MasterClass Lady Top 9: Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Nite

I hate having anything out of order...grrr! I was sure the MasterClass Lady had critiqued the performances on Hall of Fame Nite, but I couldn't find it earlier. Oh well. Here it is:

http://masterclasslady.com/2011/04/07/vocal-masterclass-article-for-american-idol-season-10-top-9-singers-music-from-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/

JAMES DURBIN: “While My Guitar Gently Weaves”

Strengths: James – finally a ballad and not a moment too soon! OMG. The final bars of this song were just beyond description. In fact, the entire song was a masterpiece and the passion and vulnerability you brought to this song was exceptional. For me, this was one of those rare show-stopping moments on the American Idol stage.

I loved how you maintained a circular formation with your mouth and relaxed your jaw, especially for the impeccably sustained upper note at the end of this song. This is how it’s done, folks. All the strength is coming from his diaphragm and, even more important, from the emotion in his soul. The two go hand in hand – totally inseparable.

And, to think, he never had to leave the stool he was sitting on to leave a powerful musical impression with the viewers!

Bravo and standing “O”, James. This was the performance of the night – two weeks in a row. Kudos and thank you for sharing your vulnerability and passion with us on that stage.

Critique: James – you started out a little shaky and I sensed that you were having problems grounding your voice in your lower/softer range. It was a bit worrisome, at first, but it all came together in the end, so good for you for working out the nerves on live television.

However, make certain that, when seated on a stool, you elevate your rib cage so that you can become fully aware of the powerful force coming from your diaphragmatic ribcage muscles. Breathe deeply, breathe greedily and let the air guide your voice to your vocal masque and all be well and good throughout your dynamic range.

You are so “in the zone” when you sing that, incredibly enough, you manage to avoid the technical problems by accessing the depths of your soul to deliver the song in a meaningful way, just showering us with expressive continuity for the full performance.

Congratulations once again, James.