"Reality" Music Shows (i.e. "American Idol", etc.)

[MuzikTeechur]

As a musician and an educator, I really detest the reality music programs - America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, the X-Factor, American Idol, etc. I detest them because it's painful to see some of the people go on there and be absolutely ridiculed by the judges, the audience, and the home audience. Conversely, I hate to see someone kept on because they have the right "image" or "look" or they're good for ratings.

 

So, I don't watch The Voice. But my wife does. I don't know how many watts my entertainment system pushes, but it's probably good that we live in the country.

I got sucked in a little last year because there were some really talented singers on there, and what did it for me was when the eventual winner, Jordan Smith had the huge balls to sing Queen's "Somebody to Love" and absolutely crushed it. This from a guy who watches the National Anthem at sporting events with his thumb poised over the "Mute" button.

In the past, I've maintained that if they were really interested in helping folks become better singers, they'd have coaches from Julliard and Berklee, not Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, and Blake Shelton. However, I have to admit that, perhaps, I'm wrong about this one show.

These people can REALLY sing. And the very cool thing is that they do "blind" auditions. That is, the singers come out in the beginning of the season to audition, and the judges are in chairs facing away, and cannot see the singer until they have pushed the big button on their console to turn their chairs, signifying that they are willing to have this singer on their "team." Now, someone will probably tell me that this is all rigged and set up, but for now I love the idea that these kids are singing their way on to the show. Rather than projecting the proper "image".

 

So, last night, I was down in my man cave, soldering pick-ups in my Rhodes project, and NOT watching The Voice. But mama was, which means they could hear it in the next county.

I hear this schmaltzy 60's introduction, and this girl breaks into Connie Francis' "Where the Boys Are." Holy. $hit. I had to disentangle myself from the solder and iron and go up to see who owned this voice. So, I was sucked in, and this girl wasn't the only talented one. Lots of other great potential this season.

 

But, as I said, I don't watch The Voice.

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvNKjeJQ1s

[Dr88s]

I was never a huge fan of Idol for the singing competition aspect, but I did really enjoy watching it in the context of the live band. Rickey Minor and company could nail those songs, abbreviated arrangements and all, week after week no matter if the song was country, a jazz standard, hard rock, or synth based pop.

[miden]

....and what did it for me was when the eventual winner, Jordan Smith had the huge balls to sing Queen's "Somebody to Love" and absolutely crushed it....

 

Wow! Absolutely stunning, and one of my fav Queen songs too! Thanks for this, would not have known about this guy otherwise. Goosebump land!

[EscapeRocks]

I was never a huge fan of Idol for the singing competition aspect, but I did really watching it in the context of the live band. Rickey Minor and company could nail those songs, abbreviated arrangements and all, week after week no matter if the song was country, a jazz standard, hard rock, or synth based pop.

 

A reason I enjoy The Voice. Paul Mirkovich (keys/piano/music director) and Justin Dericcho on guitar really bring it as well.

[Mr. Nightime]

I have only ever watched "The Voice" during the blind auditions. I could not tell you how the rest of the process goes.

 

I've been a faithful Idol watcher since season 2. For a long time there was a real reason why the people that were ridiculed during the auditions got angry and hurt. They had to have already passed the first audition, so it can be very hurtful when they find out that they were put through just to ridicule them on national TV.

 

That changed once Simon left, so they actually were putting through people that they thought had a chance. This season the train wrecks were shown during the initial auditions.

 

I agree that the bands on these shows are incredible.

 

[Danny Linguini]

Simon Cowell pretty much single-handedly turned me off to these reality competition shows. Him, and the manufactured drama, as well as all the other negatives the OP pointed out. I did, however, sit through about half a season of WWE Tough Enough, so I guess I could tolerate some drama if I really try. I'm probably depriving myself of some fine musical talent; but I just have this little problem with conformity.... and network TV in general...

[MorayM]

I don't watch any of them and the only one that's tempted me has been The Voice. There's always complaints from musicians about how devalued music is nowadays and these shows are one of the reasons. For 99.9% of people, "making it" only happens after years and years of hard graft, not as a result of a handout from the benevolent hand of Cowell.

 

I lost my last shred of respect when I couple of guys I know who are big in their scene but not known by the general public revealed that they'd been approached to appear on Britain's Got Talent (same principle but open to dancers and instrumentalists etc, not just singers). They'd had a promise that they could bypass the public auditions and get straight to the TV section. They both told them where to shove it.

[RABid]

I was a fan of American Idol in the early years on the premise that a voting public makes more sense than some AR guy listening to bar tapes to decide who gets a chance and who does not. Bonus points for using live musicians. The issue I had starting out is the poor singers sounded like they never got any warmup time. I've played long enough to know the first song of the night can be a bit rough for the singer. They lost me when they expanded the preseason and focused so much on making fun of bad singers. If you read interviews with ex employees they frequently mention fake tears and staged conflicts.

 

On the other hand, The Voice is much more selective about who they let audition and who makes it to camera. Last season was special for me and my area because the winner, Jordan Smith, is from a neighboring county. An area where every town is a small town an the good musicians from surrounding counties know each other. He really is as he was on the show.

 

He is the second person in my area over the past few years to do well on this type of show. The other being someone that made it to the final four on America's Got Talent. That is another reason I favor these shows overall. You don't have to go to Berkley, have a teacher from Julliard, or spend 20 years trying to convince a major label to give you a chance. It is another outlet for talent. That is not a bad thing.

[stoken6]

a handout from the benevolent hand of Cowell.

 

Let's be very clear - he's not doing it as a charitable act, or to spread happiness among the land. He's doing it for the money.

 

"What's that you say? You'd like to pay me to make a TV programme where the public tell me which singer they like, so I can sell them their songs this Christmas? I'll think about it..."

 

He even has songwriter credits on the X factor theme, so every time it's played, a few more pennies rack up...

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

[RobP2]

There's one thing you can be sure of about any reality TV show...there's damn little reality in it...

[tucktronix]

a handout from the benevolent hand of Cowell.

 

Let's be very clear - he's not doing it as a charitable act, or to spread happiness among the land. He's doing it for the money.

 

"What's that you say? You'd like to pay me to make a TV programme where the public tell me which singer they like, so I can sell them their songs this Christmas? I'll think about it..."

 

He even has songwriter credits on the X factor theme, so every time it's played, a few more pennies rack up...

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

So.. you don't see the sarcasm in that post..??

[Markay]

These shows are entertainment first and reality a distant second. But they have talent scouts and as MorayM notes, and I also know, some get on TV without going through the audition phase.

 

The winner is the singer with the best screen appeal, most artists develop that as their career progresses, would Sir Reggie Dwight have made it past the first audition if these shows were around when he started out?

[duff beer]

would Sir Reggie Dwight have made it past the first audition if these shows were around when he started out?

 

Or, would have John Lennon made it??

 

[Outkaster]

Really? I don't think the judges are hard enough on these kids in fact it's not all the time. I would be and Harry Connick knows his shit, have any of you seen him play up close? He is a monster. If all that you have to worry about is some criticism don't become a musician because you need to be thick skinned to be out in the trenches. Most are not and get buthurt too easy, that is why we have the passive-aggressiveness so prevalent in the music community now. The best season of Idol was season 6. Elliot Yamin and Jennifer Hudson.

[Joe Muscara]

I don't watch any of them and the only one that's tempted me has been The Voice. There's always complaints from musicians about how devalued music is nowadays and these shows are one of the reasons. For 99.9% of people, "making it" only happens after years and years of hard graf

The thing is, a LOT of people who get places on these shows have been working it. I do watch The Voice, and they seem to like to show the person working at the coffee shop or whatever, but I know some of these cats who have been on the show and a lot of them are full-time musicians or close to it.

 

I also know that The Voice at least has been a huge help to them. They're getting vocal coaching throughout that you don't see, and to a person they'll tell you that they learned a ton being on the show, even if they get eliminated in the battle rounds or the knockouts.

 

The Voice is positive. They're always encouraging. When a person doesn't make it through the blinds, the coaches encourage them, give them advice to improve, and often suggest they work on it and come back next season. I have yet to hear from anyone who didn't make it or didn't go far who said, "they treated me like crap," because they don't.

 

Regarding Mary Sarah, I'm pretty sure I remember a few years ago when she was a kid kicking around Houston. She was committed to performing, but I wasn't impressed even though others were. Then I saw her blind audition the other night and thought, "holy cow! She's grown up and gotten really good!"

[stoken6]

So.. you don't see the sarcasm in that post..??

 

I see the sarcasm, absolutely. Just adding my comments

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Dave Bryce]

Can't do the reality TV thing - just doesn't work for me. I'd rather go play in the room with all the blinky lights.

 

dB

[hurricane hugo]

I don't watch any TV right now that isn't news, The Walking Dead, cooking or science-related, but I and lots of my local musician friends are all rooting for Laith al-Saadi, who got picked by that Adam dude on The Voice. Detroit (although I think he's based in Ann Arbor now) represent!