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Posts Tagged ‘X Factor’

Straight into the charts at number one on 25/4/2010

Diana was one of the 2008 X Factor semi finalists and one of my personal favourites. There were complaints last year about X Factor competitors hogging the top spot in the charts but the TV contest has found and helped showcase some great UK talent.

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As performers we must never forget that our bodies are our instruments. So, just as you would care for a violin, guitar or any other instrument, you must be prepared to look after your body. If you fail to look after your body, you will not perform to the best of your ability and you may not be offered the opportunities you deserve. Here are three top tips to help you maintain your vocal stretch and stamina on stage:

#1 No Shouting: It’s the most obvious solution to maintaining your vocal health, but you’d be amazed at the number of performers who forget that screaming and shouting will seriously damage your voice. There will be times when you’re not thinking about the development of your performance skills and ‘looking after your instrument’ but if you’re serious about success on the stage, you will need to constantly remind yourself that screaming, shouting or straining the voice in anyway will be detrimental to your performance. A voice can be stretched but not pushed and quite often you will need to stretch muscles involved with the vocal process as part of your training. This is just like an athlete stretching before running a race. However, we know that if the athlete feels like he’s pulling a muscle, he will stop to prevent any damage being caused. The same is true for singers and actors. We must stretch muscles as part of our training in order to improve our vocal performance. However, as soon as we feel we are pushing or straining the voice we must stop.

#2 Warming Up: Carrying out a full vocal warm-up is crucial before going on stage for both singers and actors. Think about our athlete again. Have you ever seen an athlete arrive at the race track and immediately run the race? No, neither have I! They always look like they’ve been stretching, jogging and exercising a long time before the race and they’re always bouncing up and down to keep their muscles warm just before the race begins. Again, the same is true for singers and actors before going on stage. For our best vocal performance, our voices need to be warmed-up with an effective sequence of vocal exercises. So, get into the habit of doing vocal warm-ups before going on stage and your performance will benefit greatly.

#3 Lifestyle: Singers and actors worldwide talk about weird and wonderful concoctions and lifestyle rules which help them look after their voices. Whilst some of these may help you to maintain vocal health, a few solid rules are sure to make a difference:
- Avoid extremely hot and extremely cold drinks
- Be aware that excessive dairy products like milk, cream and chocolate are not good for the voice
- Eat well and get plenty of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy
- If you’ve strained your voice, mixtures such as milk and honey will help you feel better but not necessary prepare you to sing
- If you’re preparing to sing, drink plenty of water or other drinks such as lemon and ginger to clean and lubricate the vocal tract

Achieve performing arts success with mystagedoor.co.uk – the global community of aspiring performers. Join the performing arts platform at mystagedoor.co.uk and get free access to training tips, career advice, showbiz news and the opportunity to meet thousands of other like-minded performers.

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com

Inspired to take to the stage and create their dream, over 180,000 contestants turned out for X-Factor 2008. Most left the competition with shattered dreams. But now every aspiring performer has the opportunity to become a singing sensation with help of some of nation’s most respected experts.

Professionals from all across the performing arts industry are collaborating to provide expert advice and guidance to help aspiring singers achieve their aspirations. The world does not have space for thousands of new singing superstars but there are still fantastic opportunities for performers to entertain audiences all around the world. To help you realise your potential as a singer and take a big step closer to singing success, here are five top tips to help you produce a flawless performance:

#1 REALITY CHECK: If you want to succeed as a singer, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. Starting out is never easy and, unless you’re very lucky, your first performances won’t be in the most glamorous of venues. You need to prepare yourself for the journey ahead and be ready to make the most of every situation. So, talk to performers about their experiences and find realistic information about the performing arts industry which will help to give you a valuable insight.

#2 GET TECHNICAL: Some performers are blessed with ‘natural talent’. From an early age, natural born performers demonstrate their ability to capture the attention of any audience. However, when it comes to pursuing a career in singing, every performer has to work hard to develop flawless singing technique to maintain their vocal strength. Why not learn the basics of singing technique with an online singing course? This can be an effective and affordable way to realise your full potential as a singer.

#3 CHOOSE YOUR TUNES: Singers are often criticised for choosing the wrong songs. Choosing the most suitable repertoire to perform is an extremely challenging task. To do this, we recommend taking time out to listen to as much music as possible. Don’t just listen to music you think you should sing or music you already listen to – try to broaden your horizons. You may stumble across a style of music which you didn’t consider before but which is perfect for your voice. The combination of singing music which is ideal for your voice and performing music which is not been covered by thousands of other artists will increase your chances of success.

#4 PRESENCE & PERSONALITY: Your presence as a performer on the stage and your personality when working with other people in the business will have a huge impact on your success. First, think about your posture and presence whilst performing. Do you look comfortable and do you look like you are enjoying performing? If so, you are likely to make your audience feel comfortable and more open to your performance. Secondly, think about how you come across to the people you work with. Modesty and honesty alongside perfect manners will get you a long way.

#5 ADVICE & SUPPORT: There is a vast amount of advice and support available to aspiring singers. In particular, thousands of websites offer free advice on developing your singing skills and giving a perfect performance. However, the challenge is to find material which is proven to be successful. We recommend, starting with an online singing course from easysingingtutorials.com – a leading provider of effective and affordable singing tuition. Then, we recommend registering for free at mystagedoor.co.uk – the global community of aspiring performers. Here you will find training tips and advice from leading experts as well as showbiz news and you will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded performers.

Good luck!

Download online singing courses from easysingingtutorials.com – a leading provider of effective and affordable singing tuition. Online singing courses from easysingingtutorials.com follow a unique vocal programme proven to help you achieve your aspirations.

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com

This year there are several strong contenders in the finals with a strong showing for the ladies. On Saturday nights programme the contestants had to sing a Mariah Carey song after some coaching from the star. Following you will find my thoughts on the remaining acts and the performances.

Simon Cowell Male Singers Last 1

15 year old Eoghan Quigg is a bit of a conundrum to me. The panel reckon to be wowed by him and predict great things. I watch him and yes he is a great performer, cool as a cucumber on the stage and he connects with the audience, but when I just listen without watching I don’t find his voice that brilliant and wonder if it is strong enough to sell records.

On Saturday night Eoghan sang ‘Anytime You Need A friend’. A convincing performance but in my opinion vocally not one of the stronger acts.

Danni Minogue Over 25s Final 3

Spaniard Ruth Lorenzo is a very convincing performer and the sexiest – it’s rumoured that Simon Cowell fancies her! She has a good singing voice and especially when she belts out the choruses.

On Saturday night Ruth sang ‘My All’. I enjoyed listening though I thought that she was a little out of tune in the early stages of the song. Wearing a long red dress she looked great and I’m sure that her sex appeal will get the votes of men. The judges weren’t so keen and the put down from Louis Walsh ‘More Mariah Scary than Mariah Carey’ was unfair.

Rachel Hylton has an amazing voice as a soul singer but I don’t think that she is flexible enough to win the show. Rachel can be quite temperamental and that could affect her chances in the competition and her future.

On Saturday night Rachel chose to sing ‘Against All Odds’, possibly to reflect on her past and to remind voters of it (am I being cynical?). Her performance was good but to me not great and I don’t think that she will get through to the final with performances like that, but I think that she is talented enough to become a big star away from the X Factor.

The likeable Daniel Evans is a good singer but he hasn’t got the X Factor for me and like some of the judges I can’t see Daniel becoming a recording star.

On Saturday night Daniel sang ‘Open Arms’. It was a good performance, better than previous ones as the judges Louis and Simon sarcasticaly pointed out, but not as good as the other acts in my opinion.

Cheryl Cole Female Singers Final 3

Laura White has been one of my favourite singers since the auditions. This talented girl has a lovely voice and personality that I hope will bring her stardom in the future.

On Saturday night Laura sang ‘Endless Love’ beautifully, I couldn’t fault it. On first viewing I thought that to have her playing the piano at the beginning of the performance was a mistake, but the second time that I watched I liked it. My second favourite performance of the night.

Alexandra Burke was dropped 3 years ago by Louis Walsh and has come back this year as a very strong contender. Alexandra has a brilliant voice and a great personality.

On Saturday Alexandra sang ‘Without You’. It was a bit flat at first but ended brilliantly. My favourite performance of the night.

17 year old Diana Vickers is very different vocally and my favourite to win the contest. Diana is a breath of fresh air, with what the judges call a quirky voice and surprising flexibility. Her performances are mesmorising and every time that she has been expected to fail she has risen to the challenge.

On Saturday Diana didn’t perform because of severe laryngitis. Thankfully Diana was given a by and can still continue with the contest.

Louis Walsh Groups Last 1

I like JLS but I don’t think that they will win the contest. So far I’ve enjoyed their performances but none of them have been outstanding to me.

On Saturday they sang ‘One Sweet Day’. It was disappointing at first but when the harmonies kicked in it was great. Cheryls comments about not letting Louis turn them into Westlife started Louis and Simon arguing with her but I could see what she meant. JLS are full of character and when they let their own characters show through they are very entertaining.

The Results

The public voted the bottom 2 performers in week 5 to be Laura White and Ruth Lorenzo. A shock result because their performances didn’t merit being in the bottom 2, but unfortunately what seems to happen with the public is that they tend to vote for who they want to stay in rather than who gave the best performances of the night.

In the sing off Laura sang the Judy Garland song ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ and Ruth sang Bob Dylan’s ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door’. Both girls gave extraordinary performances, reinforcing my belief that they shouldn’t have been in the bottom 2. The judges voted 3 – 1 for Ruth to stay in the contest and Laura sadly to leave.Up until week 5 I agreed with the acts which were voted off but in my opinion Laura is better than that. Well there it is – my opinion, but feel free to comment and leave your own opinion.

Below you will find videos of Laura’s Endless Love performance, extracts from Laura and Ruths sing off and Mariah Carey and the finalists singing ‘Hero’ – The X Factor finalists number 1 record for charity.

Laura White – Endless Love

Ruth & Laura Sing Off

X Factor Finalists & Mariah Carey - Hero

At the beginning of series 5 of the X Factor I can’t help wondering why some contestants put themselves through excruciating auditions. Some are embarrassingly bad and I can only think that they are either suffering from delusions or they know just how bad they are but still think it worth the embarrassment to appear on TV.

This year the popular UK TV music talent contest has attracted over 180,000 contestants at auditions up and down the UK. All of them dream about hitting the big time and winning a lucrative record contract. Though this year one of them was more interested in meeting and giving her idol, panellist Louis Walsh a red rose. Just as well she was there for love – she isn’t exactly a singer!

The panel of 4 judges has altered this year after Sharon Osborne quit. I liked Sharon being in the show and felt that she offered experience, compassion and was pretty good at standing up to judge Simon Cowell – billed as the most influential man in pop. She knows what she is talking about and calls a spade a spade – sometimes OTT but not to the point of cruelty as sometimes happens on the X Factor.

The official reason for Sharon quitting is not being offered enough money to work on the show for 6 months a year, but there are also rumours that conflict between Sharon and panellist Danni Minogue was the real reason. On the Graham Norton chatshow Sharon likened Danni to her backside and said “She knows she’s there because of her looks, not because of her contribution to the music industry.”

Personally I have wondered why Australian singer Danni Minogue is on the panel. She seems a bit too wishy washy to me and not as knowledgeable as the other panellists. Although her act Leon Jackson won last year I agreed with the other judges when they often criticized her choice of songs as a mentor. Maybe my view isn’t totally fair, it’s supposed to be reality TV but I wonder how much is real.

Replacing Sharon is Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole. The girl band won TV talent show ‘Popstars: The Rivals’ 6 years ago and having been a contestant herself should understand what the contestants are going through. It’s early days with Cheryl as a panellist but there are already rumours that her and Danni don’t get on!!

Simon Cowell is the mastermind of the X Factor and is also behind the TV shows Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol. A very busy man who to me appears to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Sometimes his remarks about contestants singing or appearance are very caustic and rude. Then at other times he mellows and is really nice and helpful to the contestants. I’ve often wondered if the cruel or blunt comments might be purposeful to help increase the viewer ratings!

Dubbed King of the Irish Pop Scene Louis Walsh is the fourth panellist. I sorta like Louis but not enough to give him a red rose! There occasionally seems to be some rivalry between Louis and Simon but not enough to mar the proceedings.

The first 2 shows of the 2008 series have already produced some dramas. Notably one contestant made claims about his childhood that were then disputed in the press. As he is a great singer and a hunk I couldn’t give a flying fig what the press says. I want him to do well in the series because of his talent and not because of his background whatever it is.

On the first show panellist Cheryl Cole walked out of the audition room in tears when she realised that she knew the contestant Nikk Mager. Nikk was a fellow contestant of ‘Popstars: The Rivals’ and Cheryl did not want to make public judgments about somebody that she knew. I don’t blame her for that; I couldn’t have done it.

Once the initial auditions are over the selected contestants go through to bootcamp where they go through a further selection procedure. After that they are split into 4 groups: bands, female singers, male singers and over 25s. Each of the panelists is allocated a different group to mentor and the contestants in their group get to visit the panelist’s homes where the finalists are chosen – 3 for each group.

By then only the best acts remain and we should be treated to some great shows. Last year my favourite act was Welsh singer Rhydian Roberts. He put on an amazing performance every time that he hit the stage. His Phantom of The Opera gave me goosebumps, a great singer and performer that left me spellbound.

This year it’s wide open with many auditions still to be seen. I would like to see a band win for the first time instead of a solo artist. Next year who knows? It won’t be me that’s for sure, I don’t want my mouth comparing to a cave or my singing likened to stepping on a cat even if it is true!

The author Patricia Jones writes for several websites including the UK travel guide where you can search freely for the best hotel deals worldwide.

Patricia is also the co owner of Mega Music Videos where musicians can upload their videos and audios for members to watch, download and share and the Mega Music Site where you can find lots of music information.

The X Factor has become very popular in the UK with millions of viewers glued to their television sets every Saturday evening whilst the series lasts. Some watch the talent show because they want to have a laugh at the awful auditions, some watch because they want to see new performers do well.

Personally I feel uncomfortable watching some of the really awful auditions. I hate it when the panel (Simon Cowell, Danni Minogue, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole) laugh inanely at the efforts of others. I don’t find singers trying their hardest to impress funny, just sad when they clearly can’t sing. Neither can I, but like those poor singers I wish that I could sing. I’ve got to admit to laughing at the effect scary Ariel Burdett had on the panel during her audition.

After the auditions the contestants who have got through the first round go to bootcamp. Bootcamp sounds like a tough camping exercise but on the X Factor the contestants split into 4 categories and visit the panel’s luxorious homes. The categories are: male singers, female singers, over 25s and groups. The acts get some training and perform in front of the panel who become mentors. Each mentor chooses their 3 favourite acts and the final rounds begin.

The mentors choose the songs and help with rehearsals, the acts come up against each other and each week 1 act is voted off by the panel and telephone votes. I like watching the progress of the different acts. Some improve tremendously over the weeks and not just in the way that they sing. You can see a massive gain in confidence with some of the acts as they change from would be singing stars to performers.

Eventually a winner emerges though we might not always agree with that choice. Every year on the day of the final show there are discussions and arguments up and down the country about who we think should win. The prize is a £1m recording contract and the promise of stardom but do the X Factor winners become stars.

Steve Brookstein won the first series in 2004. After that he released a cover version of Against All Odds which became number 1 for one week in the UK single charts in January 2005. Steve released his first album Heart and Soul in May 2005 which came into the UK album charts at number 1. His record company dropped him in August 2005 after he reportedly refused to record another album of covers instead of his own material.

Steve then formed his own record label and released his second album 40,000 Things in October 2006 but it didn’t do well. Currently in September 2008 Steve is touring with the Madness musical Our House. Not so much fame and fortune as you would expect but I still like his singing.

Shayne Ward won the second series in 2005. Shayne’s first single That’s My Goal became the Christmas number one single and stayed in the top 75 for over 5 months. The single became the fourth fastest selling record of all time. After a second hit single he released his first album called Shayne Ward, which gained second place in the UK album charts.

Shayne had problems with vocal chord nodules in 2006, but fortunately they were treated successfully and he was able to continue his singing career. After releasing his autobiography ‘My Story’ Shayne completed a successful solo UK tour and after a hit from his double sided single If That’s Ok With You/No U Hang Up released his second successful album Breathless. He is currently working on a third album that is due out late 2008. Dishy Shayne has done well for himself and he certainly has the X Factor in my eyes.

Leona Lewis won the third series in 2007 and has become a big international star, certainly the most successful of the winners so far. Her first single A Moment Like This became the UK Christmas number one and sold more than the rest of the top 40 put together. It also broke the record for Internet downloads.

Leona’s first album ‘Spirit’ was released in November 2007 and became the fastest selling first album of all time in the UK and Ireland. Spirit also became the fourth fastest selling album ever. In January 2008 Spirit became the number one album in several countries worldwide and in April hit the US Billboard 200 at number one. Leona’s second album is planned for 2009 and then she goes on a world tour in 2010.

I wholeheartedly agreed with the choice of Leona as the X Factor 2007 winner. She was impressive on every show and her singing gave me goosebumps. Leona has a wonderful voice and came across as a really nice young lady. She seemed a little shy on the first few shows and although her confidence grew she never seemed to realise just how good she was.

Leon Jackson was the controversial winner of the fourth X Factor series. Scottish Leon won a lot of hearts with his cute looks, big gorgeous eyes and self-effacing manner. His singing performances never seemed to be winning performances but he still pulled it off in great style.

Leon’s first single When You Believe was the 2007 Christmas number one – that sounds familiar! His first album ‘Right Now’ is due to be released in October 2008. The highlight of his singing career so far is a joint performance at Wembley arena with his hero Michael Buble. Although Leon’s win was controversial it’s extraordinary that he didn’t start singing until not long before the X Factor auditions.

Who knows how successful Leon and the other X Factor winners will be in the future. Success isn’t guaranteed despite winning, but the television talent show and all of its competitors give winning entertainment value – including scary Ariel!

The author Patricia Jonesis the co-owner of a music information site and a music download site. Patricia has been writing reviews and articles for several years. You can find more of her work at www.bb-articles.com where you can also submit your own articles and find free content for your websites and ezines.

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