11 Year Old Hits it OUT OF THE PARK with 'And I'm Telling You" from Dreamgirls- Page 2

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:48pm

I love how it is cute for an 11 year old pretended to be black.

Whatever she won't be able to sing in like 10 years.

I want the fabulous russian drag queen to win.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:51pm

She was channeling Holliday alot, it was obvious. She was good, but I think she was trying be like Jennifer Holliday too much.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 11:51pm

Sorry, dupe Updated On: 7/5/06 at 11:51 PM

[rflpfl2]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 12:20am

It's sort of twisted that there are so many people who are very set on criticizing an eleven year old who actually has talent.

Unless you are like- oh, I don't know- between the ages of 10 and 13 and totally jealous that she's singing on TV and all, while the best thing you've ever done is win honorable mention with your performance of "Defying Gravity" in your grade school talent show- than it's a bit uncalled for. Or really just pathetic- it's up to you.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 12:25am

Yah, hello, she's not trying to change the world. She is trying to give a good performance. The show is called "America's Got Talent" and she definitely does. She is by far the most talented one on the show. Sure, maybe she was channeling Holliday, but that's where she learned the song from. Don't tell me that none of you when first learning a song haven't used similar nuances to the original performer. This girl could outsing and blow away most of the people on this board and many people on Broadway today without breaking a sweat.
Updated On: 7/6/06 at 12:25 AM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 12:30am

Yes, the girl has talent, but I just don't find it fascinating.

She can sing.

Yay.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 12:34am

i agree bjh, so what she was channeling Holiday, that's a hell of a lot more than I can do. BRAVO!

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 12:53am

"It's sort of twisted that there are so many people who are very set on criticizing an eleven year old who actually has talent.

Unless you are like- oh, I don't know- between the ages of 10 and 13 and totally jealous that she's singing on TV and all, while the best thing you've ever done is win honorable mention with your performance of "Defying Gravity" in your grade school talent show- than it's a bit uncalled for. Or really just pathetic- it's up to you. "

Just because some people's opinion differ from yours, it doesn't mean you can start criticizing us.

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 1:07am

she is absolutely amazing

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 1:52am

Not that impressed either. She's a mimic and a very good one, but not a singer... yet. That may come in time, but she's not there right now.

And YES, I have heard a real singer at age 11 who wasn't a mimic and who could have blown her off the stage. His name was Michael Jackson. He was a true original, and his voice came from the heart, not from slick memorization. He was abused, and he is a complete mess now. But few have ever connected to a song at such a young age.

Do any of these shows have real SINGERS on them, or just "vocal gymnasts?" Does anyone know how to feel a song, or just how to stylize one and go through all the prefab motions?

This is why I don't watch these shows at all. They make me sad and discouraged at what passes for an "artist" and "art" today.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 2:13am

Amen, best12bars.

This is why I don't bother trying to defend myself; I'm not as eloquent as you are and it would have come out very awkward and unconvincing. You pretty much summed up why I'm not that impressed with that little girl.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 2:16am

Oh goody.

An 11 year old singing with an unhealthy technique. An 11 year year old singing a complex song who has not idea what the lyrics are about (it's called real life).

And we sit here and go ga ga.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 2:24am

Looks like she youtubed JH one too many times.

I'm honestly not that impressed. Yes, she's got a voice, but she shouldn't necessarily be singing that type of music... reminds me of Camp.

It was novel, and she's really good... for an 11 year old. Not chill inducing though.

And I know for a fact that I am not jealous, thank you very much.
Just an opinion.

Wish her the best though. She'd make a precocious little Annie with awkward vowels, and a ghetto/country sensibility.

"You're the best FRIEND I've ever known"
Hahahaha, oh kids.

Updated On: 7/6/06 at 02:24 AM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 2:46am

Nevermind. Updated On: 7/6/06 at 02:46 AM

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 2:56am

I won’t bash the young girl. Her performance was impressive. If I were her parent, I would be concerned about her technique. Unless she has an amazing natural gift that bestowed her with a voice beyond her years (which is possible), she is manipulating her voice in a way that seems rather unhealthy. Most eleven year olds, even very talented ones, don’t sound like that. I admit that I am not an expert on vocal training, but I have seen plenty of young, talented singers ruin their voice by trying to have a more mature vocal style. Their voices were ruined by the time they graduated high school.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 7:02am

Does anyone remember the big, booming, mature, impressive voice of 11-year-old Britney Spears? Because I sure do.

Technique. It's all about technique, placement, and long-term vocal health. There is nothing natural about this girl's singing, and unless that changes quickly, her voice won't last. Count me in with those who don't get the hype. And no 11-year-old should be singing that song anyway. It's insulting to the lyrics and music.

ETA: Andrea McArdle, Donna Vivino, Alisan Porter - all kids who sang with technique and their "own" voice - not trying to sound "adult" or like something they thought they were supposed to sound like - all have fantastic voices today.

Updated On: 7/6/06 at 07:02 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 8:10am

I agree with all of these statements about technique. My point, however, was that she has a big voice, probably bigger then most 11 year olds. WITH THE PROPER TRAINING, she could be VERY good in time. It's really a shame that I have to spell out every single solitary detail for the people on this board to understand a point being made. Interpretation skills people, geez.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:15am

We're stuck in an depressing age now I call "the decline of the American singer."

We've become "Idolized" and look to the skill and tricks of individuals to indicate how "good" they are. It's as if everyone who was limber enough to kick high was automatically a good dancer. It has nothing to do with interpretation of feelings, or communicating an emotion to an audience. Singers are judged now on how wide their range is, how powerful their voice sounds, how many riffs they can do in a single phrase, etc.

They jump all over a song, as if it was a trampoline. A springboard to show how clever they can be, never getting "inside" a song long enough to figure out what it's supposed to mean. They don't "explore" the music and lyrics, they exploit them in cold, robotic fashion.

The first time I remember feeling this way was when Whitney Houston first hit the scene. So many were impressed, but I was not. I said, "she has a good instrument, but she doesn't know how to PLAY it yet." She never did learn. She exploited and abused it. I also said 10 "Whitneys" wouldn't add up to even ONE of her aunt (Dionne). Ms. Warwick had a smaller range, less power, wasn't nearly as "vocally adept," and yet was 50 times the singer that Whitney ever was. Because she could FEEL a song. She opened her mouth, and out came "art." Her interpretations made people THINK and FEEL and REFLECT. They didn't just sit back and clap like they were at the circus watching a high-wire act.

I do think that most people who are fans of theatre music, understand how important it is to "communicate" a song, not just twirl it like a baton. But I wish the rest of the country would figure that out... and FAST. Or maybe the majority of Americans don't want to THINK and FEEL and REFLECT. They just want to hold up judgment cards with scores on them, like Olympic events, and rate their singers solely on skill and "athletic prowess."

That would be very sad, indeed.

Updated On: 7/6/06 at 09:15 AM

[Craig]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:32am

"For the record" - so to speak - I can't stand AI and I hate vocal gymnastics that every contestant seems to be hell bent on doing. You have to trust the material and not feel the need to add 72 more notes where there's only one. You can make a song your own without resorting to riffing all the time. So I agree with that.

You can argue technique, you can argue song choice, you can argue "copycatting" - but I'll stand firmly by my statement that this girl has a set of pipes and I look forward to seeing her perform something else. She's 11 - and she has a great START (or potential start) of a career ahead of her. She can easily work with a vocal coach on her techinique, etc.

She was on a reality tv show filled with amazingly BAD performers, etc. She wasn't giving a recital at Carnegie Hall professing her diva like qualities.

I think the naysayers might be a tad unforgiving (regarding her song choice, etc) to the environment in which she performed the song. Could she have picked a better/age appropriate song? Sure. But that ASIDE - implying that she doesn't have it or the potential - just seems silly.

But that's my .02

[broadway86]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:51am

Try telling that to all the Jersey Boys fans. JUST SAYING. Not trying to be offensive in any way. A lot of people seem to consider that talent.

Would you elaborate, DRS?

[sydney23]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 10:33am

Yeah - Michael was pretty good at eleven...

but there was another eleven year old a while back named frances ethel gumm - and when she was first discovered she was belting out completely innappropriate Sophie Tucker songs, emulating her hero in hopes of becoming the next of "the red hot mamas" (sound familiar?) And MGM put her with a certain music coach/arranger named Roger Edens who told her she wasn't going to sing those kinds of songs any more and who helped reveal everything that was unique and special about that little girl. And by the time she was fourteen, fifteen, sixteen she had found her "voice" and a song was written just for her - called "over the rainbow" and from then on, no one would ever say she sounded like anybody else ever again. Bianca is amazingly gifted - and though it's not likely in this day and age - i really hope she finds her Roger Edens.

[Charlayne Vivika]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 10:37am

I sang it when I was 10!

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:26am

Craig, yeah, she was great!

I was reminded of Olivia Olson, the girl who sang "All I Want for Christmas" in the film LOVE, ACTUALLY. I think she was also 11 or thereabouts at the time of filming. When I first saw the movie, I was blown away that someone that young could sing so well.

Back to the current girl of topic though, I don't know about all this technique stuff -- I'm sure some good, valid points are being made here -- All I know is that as a viewer and listener (and as someone who personally can't carry a tune in the proverbial paper bag), even though I was busy doing something else at the time it was on, I had to stop and go "Wow!" when that kid sang. I was very impressed.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:41am

sydney23---Yeah, it would be nice if she found her Roger Edens. I hope so too. And as I said earlier, her skill and technical ability (aka her "instrument") is there, but the "singer" in her has not yet arrived.

To me it's no different that a young girl who can touch the back of her head with her toes. (Again), that's impressive, but it's not dancing.

I could applaud the gift this girl was given, but I'd rather see what she does with it first. So far she can imitate, and that's impressive. But she's not a star, she's a "curiosity" and an impersonator. Just as Baby Frances was when she first started out.

The sad truth is that she will likely never find her "Roger Edens" because so few are looking for real "singers" and interpreters of songs commercially anymore. A lot of it will depend on her parents. Michael's parents (particularly his father) scared him into learning how to sing, and without proper training and guidance, his voice was shot by the time he was 15. He had to rely on his own inventive stylizing to put over a song after that (which he did to great success). But in the "early days of Michael," he had the rare ability to feel a song and communicate it to listeners. Perhaps because of his (sad) upbringing he was able to understand some of these adult emotions. He sure grew up fast in the business, and then he so desperately tried to stay young and innocent for the rest of his life. Chasing after that "lost youth" in disturbing ways.

Oh... and if Frances Ethel Gumm had come along now, they would have stopped her right at "Sophie" and said, "Look! She has arrived!" The potential in her would have never been unlocked, and she would have wrecked her voice by 15 "vamping" it up with one skimmed-over pop-ditty after another.

I wish this girl the very best. She has more odds stacked against her than for her, in our day and age.

Updated On: 7/6/06 at 11:41 AM

[sydney23]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:48am

sadly - i totally agree with you about what would have happened to Frances. She would have won american idol and then been turned into another showboating mediocrity. even more sadly - there are more young kids out there today with big voices and bad instincts than there are truly talented musician/mentors with integrity like Roger Edens - and without that kind of guidance i don't think any of them have a prayer of reaching their true potential.