So what was the point of this video? Let’s look at a couple of important issues:

1)  Become aware. There is no way we are going to overcome fears unless we become aware of them. Unfortunately, we tend to avoid that four letter word and instead cleverly disguise it with more pleasant sounding words. So what is one of the most important keys to grow, develop and succeed?

Yes, the magic key is awareness. As you may know, much of my teaching is about developing greater awareness of body and mind.  When you become aware it is far easier to do something about it, and therefore improve significantly.

2) Just do it. When you are facing something uncomfortable, realize that "just do it" is a very good piece of advice. It’s more than a cute marketing slogan for sports shoes.

3) What happens when you "just do it"?  When you are afraid, your body will tense up. Your breathing becomes shallow. The whole body goes into a fight or flight state of emergency. Your mind races, anticipating the future. (Fear is always about a perceived future). Most people will exit the situation without a clue of what actually happened in their body.

For many this is going on daily, although on a more subtle level. And every day these subconscious fears are holding you back.

As I was heading up the tower, my goal was to be aware of the fear. As I noticed it, I was immediately able to relax my body.  Many times during the ascent I tensed up, but since I was aware I was again able to relax. 

Realize though that there is no way you are going to be able to relax if you don’t know what relaxation feels like. If you don’t know how to put your body in a resourceful state when you aren’t under stress, how are you going to do it under stress?

If, for example, you are not able to relax muscles in a comfortable range when you sing, how do you think you are going to be able to relax on high notes?  If you are not able to release a free, powerful, confident sound when you practice, how do you think you will be able to do it during performance?

This is why you want to develop an extraordinary awareness during practice. As you do, you  develop rapidly. You learn to coach yourself to perform well under any pressured circumstance.

Also realize that greater awareness of self leads to greater awareness of others – i.e. you become a better performer.

4) Challenge yourself. Remember that it is always easier to NOT do something than to do.

P.S.  I later went on the smaller free fall that I showed you earlier in the video.  This time I was able to relax even better (everything is easier the second time, isn’t it?).  Frankly, I felt so relaxed that I thoroughly enjoyed the view and experienced no fear at all.  It was quite phenomenal. I am so glad I did it. 

So go ahead. Challenge yourself! Take action!  Do it! Then share your experience below.

Adam Lambert  – Mad World

Adam does it again.  I’ve never though of the original version as a great “vocalist” song, but Adam turns it into a one-of-a kind vocal performance. Once again he uses his vocal range and dynamics not to show off, but to express truthfully. 

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_mad_world

Allison Iraheta – I Can’t Make You Love Me

Allison had me before she opened her mouth.  When she looks down and up again she is already completely into the emotion context of the song (And it’s not because she looks down – I don’t care where she looks). From when she sings the first line (turn down the lights) until the end I truly believe here.  I really empathize with her when she sings “I can’t make you love me if you don’t”.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/allison_iraheta_i_cant_make_you_love_me

Anoop Desai  – True Colors

This was my favorite performance form Anoop.  Last week he just went for attitude rather than truthful expression.  I still don’t understand why he hasn’t chosen a song that is more fun where he can use his natural charisma. The problem with Anoop is that although he has a beautiful voice he doesn’t fully grasp what he is singing about.  In this song he is singing to a person who is down and sad. Why does that mean that he needs to be down and sad?  In fact, if you were to inspire a friend to make them feel better because you see their true colors, would you sit on a stool and look like the world is coming to an end?

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/anoop_desai_true_colors

Danny Gokey – Stand By Me

I am surprised Danny chose the mic stand again this week.  Last week he admitted it was out of his comfort zone and he became noticeably self-conscious with his fiddling around with the microphone – or the “I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-my-hands” syndrome.  This week it is much better. However, not surprisingly, the song and his performance goes to a whole new level when he steps away from the stand.  Had he done I earlier this whole song would have been sensational.  It was still great though.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/danny_gokey_stand_by_me

Kris Allen – All She Wants To Do Is Dance

I’m liking Kris more and more. He’s cool. He’s Fun. He’s quirky. He’s charming. He let’s his charm and likeability come through in his songs – exactly what I wished for Anoop. I can see why he has many fans.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/kris_allen_all_she_wants_to_do_is_dance

Lil Rounds – What’s Love Got To Do With It

When they announced she was singing Tina Turner’s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It”, I said to myself “please don’t come out looking like Tina Turner”. This is becoming uncomfortable to watch. Four weeks in a row she has turned into a karaoke rendition of the original artist.  I don’t know who the real Lil Rounds is and I don’t become as emotionally involved in her song as I would like.  It’s a bummer, because she sure has a great voice. This I also why it’s great for singers to take acting classes. I mean real acting classes where the training is about learning to be truthful, spontaneous and vulnerable in the moment – i.e to stop acting.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/lil_rounds_whats_love_got_to_do_with_it

Matt Giraud – Part Time Lover

One of Matt’s best performances.  The best thing with Matt is that he is unpredictable.  Sometimes it hasn’t worked, but sometimes it’s great.  It very much comes down to song choice for him.  I’m excited to see what he does next.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/matt_giraud_part_time_lover

Scott Macintyre – The Search Is Over

Not so sure about the guitar. The problem here is that the song becomes a little “shouty”. It’s a tendency Scott has that compresses the sound rather than makes it rich, warm and powerful. If he would discover how easy it is to get more power with far less effort, he would become far more dynamic and passionate in his expression.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/scott_macintyre_the_search_is_over
 

Matt Giraud  – Let’s Get in On

Matt is improving every week.  He starts off great by the piano and I feel he’s honest when he says: “been trying to hold back this feeling for so long”.  He gets up and, again, I believe he really honestly does want to “get it on”.  Great performance.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/matt_giraud_lets_get_it_on

Kris Allen – How Sweet It Is

Kris had a wonderful performance last week.  This time he does a great job again.  Great groove. Great musicality.  He’s having fun and allows his personality to shine. Sometimes playing an instrument can lock up the artist.  Here I felt his guitar playing enhanced his performance because he was so loose.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/kris_allen_how_sweet_it_is

Scott MacIntyre – Can’t Hurry Love

I wished he went wild on the piano.  We heard a couple of riffs that gave a flavor of what he can do on the instrument.  I feel he sings this song unnecessarily nice and polished. He’s holding back a tad and it doesn’t quite come alive. Part of this was the song choice. I hope he finds a song where he feels comfortable to really let loose and surprise himself.

www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/scott_macintyre_you_cant_hurry_love

Megan – For Once In My Life  

The main issue here for me is that she sings the song without any dynamics.  It’s a very one-level-calling-out approach – borderline yelling – all the way through. I do like her personality though and the cool depth in here voice. I also like the fact that she approaches the audience and becomes quite engaging.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/megan_joy_for_once_in_my_life

Anoop Desai – Ooo Baby Baby

Anoop can surely sing.  He’s got a great effortless way of using his voice and sings the song with great dynamics.  When he really makes a song his own, he’s going to become phenomenal.  However, so far he’s acting the songs rather than living them (although acting them very well). This is why he becomes more serious this time than what is really called for.  This is also why he becomes a little self-conscious about the camera.  His eyes wander throughout the song, which is just because he’s not hundred percent involved in the song. I would love to hear him sing a song where his fun, charming personality can really blossom.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/anoop_desai_oo_baby_baby

Michael Sarver – Ain’t Too Proud To Beg

Hmmm.  This gets a little strange.  The reason is because he becomes a dual personality.  The song is about begging this girl for a last chance, but at the same time he is smiling, flirting with the audience and trying to be charismatic.  It’s not working because he doesn’t believe in what he is singing about. If he wants us all to dance along, a different song would have been better.

www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/michael_sarver_aint_too_proud_to_beg

Lil Rounds – Heat Wave

Lil has a remarkable voice. The thing with Lil is that she is too busy paying tribute rather than making a song her own.  She mentions that she wants to sing it to make Martha and Diana Ross proud.  Last week she talked in the same way – she said she wanted to honor country music.  This comes across in her performance. She sings great, but it is hard to completely identify with her. I agree with the judges that a slow song would have been better for her. The bottom line is that she sings great but there is no real “heat wave that is burning inside” her (as the lyrics say). If she allows herself to be spontaneous and become surprised throughout a song, she could be sensational.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/lil_rounds_heat_wave

Adam Lambert – Tracks Of My Tears

Adam is doing the very thing that I mentioned was lacking in the last couple of singers.  Adam is about the absolute truth (which is why he is also a good actor).  Last week, he was not into trying to sound country, but chose to do something completely his own. This week he certainly wants to honor Smokey Robinson and his creation.  So what does he do?  He asks the songwriter: “What inspired you to write it?” Adam wants to get into the skin of a song. Adam completely feels a song and allows himself to experience spontaneous emotions – i.e. real emotions within a rehearsed song.  Notice that he never looks into the camera even once.  There is no need to, because that’s not what the song is about.  He is completely absorbed in the song. When he sings “I need you”, he really means it.  As a result, we are moved and he gets a standing ovation from the songwriter.  That is how you honor the writer.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_the_tracks_of_my_tears

Danny Gokey – Get Ready

Very good again.  Great energy.  Great fun watching him. His first line is “I’ve never met a girl that makes me feel like you do”.  I feel he could have done even more with that line and the rest of the song.  He could have used the “here I come” sections to get the crowd on it’s feet and have the house rocking.  Then he would have been the memorable performance of this week.

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/danny_gokey_get_ready

Allison Iraheta – Papa Was A Rolling Stone

I love Allison.  That was some powerful ending. Talk about putting an exclamation point on your performance. She owns the stage, moves great and has a very unique voice. I hope her voice holds up.

www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/allison_iraheta_papa_was_a_rolling_stone

What do you think?

Overall, I thought it was an excellent week and I’m excited we have a very strong group of singers/performers this year. Frankly, I feel this group is far more exciting than the group of last year. The other reason this week went so well is because they sang Michael Jackson songs. Not because Jackson’s repertoire is so brilliant, but because in a competition like this it always serves you well to sing songs where the original artist has a weaker voice than yourself.

Whether you want it or not, you will always be compared to the original artist. That is why girls always fail when they try to sing Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey songs. However great they are, they always hear comments like “the song was too big for you”. Likewise, when a male with a not so powerful voice tries to sing an Aerosmith song it will undoubtedly fall flat. You will always subconsciously be compared to the original whether you like it or not

In my blogs last season I commented many times on some of the singer’s tendencies to get stuck hiding behind the mic stand. This year, the performers are already far better at engaging the audience. I also commented on the tendency to walk out on stage with a mindset of “needing to prove yourself”. The judges up the pressure by saying exactly things such as: “You have to prove yourself”. And that is the very trap many fall into. We, as an audience, don’t enjoy a performance where you are trying to prove something. You don’t want to go on stage and feel you are “auditioning”, that you are being judged that you are there to prove your worth. You are there for one reason alone: And that is to engage the audience and have a phenomenal emotional experience together with them.

And that is exactly what Danny did…

Danny Gokey – Pretty Young Thing

Imagine if Danny would have stayed behind the mic stand – even if he sang with passion and emotion. It might have been great, but nowhere close to what is became. Now he engaged and he had fun, and more importantly he allowed himself to be spontaneous. Overall it was an excellent performance

Anoop Desie – Beat It

I think Anoop is really cool. He’s got a great voice, but didn’t shine as he could have. Anoop has a wonderful, easy going, charming, funny personality. This time he chose to sing “Beat It”, without any of that charm. He chooses to go for a tough attitude and sings it very aggressively. After a while, he goes out and interacts with some audience members in a very charming way, although he’s in the middle of angrily telling us/someone to “beat it”. There is a disconnect here because he is not interacting out of the context of the song. It shows that he’s not real. He is forcing the “toughness” and is posing rather than truthfully living the song. He’ll be really interesting though when he is completely truthful and allows his real personality to shine

Lil Rounds –

Lil is a phenomenal singer. She had the disadvantage of going out first. She sings the song great, has a real nice personality and moves well. But it could be even better. She has the potential to be sensational and in coming weeks she might be. Here she is not. How come? Because there is nothing that surprises us. And the reason nothing surprises us is because nothing surprises her. She doesn’t allow herself to be spontaneous. (Part of that is probably the nervousness of being first). She goes through the song, executes it well, but all the moves are too measured. It’s too smooth, too choreographed. She’s no doubt a great singer and I’m excited to see what happens later.

Adam Lambert – Black or White

In every American Idol, we have seen singers grow on us and some have become world class artists when they have found the right material. Adam Lambert is already a world class singer and I hope he does find the right material. Since he has such an incredibly powerful voice with a wonderful range he can do so many things with it. It is never about trying to hit notes or trying to reach high notes for him. Since his voice is so developed he can instead truly express. He certainly doesn’t hold back and he doesn’t force the voice either. He can instead be spontaneous, which is exactly what good vocal training should lead to in my opinion.

He completely owns the stage and he is 100 percent there to have an emotional experience with us. You see how he in the beginning of the song spontaneously approaches someone in the audience. Take a look at what he does when he sings the line: “Don’t tell me you agree with me when I saw you kicking dirt in my eye”. Now that is real passionate anger and it comes out of what has built up within him throughout the song up to that point. Notice how his emotions have gone on a roller coaster ride through the song. It’s on a completely different level of truthfulness than Anoop’s “posing”. Then after that line, Adam softens, since his anger is not directed to the audience. On the contrary, he relates to the audience and we relate to him and he is likeable. Now, Adam has a special style and if one likes his style or not is a matter of personal preference. It will be interesting to see how he handles song choices in the future and if he can continue to surprise us.