American's Got Talent's Jackie Evancho - A Musician's Opinion

I'm sure most of you have heard about the 10-year-old opera singer, Jackie Evancho, who is a finalist and heavy favorite to win on America's Got Talent. If you haven't, you can get caught up here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nabo1iTcA5w&feature=PlayList&p=40589F682349E4DF&index=0&playnext=1

Pretty amazing, huh? First off, I won't argue that this girl has some astounding God-given talent and she seems like a truly sweet little girl with a good heart. But as a musician (albeit one who has limited vocal knowledge) I have some concerns for her.

To start, if I were just listening to her voice on face-value, without knowing that she was ten years old, I'd rate her as OK at best. Her intonation's shaky, her vibrato's not developed, and her musicality is immature. She lacks overall finesse. BUT when you realize that she's only ten years old, it is truly amazing. My fear is that with all of the ego-stroking she's been getting from the show, she will think that she's made it to the top and doesn't need to develop her vocal/musical skills any further, which is a HUGE PROBLEM!!! Like I said before, she has some amazing raw talent, but that's the problem - it's raw. It hasn't been developed. She lacks the finesse, musicality, and maturity that all great opera singers have. All musicians have raw talent to some extent (some more than others), but to be one of the great masters you have to pay your dues. No amount of raw talent can compensate for years and years of practicing and studying music. So I'm afraid that while her success on the show is wonderful at the present, it may hurt her long-term future career as an adult because she will think she's already "made it" and doesn't need any further musical development. I just hope she's smart enough to realize that this is not the case.

My other worry is how her voice will change over the years. What will happen to it as she matures? Obviously, girls do not go through quite the dramatic voice-changes as boys do during puberty, but there are some changes nonetheless. Will her astoundingly mature vocal chords go sour in adulthood? I am no vocal expert so I can't weigh in on this, but I think it's a legitimate concern. If any vocalists read this blog, tell me your opinions - I'm curious!

But at any rate, I'm fascinated to see what path this girl's musical career will take. Will she grow and develop and become a respected opera singer in the years to come? Or is she just a flash-in-the-pan that will fade into nothingness?

Things we love about Ann Arbor:

-Our awesome big apartment! It is literally twice the size of our old one in Provo.

-Having a dishwasher and washer/dryer. The loud banging and sloshing is music to my ears.

-Our new ward. Even though we've only been there for one Sunday, everyone was so nice and welcoming. We hadn't sat down for ten seconds in the chapel and there were people lined up to introduce themselves...I have realized just how nice it is to have a network of members in a place where we know absolutely no one.

-The weather! It was a tad chilly today, but most days have been 70's and 80's, sunny, with a nice breeze. We're enjoying it while it lasts!

-No TV - well, at least, I like this one. It is so nice to come home to peace and quiet with no loud TV noises in the background.

-Our apartment complex's heated pool and hot tub. Great for late-night dips!

-Being grad students = awesome. If any of you are considering graduate degrees, DO IT! You know how everyone says college is so much better than high school? Well, grad school is so much better than your bachelor's! It is wonderful to study exactly what you want to without having to take any of those nasty GE's. In the music program, we basically get to choose whatever classes we're interested in, as long as we get in all the credits we need at the end of the two years. Other than that, you choose, and there are limitless options of what to take. It is also nice to be in small classes and get a lot of one-on-one time with professors and develop a mentor-ship with them.

-Michigan accents. You didn't know there was such a thing, either? Well, just mix a bit of Minnesota with some Upstate New York and you've got a Michigan accent!

What I learned from watching the new Twilight movie.

-I cannot believe I spent $9 and two hours of my life watching the new Twilight movie.

-Vampires and werewolves do not get along. Shocker?

-When playing Edward, Robert Pattinson chooses a different accent for every scene...versatile!

-Apparently this movie was better than the first two?

-We counted 27 smolders.

-In group settings, if you want a strong smolder, it is important to stand in a semi-circle, facing out.

-It's important to get what you want, even if it means playing two guys at the same time. And as long as you're skinny.

-Edward got Bella's engagement ring at Forever 21. FUG. We see right through your antique BS, Edward.

-Stephanie Midol sure did write some true-to-life dialogue. I mean, it felt like I was watching a movie of my LIFE.

-There were five men in our theater. Five. [NOTE: Joe was NOT one of them.]

Summer update!

Hi everyone! I hope you guys haven't given up on me, although I would have if I were you. I fail as a blogger! Oh well. Just thought I'd catch you all up on the past three months, in a somewhat chronological order...

-I had my non-required Master's recital which went well! It was a lot of fun and a "last hurrah" before I left BYU.

-We played our last concert with the BYU phil (Beethoven 5). SAD SAD SAD. Not sure what the future will hold at Michigan, but I know I will miss all the friends I made over the years, but most of all I will miss Kory! No one can replace him!

-Joe graduated! Here's a stunning visual with him and the K-Man:

Fun Fact: Joe's wearing my cap and gown...never mind that the tassel says '09, right?

-After the semester ended, Joe worked full-time at the performance library for two weeks while I enjoyed life as a stay-at-home-wife (way cooler/easier than being a stay-at-home-mom).

-THE BIG MOVE!!! I got deathly ill a few days before we drove cross-country to Virginia. Perfect timing, I know. The doctors said it was a virus that could last 10-14 days and, of course, they couldn't give me any medication to make it go away faster. Awesome! So Joe did the brunt of the heavy lifting and moving, while I sat on the couch with my Ibuprofen, Kleenex box, Vitamin C drops, and ten blankets. It was fabulous. After a couple days though, I was able to muster and help a lot more/clean stuff. With the help of family, friends, and guys from the ward, we got our butts out of our apartment!

-Carol threw us a going-away party and a lot of our friends came. It was a lot of fun but made me realize how much I will miss all of the awesome people I pay to pretend they like me.

-ROAD TRIP. We packed our little red Solara full of all our earthly possessions and drove to Virginia! It took us three days , driving around 11-13 hours each day. Highlights of the trip included listening to copious amounts of Flight of the Conchords and Muse, and me narrating the first two books in the Chronicles of Narnia. I think I have a future in recording books on tape. Did I mention Joe drove THE WHOLE WAY? Yes, that's right. I still don't know how he did it.

-Which pretty much brings us to now. We've been having a lot of fun in Virginia with the fam. Joe and I have been looking for jobs for the last two weeks, to no avail. It is so hard to just get a job for the summer! But we'll keep trying...on the other hand, being jobless really helps fuel my WoW addiction.

-My sister Sarah suffered a traumatic bike accident a few days ago. Her and my dad are into cycling, and they were on a long 50-mile bike ride when it happened. She was going downhill really fast, hit some turns and lost control. The end result was that she knocked out 3 1/2 of her top front teeth, got stitches on the bottom of her chin, has a fractured jaw, and some major road rash on her legs and arms. It was traumatic, to say the least, and I wasn't even there! She spent two days in the hospital, and thank goodness the doctors found no injuries to her head or spine. Now she's at home recovering on an all-liquid diet. On the plus side, she has an awesome lisp from her missing teeth! Anyway, it has been a crazy week for the Smith fam, but it has made me realize how wonderful it is to have a strong, supportive, loving family and ward. It has been difficult, but we are grateful that all of her injuries will heal over time and that she didn't sustain any life-threatening/long-term injuries.

Welp, that is everything. Hopefully I won't wait three months to post again!

For everyone who's been dying to know...

After applying, auditioning, and waiting...waiting...waiting...

Joe and I are going to the University of Michigan this fall!!! We absolutely love the school and Ann Arbor and we are so excited to go there (despite the butt cold winters!). We are so thrilled/grateful/hugely blessed to have this opportunity to pursue our Masters Degrees at such an awesome place.

WOO! Go...wait, what's U of M's mascot?

WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Holy crap just google imaged "University of Michigan mascot" and this is what popped up:

Wtf? I guess I've never seen a wolverine before...I had more of a "Hugh Jackman" look in mind.

Possibly all of my favorite things at once?

Behold, the pear and gorgonzola pizza from California Pizza Kitchen:

(Image from foodiebytes.com)

Just LOOK at what's in this baby: Caramelized pears, Gorgonzola, Fontina and Mozzerella cheeses, caramelized sweet onions, and chopped hazelnuts. Topped with field greens tossed in Gorgonzola ranch dressing.

Is it possible to have all of the things I love in my mouth at one time? I once said that if I could have one taste in my mouth forever, it would be Five Guys fries...but I might have to change that.

To Annie freakin' Elmer my taste bud twin, if you haven't tried this, you MUST! It may seem weird at first, but I have a feeling you will fall in love.

An open letter

Dear Obnoxious Lady who sat next to me during Alice in Wonderland,

Thank you for choosing to sit right next to me during the movie I have anticipated watching for over a year. During the previews I immediately caught on to your keen sense of humor when you loudly guffawed while Brendan Fraser got shot in the crotch by a sprinkler, and later got knocked over in an outhouse by a bear. I must say, that was humor at its finest. While the rest of the audience lightly snickered, your hyena laugh reverberated throughout the entire theater.

Thank you for loudly whispering "CUTE!" every time you saw a dress that Alice wore that you liked, a dog, or a small woodland creature appear on screen. Also thanks for being the only person who applauded throughout the entire film - thank you especially for clapping for that non-applause-worthy scene where the Mad Hatter did that really awkward dance at the end.

And finally, thank you for making me wish I had 108 minutes of my life back (or at least had picked a different row).

Sincerely,

Katie