lauren while Haley is sent to stand with James.

Ryan tells us that even though Scotty was one of the last two standing last week, he was not in the bottom two last week. In fact, he has never been in the bottom two or three. Here it comes. Scotty is safe and must now chose which group is also safe. He refuses several items and Ryan, to save time, leads him over to the safe group, James and Haley.

Jacob and Lauren are the bottom two. Lauren is totally losing it. Please quit torturing her (and us) and give us the results.

YES, the diva is off the show. Jacob gets to sing one more time. OH my poor ears and eyes. A House Is Not A Home has never sounded so bad. BYE, BYE Jacob. Lauren, girl, pull it together and come back fighting next week. Please.

American Idol 10: Top 5 / Something Old and Something New

2011-05-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

Idol is down to five contestants and at least some of my favorites of the season are still in the running fro the title. This sounded like it could be a good week. A pretty wide-open theme, something old and something new. The contestants could stay in the genre that they prefer. All they had to do is come up with songs that can get cleared to perform and have released on iTunes.

I had high hopes for this week's mentor, Sheryl Crowe. Unfortunately, she did not deliver on all of the sessions like she could have. Some of her ideas were good, some useless. Oh, well.

Randy started out with his ever popular, to him, pep talk on "Who's in it to win it?" and the judges went down hill from there. Not a lot of helpful pointers again this week.

I will just go ahead and review both songs for each contestant at the same time.

James' first sang "Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars. I am not familiar with the sound of this group or the song but I thought James did a good job with it. It was something that I could hear him performing , so, Good Job James. His second song was "Without You" by Harry Nielson. This song was almost to much for James. He was emotional during it that it effected his performance. I still liked it but I'm not sure if America will.

Jacob's first song was a big mistake, Jordin Sparks duet with Chris Brown "No Air." I did not like this performance at all. I think his voice was higher that Jordin's at some points. YUCK And he looks so awkward pointing and flailing his arms. And he was sharp. What a mess. His second song was just as bad, "Love Hurts" by Nazarath. While this is a great song when properly sung, this was just too painful to listen to. I had to stop.

Lauren sang "Flat on the Floor" by Carrie Underwood. It was ok but she seemed to be loosing it on some of the low notes this time. Lauren sang one of my all time favorite songs for her second selection, the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody". Lauren said that this is her parent's song, and it is my husband and my song also, so I am very familiar with it. I love to sing this song and it sticks in my mind any time I hear it. Unfortunately, I did not think that Lauren did that good a job on it. I did not like the growling that she added to it at all and , at times, she was a little off key. I did not agree with all of the praise coming from the judges on this performance. I think that she is just too young to truly do a good job on this song.

Scotty had two true country songs for his performances. First up, "Gone" by Montgomery Gentry. Scotty had a totally high-powered fantastic performance with this song. Scotty owned the stage. He showed a side of him that we had not totally seen before. Great job. For his second song Scotty brought us back down to earth with "You're Always On My Mind". So many wonderful artists have performed this including two of my favorites, Elvis and Willie Nelson. All that I can say about this performance is Absolutely Beautiful.

Haley seemed to have a really weird night. First song, "You and I" was an unreleased Lady Gaga song that Jimmy suggested she sing. That might really hurt her in the long run. Gaga is very controversial and Haley might loose Idol votes because of this song. I didn't particularly like the song, but I didn't hate it either. She did much better than Jacob did on his first song. For her second song, Haley pulled out a classic, "The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. This was the first time that I have actually loved Haley's performance on Idol. This is a great song and I didn't mind Haley's growls during it. They weren't overdone as I worried that they might be. The best part of the song was the a Capella beginning, suggested by Sheryl Crowe.

So here is my order of finish tonight with #5 hopefully going home, finally.

#1 Scotty
#2 James
#3 Lauren
#4 Haley
#5 Jacob

Can't wait to see what happens tonight.

American Idol 10: 6 Become 5 Or Jimmy Hurts Everyone's Feelings!

2011-04-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

So last night American Idol reached a new low for me. Not only did one of my favorites get sent home, but Jimmy Iovine managed to insult each of the contestants in some way as they were given the results. Well, actually, most were not given the results, just told to wait longer. Weird way to chop a contestant.

The night started with the kids celebrating Brit Week, only fitting since Prince William would be married in the morning. The kids were taken to a party at the British Consulate where they all talked to the famous Fred Willard (not sure what he has to do with Britain, but anyway...).

After this the kids did a medley of Carol King songs, not all of which I know the titles of, but some that I recognized were One Fine Day, Take Good Care of My Baby (which having Casey sing this to Haley now seems very fitting), Go Away Little Girl (Scotty should leave this to Donny Osmond from now on), and It's Too Late. Maybe Carol King wasn't a good choice for this group after all.

The Ford video to Our House was lame.

Crystal Bowersox was pretty good. Wasn't my favorite last year, but not too bad now.

Q and A time brought back memories of Season 7 when Ryan would take calls from views. This time the questions were decent and the responses were pretty good.

Results time. Well, almost. It was more like telling two people they were safe, Haley and James, and leaving everyone else in limbo. And let's not forget the negative reviews from Jimmy, for everyone to mull over all night. I'm sure they are all hoping that they don't win if they have to look forward to years of working with him to advance their careers.
Here's what he had to say about each contestant.
Haley- She doesn't know who she is.
Scotty- He's sound is too subtle, and he can get lost in the competition.
Lauren- She is too negative and hard on herself. Lacks confidence.
Casey- He shouldn't growl. "The family dog doesn't vote."
James- He is much more believable when he sings melodic music than when he sings the Metal that he prefers to sing.
Jacob- He went to the wrong dressing room, must have been at DWTS, not Idol type of clothes. And he is on Slippery banana peel status.

Always nice to have such positive comments from your mentor.

Bruno Mars had a taped performance. Notice all of the "big stars" have to have several takes of their performance recorded so that they can be their best for Idol. Can't anyone just walk out there and perform. Oh yeah, Kelly Clarkson did.

Well, Jacob is safe again. Why, oh Why!!! Who is voting for this guy? Scotty is safe, like there was any doubt. Casey is going home. Bye Casey. Go get some rest and get ready for the finale and tour. You will be happy to know that you do not have to be saddled with Jimmy for the rest of your career as some of these contestants might be. Casey, I think that alone is reason to rejoice.

Next week the top 5 sing songs from then and now, the 60's and today. Could be interesting for sure.