American Idol - singing or performance...

I understand that American Idol is a “singing” competition. But what amazes me is that in order to be heard properly, you have to “bring it.” In other words, you must perform!

Stage presence, your ability to connect, your ability to draw the audience in – capture and engage, and create moments – in one song, makes all the difference.

Last night on American Idol, I heard the terms “performance,” “stage presence,” “the way I felt,” and others like that, all get bantered about by the judges.

I know they are looking for great singers. But the best singer doesn’t always win, right? The winner is that one person who can capture the voting public.

Many of these contestants are working on the mechanics and the “arrangement,” but they forget the most important thing: onstage performance. Communications is 15% content (in this case technique or mechanics), 30% tone or emotions, and 55% what people see with their eyes.

One contestant struggled with the mic stand last night. (He could have used the information on Tom’s DVD Don’t Fall Off the Stage.) One of the contestants was slammed online today because he “forsook his guitar this week” – he hasn’t learned yet how to be dimensional in his onstage performance.

Even the one contestant that Simon said had the best voice was told to stop slouching, stand and deliver the song. Great voice will not capture an audience by itself!

So if, in a vocal competition, the judges are talking about performance…don’t you think it is important to know how to perform? You need to learn the rules for the stage, learn how to capture and engage an audience, listen to Tom teach about how to create moments.

Then if you have a great voice, the audience will be able to hear it!

Kevin Pauls, Live Music Producer

Be a Fan