Vocal Coach Dot Todman gives American Idol Season 9 Febi 3rd Advice to Contestants

Dot provides useful tips and reflections for American Idol viewers and contestants.

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Live Rough notes from Dot Todman on American Idol

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

A selection of random auditions from all over and a bit of a recap.

"PANTS ON THE GROUND RULES!"
Different Versions of this song throughout the world. Shall I do a Jamaican Version?
LOL. Maybe? Let me know eh?

Jessica Furney, 20
She auditioned Season 8 – I remember you - you are in my notes from last year! Search yourself on my site! How is your grandma doing?
Still gorgeous voice. But watch your jaw sweetie.
Nice commitment to your message and nice levels! GOOD JOB! You have improved from last year… but how can you still be 20? Auditions from last season were in 2008. LOL.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Amanda Shectman
She can do high larynx voices
Dot – your voice is lovely. Nice mix of soul, good tone, commitment to message, but you zoned out a bit, that’s all. They talked about CONNECTING! This is a C.O.R.E. Vocal Power™ word!
How do you do this? Ahhh... visit http://www.innervocalpower.com and I will explain this.
I know Simon will say yes. OMG – they put you through so much suspense but we all knew you’d get in. OMG – I love how dramatic you are. It’s like a Tatiana Del Toro from last year without the laugh. LOL. But they are making it overkill for Hollywood.
It sounds like you know what your authentic voice is, even though you can create many voices... at least I hope this is the case.

They’re talking about people hiding behing their instruments

Lee Dewyze
“Ain’t No Sunshin”
Nice voice. Nice tone, but not fun?

Crystal Bowersox, 23
Nice red-head with dreads.
Guitar as part of her instrument but didn’t use - of course - they're not allowed to.
Sweet tone.

"Fake out" guy in a purple shirt. We never even heard him sing!

There were a lot of singers who made it.

COMMERCIAL

OMG – they showed the guy who I made a video about who cried wearing a scarf... what was your name again? Argh! Now I have to go through my videos and find out!
They should be putting NAMES up there on the screen. How rude. Come on Idol. You guys are getting lazy!


Lacey Brown, 23
“Some Where over the Rainbow”
Interesting variation on the melody of the song…
She makes it!

Stephanie Fisher
7 is your lucky number - 7th attempt to audition.
She is star struck on Victoria Becham
“Fever” oh. It’s a bit pitchy honey. This means you’re not hitting all the notes.
Tone is weak. Just do more vocal drills and learn to access the part of your brain that will help you it the pitches better and stay present.

TRIBUTE TO ATHLETES

Adrian Chandtchi, 17
6 foot 8 tall.
Loves to swim
Wow – what an interesting Spirit this young man has.
“Blonde Zillah” they call him.
I like him. Your speaking voice is interesting. Already I am curious to find out how you'll sing.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love”
OMG – Kara says, “there’s like a small school boy trapped inside of you” and Simon quickly retorts, “Either that, or you’ve eaten one!”
That made me laugh. OMG. Sorry
Okay, so you’re a big guy, but your vocal chords are most likely quite thin.
Even your speaking voice is quite high,which either means you're only using part of them, or they are short - unlike you. I think you should train more because you have something very unqiue but it needs to be developed in a BIG way. You are only 17 and it sounds like your voice is still maturing. I men, it can take up to age 25 for the voice to fully mature! Keep singing through the changes to allow your co-ordination to be strong as your chords lengthen. I think you have something very "special" and different about you that comes out in your voice, but hone it so you can get the notes right and learn to stay present. This always helps.

to read more about the ATHLETES, etc, (the ones I left out) visit

http://www.dotsidolvlog.com

**Aaron Kelly, 16
Was poor growing up.
Social Services almost took him away but he got adopted. (I was adopted too! =))
You have a nice speaking voice.
“The climb”
YUMMY VOICE! I love you! Learn to connect to your audience more in the future. I have a feeling you will go FAR in this contest if you are as grounded as you appear. I see top 12 material here. Wow.

Kimberly Bishop
Has a good heart and wants to recycle and help kids in Africa.
Says nice things to Randy
Dot – okay, you’re not singing authentically. That’s it. Who are you honey? Just a bit showy to say the least. And that is all I have to say.


Shaddaii Harris, 21
Mom loves you honey. That’s nice.
Sang - Alicia Keyes
Dot – not grounded in your body at all. Do you have a cough drop in your mouth? What? Do more vocal drills to get you grounded in your scale and tap into the part of your brain that allows you to align with the notes. At the end of the day, you’re just not present. That’s all.
Don’t listen to Randy who says, “You can’t Sing.” Anyone can sing... they're just at different levels of how they are expressing it. Some are more "appealing" than others!


Hope Johnson, 19
Sharing stories about being poor
Interesting tone in speaking voice.
Dot - You are cute and you have a nice tone and genuine quality when you sing.
GOOD FOR YOU HONEY! I know you’ll get in.
Kara really connected to you. Yeah – I agree with them.. but please never take Randy’s advice on singing. He can’t sing at all.
The ENERGY OF YOUR SOUL bleeds through when you sing and it is very lovely. Something very special here.

American Idol Season 9, Colorado - February 2nd, 2010

Dot's Notes on American Idol
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Colorado
Victoria Beckham – Guest judge

Overall comments – well, aside from our fabulous Kimberly Kerbow, tonight’s show had some interesting characters which I may decide to create a video about. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask! For more info, visit http://www.dotsidolvlog.com

Mark Labriola, 28
Fugitive baby – LOL.
Tempted by Squeeze
What a great voice! I love him!
Stay grounded and focused in your message dude.
Cute little boy


Mario Galvan
Nervous laugh
This is an energetic imbalance due to fear.
Sang: "Jail house rock"
You know what dude, you gave it a shot.
Work on meditating daily so you can ground your energy better and get rid of that nervous laugh. Not a bad voice – just a bit “heavy” and out of balance.


Wow – now they're showing angry people.

KIMBERLY KERBOW
THIS IS MY ADORABLE STUDENT! I LOVE HER! And your daughter is soooo fabulous!
Sang - “The Way I am”
Dot - Kimberly – you are doing so FABULOUS and you look GREAT! You entertained them with your great voice and personality. Work it girl!
THEY LOVE YOU AND Simon says YOU’RE FUNNY and "trouble."
These are great "clues" to shaping an "image."


Danelle Hayes
Another mom with a little boy.
Live Karaoke host and sings in band
Dot - “wow, you belted that out but you’re grounded in it, so they will pick you.”
Simon says, "you’re almost broken. I don’t know if you’ve been allowed to be who you should be.”
Dot’s Advice – Kara says you wear your heart on your sleeve and she loves that, but I hope you know what this means. Keep your heart centered, and stay GENUINE. Vulnerability is on the path to empowerment, but it doesn't mean we lose energy over it.

SINGERS WHO HAVE FASHION – distractions

Casey James, 27
Had an owie accident.
Dot – I like your voice. Wow – Simon doesn’t like you. Says you have no charisma
They tell you to work on your personality – OMG – they told you to take your shirt off!
Dang. LOL.
Yeah – meditate and... what kind of food do you eat?

Torri Kelly, 16
You are pretty.
Haha. I love the drawings that your daughter Hope made.
Sang - "Gravity" John Mayer
Yep – you got it. Just don’t go nuts with the vocal runs. Keep them tasteful. Maybe it’s why Simon tripped on your voice and called it “annoying”. Just ignore him.
OMG – I LOVE YOUR DRESS!

DAY #2

Austin Paul, 22
Apparently you are being made out to look like an overconfident dumb jock.
Okay – they are going to say no because you’re not authentic in your song delivery.
Flipping up to falsetto and doing it all for show…nope. What about the message? Do you care about the audience?
Your response to their "no" = “I could be marketed well by you guys” HUH?
They said you were too confident… but this was your 3rd panel who encouraged you, so to your credit, I see why you are confused.


Kenny Everett, 24
You say - “My singing is a public service to others”
Dot – your over all energy and vocal runs and “ooo’s” were just a bit over the top.
And you are pretending to hold a mic while you sing? There is no mic. Not a good thing to do. This is too dramatic. Think about this – what was the meaning of the song to you and why were you singing it? It is not that you do not know how to hit the notes. Listening to your voice feels like you don’t really care about your audience and you’re just blasting off energy carelessly. A song is a story. It’s an opportunity you have to take people on a journey. When you sing, THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU – THEY CARE ABOUT HOW YOU MAKE THEM FEEL. You make others “feel” by being grounded and authentic in your message while telling a story. Take it down a few notches. Work on singing more softly and not shouting at your audience. Hone your gift. You do have a gift. You just need to be humbled and refined my dear. Your question – about how 4 people can tell a great singer he is no good – hopefully was answered by reading this. It is not that you are no good. Just do what I suggested and try out again next year dear.
Also, I would recommend looking in the mirror at your eyes - until you can see YOU. Connect with yourself in a deeper way. You have a good Spirit. I don't think you're as confident as you think.


They are showing people who are “off” – energetically. They aren’t all horrible. Just vocal problems like too much high whistle (don't show off at auditions)
Being too dramatic, and uniquely "off pitch" singers.

Also, they’re not showing names.
Keeping in mind that these people have been encouraged by 2 prior panels to continue their behavior, it does not entertain me to see this.

Nickie Nix
(Florence Italy) You sound like you have little tiny vocal folds or a high larynx… but I bet when you sing it will sound different because I hear more in your voice.
Simon made a helium joke.
Now you’re singing and you’re just fine.
They will let you in – even though Simon is making fun of you.
Question: why do you speak differently then where you sing?
Answer: You are only using part of your voice when you speak.
If you want to use all of it when you speak, it would sound differently, but it also means you have to OWN MORE of what you’re shy about. In other words, overcome the “shyness," the need to be seen as "sweet” and trust that the beauty of your Spirit will shine through your voice instead of trying to control how others think and feel about you through it. You may not even be doing this on purpose, but it is in your subconscious and showing up as a tiny voice. I’m glad when you sing, you allow more of you to shine through. Next step for you is speaking from an empowered place. In the meantime, hum more and work on tone.


Haeley Vaughn
Miracle baby of 2 pounds! Born in 1993! Sheish… you are young honey.
Your lisp is cute. I wonder if it will go away when you sing. This happens sometimes.
Dot – I love your voice and energy and spirit. I hope they pick you.
Oh - Simon noticed your lisp so I guess it didnt' go away.
They love your "bubblyness" and "uniqueness"
Kara offers advice – start at a lower pitch.
OMG – mom and sister join you – AWESOME!
It will be interesting to see you evolve. I hope you made it past Hollywood week.


Ty Hemmering
BIKINI BOY. OMG a dude in a bikini. Why?
"Achy Breaky Heart"
Wow – he sang one line pretty badly – they all left.
Nice ending guys.

Dot's Notes on American Idol

For Dot's notes from the entire show, visit http://www.dotsidolvlog.com

American Idol
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dallas Texas

Julie Kevelighn
She has been on the show before and totally did not make it.
Blue sequence dress and fake eyelashes. Uh…ok.
“Black Velvet”
Dot – well, it sounds like you made some progress from last time you auditioned.
You said, “I feel like I should pay more attention to my breathing.” NOPE.
Aside from singing outside of the melody, the quality of your TONE needs to be more solidified in the chest region. You came off as “annoying” because your voice did not have a balanced tone (head, nasal, mouth and chest) and you were singing out of your left brain, trying to make them like you, instead of actually committing to the message of your song.

Lloyd Thomas, 29
Looks like you may be a Body singer with all that fancy footwork! Wow!
Dockworker for airline
Very cute daughters honey... even if you dropped the pics. LOL.
Sang: “Overjoyed” Stevie Wonder
Dot - Nice voice! Great tone and energy. And you’re not a “body singer.” Like I thought, which is a good thing. (see my upcoming e-book about kinds of singers) That means you did not let your body moves upstage you. You were actually very grounded as a singer.
Simon LOVES YOU! Wow – they all liked you! Good job.

Erica Rhodes, 23
Barney and friends chick
She shows up with a whip? Say what?
Then she sang “Barney Song” and that would have got her in right away. Obviously you sing very well, but then they let you sing “Free Your Mind” and use a whip to get their attention.
Nice gimmick idea.. but what are you trying to prove at this point sweetie?
They ask you and you reply: "Barney kids grow up… Janet Jackson is my role model."
They say Yes of course. You have a great voice and a great look… and you made an impression.
Randy, says, “Barney Dominatrix” LOL!
Dot says - You might actually do very well in this competition. I want to relate to you more though. I know Hollywood week is now over in real life, but on the show, it has yet to begin... but my guess at this point is - if you know how to get along and you're creative and flexible, you probably made it through.


(Want to read more? Click HERE)

Wednesday, January 26th, 2010
Los Angeles Auditions

Avril Lavigne – Judge. Hmmm.... Kind of young to be a judge. What is this suggesting to our viewers? To see a young lady laughing at her peers. I don't know about that. Hmmm...

Neil Goldstein, 19 years old
IQ of 168
Are you serious or acting?
"Rock and Roll dreams come through" – meatloaf
Forgot words – very nervous.
Dot – interesting vibrato and your tone isn’t bad... but you are very nervous and the reason why you did not get in is because you need to have the entire package, and you can’t fake being confident. It was obvious that you are not truly confident - especially if you freeze up and forget the words. That's not excusable. Work on really discovering who you are - as a PERSON first, then a singer. Not who you think you want to be, or who you are trying to be.

Mary Powers
Mary’s Daughter is cute
Dot – nice quality of tone…do you smoke? I certainly hope not dear. If you do and you don't want vocal nodules and to die young and kill your daughter, QUIT. Enough said.
The rasp is cool, but why is it there? Yeah - I can't help being concerned... but maybe you just have food allergies?
Daughter got to meet Simon- thrills chills.

Adam Lambert wannabee’s. Hmmmm...

A.J. Mendoza, 20
Living Color
So, this audition was shown as a disaster, but probably left you confused because they didn't advise you and you can sing.
Dot – find your own voice. We don’t want another Adam. Who are you as a singer?
Also - Bad song choice honey. I don’t like the fact that Avril Lavigne is laughing at you. That doesn't feel right to me. I don't really like anybody laughing at people on this show, but especially not someone as young as Avril, who is wearing a devil outfit. Say what?
You are only 20, so you still have plenty of time to find your true voice as a singer and be authentic in your own UNIQUE expression, not what you love about Adam. You can take what you love about him, but find a way to align it with your own authentic expression and become YOUR OWN voice. They laughed at you because you were not being yourself. That’s all. Your voice is not bad at all. Just create the TRUTH OF IT within yourself. And try not to do all of that high screechy stuff too often. It even got Adam in trouble a lot in his career, and many men with ranges fall into the trap of trying to grasp onto their "high end" instead of embracing their low, like John Park from last week. YUM!)

(This whole show is actually bothering me at this point… not exactly sure why… but it just is. It better get better after tHe break)

Katy Perry = new judge. HOORAY! Sorry Avril but I don’t like how you were laughing at people and not mature enough to provide any useful advice - at least from what they showed. And why were you wearing a devil costume? I don't get it.


Want to read more? Visit http://www.dotsidolvlog.com

American Idol Season 9; 1-19-10 CORE Vocal Power Advice from Hollywood Vocal Coach Dot Todman

Note from Dot:
Hello Singers!
I'm doing this Idol series, because As a Vocal POWER Coach, I am invested in helping people sing from a free, connected, authentic space. I believe the show American Idol is a must see tool for singers if they know how to apply it.

Let me explain
I'm making these vlogs for a few reasons:

#1 Many of us like to sit here at home in our comfort zone, laugh, and be a judge, while others compare themselves to the contestants. I dont believe either is an empowered choice. What if there was a way I could watch the show with a certain awareness about my CORE, and become an INCREDIBLE singer? Using American Idol as a tool, my videos will share with you how to perform, overcome nervousness, correct song choice, vocal production, presence, vocal stamina, energy, and self confidence to name a few.

#2 Telling a singer, There is no hope for you. Never sing again I believe is destructive. Im interested in What are they doing wrong and how can they improve If I can teach a hearing impaired person to sing, then there is HOPE for everyone! Not only am I vlogging, but Im also providing CONSTRUCTIVE advice on how to become a vocally empowered singer for every aired contestant. Last season I completed notes for every single episode as a free gift because I am committed to empowering your vocal journey. I dont like seeing people crying, angry and devastated about their self worth, just because of a TV show - so Im doing something about it. EDUCATING. If you dont believe me visit http://dotsvoicestudios.com/index.php... and you will see constructive notes about yourself from last season. You dont even have to be a member anymore, to read it!

#3 lastly, Im doing this because I want you to know about the products I have that can help you sing better from a more grounded, empowered place. My material is not your average vocal exercisela la la Cd or DVD. CORE VOCAL POWER helps people deal with actual issues that do come up in real life, like waiting and nervousness and weak, ungrounded voices and mind chatter. And lack of confidence. I want to sell my products because I know they can empower you. Theyve empowered many of my students over the years - not just to sing better, but change their lives because they truly feel better from inside their CORE. http://www.corevocalpower.com

HOW THE MOVIE AVATAR CAN TEACH YOU EMPOWERED SINGING

At a first glimpse, Avatar was a movie packed with suspense, action, drama and hope. Even if you weren’t fortunate enough to see it in 3-D, the incredible animation and revolutionary special affects, coupled with an interesting enough story line to hold your attention for a good 2 hours and 40 minutes is quite undeniable.

As I’ve spoken to people about the movie, it’s been interesting to hear what they experienced from it, depending on their view of the world and what is most important to them. I’ve had people mention to me that they loved the meaning, while others actually thought the storyline and acting was weak, but it was visually appealing. Some people mentioned the idea of “a White guilt trip movie” while others likened it to sports and self-discipline - and the list goes on.


I thoroughly enjoyed the movie Avatar. As a Vocal Empowerment Coach who sees the world through the eyes of one who teaches people how empower their voice, I have my own take. The movie Avatar not only had it’s obvious themes of how we can create a better earth and be more united as a people – but also – for me there was a huge parallel with what I see my students achieve during their vocal journey. Would you agree that our main character, Jake Sulley became empowered? Yes, for me, Avatar was a movie that gave great clues about how a human soul can become an Empowered one. Of course they could have elaborated more on his inner process of transformation, but the basics were there, and I believe that the reason why this movie has been so successful, aside from being a masterful visual work of art, is that just about anyone can relate to it on some level. Even the conflict in the movie of the whole Corporate struggle was imbedded in the themes, causing us to ask, “Are we really employed at a job that is in alignment with who we are?”

When the main character, Jake Sulley first arrives on the area of Pandora inhabited by the Indigenous People, he was in defense mode, in perfect form and alertness, ready with his weapons to blast anything that might get him. We share in his heightened sense of curiosity, suspense and fear. Even the unarmed female scientist, Grace Augustine who was familiar with the location exclaimed, “Calm down Jake, you’re making me nervous,” upon the first few moments of their arrival in the jungle. This is the perfect example of....

visit http://www.innervocalpower.com to read the entire article

How to Build a Natural Voice from your CORE

Here is an excerpt from my latest Vocal Training DVD, Building CORE VOCAL POWER™, a companion to my audio program, "Practicing C.O.R.E. Vocal Power" It's a great Christmas gift. Visit http://www.corevocalpower.com for more information.

Can Deaf People Learn How to Sing?

Dot Teaches Hearing Impaired Student to Sing!

(Click HERE to listen to Before & After Audio Tracks!)

When this young man called me, and asked if I would work with someone who was hearing impaired, I thought "Well, why not?" If what I knew was true about pitch issues, and, like Arthur Joseph taught me, "singing has more to do with the brain and muscle memory than hearing," and "less than 2% of the population is 'tone deaf'," then why can't I teach this guy to sing?

So, we set forth on an amazing vocal journey. This young man who loved to sing, but had to use a hearing aid and read lips to get by in the dance industry came to me with a whole new set of challenges most people would never imagine. If I played a note on the piano or sang a pitch, he thought he had no idea what the note was, no concept of where it was or how to reproduce it!

Ben was one of my best teachers. He was consistent, determined and hard working. He even got an acting agent while he was studying with me and landed a national commercial played during American Idol! He wasn't going to let anyone tell him that just because he couldn't hear, he couldn't sing. Like everyone, he loved how singing made him feel. But you can imagine how scary it would be to sing and think, "Okay, I already have hearing issues. What if I sound horrible? How will I ever really know?"

On top of that, I eventually discovered that we had to take out his hearing aids, (which I didn't even think he had at first) because the frequencies were interfering with the correct notes. Ben had to learn first to TRUST that he could do it. KNOW how it felt when it was open and free and LOVE his voice. He had to believe in himself, and that didn't happen overnight.

Click HERE to read the entire article and visit http://www.innervocalpower.com