American Idol Vocal Masterclass: Top of the Class

Well, here we are at the end of the road. I received many urgent requests via e-mail for this final critique of Ruben and Clay as well as further requests for my opinions re Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini. I will provide the latter at a later date; my focus, for now, will remain on Clay and Ruben.

Many people wrote to ask me if I agreed with the outcome of American Idol 2. Well, yes and no. I do agree that the two most talented singers were our two finalists; however, from a music educator's/voice coach's perspective, I really felt that Clay deserved to be the winner this year. He exhibited all the qualities that I look for in a performer - intelligence, charisma, authenticity, perseverance, sense of humor, and, of course, stellar talent. He added new meaning to the term "grace under fire" - always displaying an optimistic and cooperative persona in the face of criticism - and he had his share.

On the other hand, Ruben possesses a genuine and sincere personality that automatically endears him to his audience and has a relaxed, natural pop style that can be further developed and nurtured through the opportunities that lie ahead. Even though he was obviously exhausted toward the end of this competition, he still remained true to his art and to his audience - striving to achieve and entertain through passionate and fervent vocal performances. Very commendable, indeed.

As Simon Cowell stated: the real battle has just begun - on the record charts. I feel that both will have very good careers. Clay's crossover appeal will open up many doors for him; this is only the tip of Clay's musical iceberg. Ruben, on the other hand, armed with his song-writing skills and natural, unique vocal talent and style, will be a solid fixture on the music scene for an equally long time.

So - congratulations to both! Ruben and Clay - you can go to head of the class - but not before you read my Masterclass Critique of the Finale and promise that you will heed some of this advice. Enjoy!

Please check out my article on vocal terminology, which I put together after people asked about some of the terms I was using.

Strengths: After his final performances, I feel that Clay's greatest overall strength - if I had to select one - is his impeccable attention to detail when performing his concert material. Regardless of whether the actual vocal performance is superb or less than stellar, what Clay brings to each and every performance is his skilled professionalism when preparing and performing a song. It really is a very difficult quality to master and, yet, it is the most important one that a singer must learn to cultivate early on in his/her career. The audience will most often forgive the odd memory slip or pitch problem; what most people will not tolerate is sloppiness or carelessness during the course of a performance or concert. Clay certainly has proven, over the course of the last few months, that he is capable and committed to achieving the very best in his vocal performances. Each song has been meticulously rehearsed, every nuance acknowledged, every stage movement carefully planned.

His first song, "This Is The Night," had me mesmerized. Clay's expert delivery of this very difficult song combined with his always "in the moment" stage presence was exceptional. In addition, the beautiful nuances within this song - the soft, hushed tones in contrast to his strong, richer ones - were absolutely beautiful. He handled the key transitions brilliantly and with perfect pitch and used his characteristic "knee bending" to open up the vocal resonators in the stronger and higher sections of this song.

In Paul McCartney's "Here, There and Everywhere," Clay was able to showcase the rich, resonant baritone part of his range. Boy, I would like to hear more of this part of his range - it resonates naturally well in the vocal masque and has a "head tone ring" and clarity to it that is absolutely gorgeous.

Then, as if he could predict my thoughts, Clay turned the auditorium upside down and sideways with his stellar rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" - starring that rich baritone range once again and then featuring a very quickly revived and rejuvenated tenor range - and he sealed his superstar fate with a luminous and brilliant performance. It was a shining moment in Clay Aiken's career - a moment in time when everything that he had worked so hard to achieve in the last few months was finally realized.

Bravo, Clay - you are an exceptional and gifted young man and we have all learned lessons in humility, dedication, optimism and persistence by watching you develop and mature - many times in the face of adversity - before our eyes on national television.

Critique: Okay, this is the hard part, but, Clay, I am sure you have "grown accustomed to my jargon" and will use this critique as a vehicle for further improvement so that your voice can be managed more efficiently. Longevity in a singer's voice is vital and only technique can guarantee this attribute.

First of all, nerves were at a premium this evening - and so was its 'partner in crime,' tension. You have to remember that "bel canto' approach - singing on the pure vowels within the words and avoiding those messy diphthongs that interfere with the beauty and clarity of the human voice. For instance, the word "fly" in "This Is The Night" should have been sustained as "flah" for as long as possible, followed by the rest of the diphthong (the "eye" part) when you were ready to enunciate the next word. You would have noticed and felt a remarkable openness in the throat, allowing for the diaphragmatic breathing muscles to manage the air necessary to vibrate your vocal cords.

Shallow breathing pattern was an intermittent problem during the course of the evening and it was most evidenced during the "Here, There and Everywhere" number. Those shoulders were moving up and down; you have to breathe into the back and allow your rib cage to expand to its full capacity.

You know, as you were singing this number, I immediately thought of your "Vincent" number and wondered if you were feeling a case of déjà vu -sitting on a stool once again and singing a slow, soft ballad that really exposes the voice because of the simplicity of the melodic line. You really have to achieve a sustaining element - connecting the phrase line by sustaining on the vowels within your words and then gluing them together and not allowing the consonants, even though they have to be carefully articulated, to disrupt this flow. A good technique is to rehearse the song by singing only the pure vowels within the words - no consonants - and to concentrate on maintaining an even, round, focused sound on all the vowels augmented through diaphragmatic breath control. This is actually a very good technique to assist with memorization of lyrics, as you then associate certain vowels with certain notes in the melodic line and this solidifies the memory during the performance.

Finally, remember to keep you mouth position round and jaw relaxed and ready to open on all your vowels - especially your "ee" vowels. It is difficult to do, but you will notice a remarkable uniformity to your vocal sound throughout your range and it will allow you to sing with a minimum of effort.

Hope all of this will assist you, Clay, on your inevitable road to success and stardom!

Strengths: Over the past few months, I have watched the phenomenon of Ruben Studdard evolve on American Idol. Ruben has exuded a genuine, warm persona that transforms even your lousiest day into a day-brightener. Ruben is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - always there for you, always turning on the wonderful Southern charm augmented by that stellar God-given voice. He sings with such sincerity and passion that, even during a less than vocally stellar performance, his heartfelt interpretative abilities win the hearts and minds of his adoring fans. He possesses a naturally beautiful vocal instrument - extremely focused and resonant in his mid-range.

His first song, "A House Is Not A Home," although not his strongest song of the evening, showcased some very good "diaphragmatic breath control" moments. He was sustaining and managing some beautiful phrase lines in this song and it really demonstrated what Ruben is capable of accomplishing as he hones his technical skills over the course of his career. As always, I really appreciated the wonderful R & B style he gave to this song - just super.

I thought "Imagine" was an excellent song choice for Ruben - the lyrical content, in particular, was a perfect match for the artist. There were some really beautiful interpretative moments in this song that I found rather refreshing.

In Ruben's new single, "Flying Without Wings," he has found a true "song-mate." This is your song, Ruben, and you have already added your signature R&B feel to this fantastic number. It is a superb number. I love this song and I love Ruben's outstanding performance in this number. His voice seemed more open and relaxed in this number and he showcased his R&B artistry to its full potential. This song was truly his strongest performance of the evening, technically, and musically.

Critique: In last week's Masterclass article, I stated, "His (Ruben's) generally nervous and apprehensive demeanor are sending us another message - that he is artistically and technically depleted at this point in the competition." My sentiments remained unchanged after the AI finale. Ruben, although he was trying so very hard to mask his nervousness, anxiety and tension throughout, was really fighting a losing battle here. It really was quite heartbreaking - he certainly was not the same performer that we experienced in the earlier stages of this competition. (On viewing him during the results portion of the finale, however, Ruben appeared more relaxed and vocally more assured - evidence that the pressure of the competition was affecting his performances in the last couple of weeks.)

However, I would like to address the "powers that be" who select these background arrangements for the performers. For instance, that plodding, tiresome arrangement of "A House Is Not A Home" was truly awful. Ruben had to work unbelievably hard to fill in all the musical gaps of this horrible arrangement. I would have preferred to hear this song performed without the incessant vocal riffs and runs and with more attention given to sustaining the original melodic structure. However, on the other side of the coin, because Ruben was not utilizing his breath support in an efficient manner, the sustaining, bel canto method necessary to pull off a simpler approach to this selection was unreachable. The song started to sound very complicated and, I felt, there was no sense of "forward movement" to this song. It seemed to incessantly start and stop and at times go nowhere.

In the John Lennon classic, "Imagine," he had some additional problems with pitch and, of course, that incessant raspiness that has me so very worried. Ruben - you tend to frown and close your eyes too frequently and that inhibits the openness of the resonators in that portion of your face. Therefore, the beautiful rich ring to your voice is unattainable and, in addition, the added tension coupled with the shallow breathing really affects your pitch. A rounder, more focused sound is needed here. In addition, I found that there were too many runs and embellishments as you performed this song; a simpler vocal approach to this song would have allowed you to maintain your pitch and vocal focus more efficiently. The song - musically and lyrically - is beautiful without the additional vocal flourishes.

"Flying Without Wings" fared better in all respects; however, Ruben - remember to treat your vocal embellishments as runs and support each and every note in a technically correct way. In addition, avoid the excessive use of diphthongs when you sing your runs, as they tend to "muddy" the pitch.

So, Ruben - our new American Idol - kudos!! Take care of your health, pace yourself and, most of all, enjoy your well-deserved success! You said one day your name would be in lights - and now your dream is now reality. Enjoy those spa treatments - you are a star!!

It has been a pleasure to write these Vocal Masterclass articles and I thank Foxes On Idol Editor, David Bloomberg, for giving me the opportunity to reach out via the Internet and share my teaching principles. I have made many friends and fans and I thank you for your input and support. I hope to post future articles on Foxes On Idol and RealityNewsOnline and, as I am a Canadian, I will be writing about the Canadian Idol series beginning on June 11th. So, stay tuned!

Rosanne Simunovic is the Voice Instructor and Conductor for the Timmins Youth Singers. If you have any further questions our comments, please at e-mail her. If you want to hear how she applies her technical methods to a variety of musical styles music, have a listen to one of her double disc CDs, Scenes from a Dream, a live compilation featuring outstanding performances between 1984-2000 with the Timmins Youth Singers and renowned classical, Broadway, and pop artists. Hope you enjoy it!

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