Okay, I'd like to give a couple of updates.

One- I was going to post a new American Idol review, but I just didn't have the heart to even sit down and waste two hours of my life watching that show.  Does anybody else feel that this season is going downhill fast? 

Two- It's coming close to the end of the school year.  Because of this, my schedule is mashed full of last minute studying and preparations for the summer.  Because of this, for the next few weeks, I'm only going to be posting about three to four blogs a week until the chaotic-ness of my life goes down a little... so bear with me!

I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.

This week was Frank Sinatra week on American Idol.  While any true music lover can't help but admire Frank Sinatra's amazing voice, I am unsure about whether or not this should have been selected as a theme for this week.  First of all, the contestants were not allowed to use their own instruments, which would have helped them to personalize the songs and make them current.  Secondly, Harry Connicke Jr. did all of the music arrangements and while he is a talented artist as well, his touch-ups made most of the songs less current and too corny.  On the other hand, Harry was probably the best mentor the show has had so far.  He gave great advice and actually made himself a part of this week's performances, so I have to give him credit for that.

Aaron Kelly started off the night singing "Fly Me to the Moon."  The song was a little too famous for Aaron's meek voice.  Both his outfit and his performance were a little too old-fashioned.  To me, the song seemed like Aaron was attempting broadway rather than current music that would sell to America.  He was a little pitchy in some parts.  Basically, Aaron was good- like always- but not great... like always.  Kara challenged Aaron to attempt better charisma and stage presence, which i agree is necessary.  Simon was the harshest out of the four judges.  He said, "I adore Frank because Frank was the King of Cool... if he was a lion, you were just a mouse."  However, he did admit that people like Aaron because he tries hard.  I agree with both statements.  Aaron is sturdy, but he is no American Idol.

Casey James sang the amazing "Blue Skies."  I had big hopes for him after last week's performance, but I hate to say that he crushed my positive emotions after the first ten seconds.  The song was pitchy and cheesy with the orchestra behind him.  Casey has used a guitar for almost every single performance and he appeared extremely uncomfortable performing without one this week.  He kept swinging his arms awkwardly instead of moving to the music.  Randy sounded disappointed, saying, "It didn't work, baby.  It didn't work," and Kara agreed, admitting, "You kind of sound like a lamb."  Simon said that Casey seemed embarrassed, a great adjective to express Casey's awkward movements on stage last night.

Crystal Bowersox- "Summer Wind"- is probably the most talented performer left out of the American Idol group, but her performance just wasn't great.  Her vocals were pretty, but not breathtaking, and the band sounded horrible with Crystal's style.  It just didn't work.  On a positive note, Crystal's hairstyle was pretty.  Ellen thought it was impressive, but Simon disagreed, saying, "I'm not gonna lie and say it was one of your strongest performance."  He warned Crystal that she's had two okay weeks and "if you survive next week, it's time to be in it to win it."  I agree.  Come on, Crystal.  Don't give up now.

Michael Lynche sang "The Way You Look Tonight."  He was probably the most comfortable with Frank Sinatra week.  He sure dressed the part.  His voice worked great with the song.  I enjoyed his riffs.  He's a naturally good performer and so the band complimented his natural style.  Randy was pumped, shouting, "This is what it's about!" several times.  Ellen called the performance "smooth" and added that it had a "lot of charisma."  Even Simon enjoyed Big Mike's performance, saying, "The last three performances have been okay and now with you, that's all changed.  You've put yourself back into the game."  I liked the song, but I just can't connect with Michael.

Lee Dewyze, singing "That's Life," blew me away this week.  I've never been a huge fan of his, but he mastered the bluesy, soulful swagger and actually had great stage presence this week.  He easily maneuvered his way across the stage... and he even smiled.  He almost looked comfortable, and the old-fashioned band didn't destroy his performance like it did the others'.  In fact, I think that Lee's performance was the most modern and current out of anyone's.   Ellen loved the performance, saying, "If tonight was the last night of performances, you would have just won the whole thing."  Kara told Lee to go write "I can win this thing" 100 times because, "you can win this thing."  Simon agreed with Ellen and said, "By far, I think for all of us, the highest performance of the night."   Harry mauled Lee from the side of the stage, shouting, "Stop smiling!"  No... I'd rather get used to Lee's rare smile.

This was not a great night for Idol performances.  I was disappointed in almost everyone this week.  Really, they need to do better next Tuesday.  I'll give my predictions and let's see if they will come true.

Bottom Three-
Aaron, Casey, and Crystal

Bottom Two-
Aaron and Casey

Going Home-
Casey  

  

 

I have been an avid fan of American Idol since the beginning, and while I haven't been hugely thrilled with this season so far, I have decided to review the top six each week until the season finale.  I'll post my guess about who will be in the final three and who deserves to go home based on each night's performance.

Lee Dewyze- "You're Still the One"
The night started out with a somewhat shaky performance.  The first few phrases of the first verse were horribly pitchy and reminiscent of Lee's first few performances towards the beginning of the season.  Lee still managed to remain almost completely expressionless throughout the song, although he cracked a smile at one point... or was that a muscle spasm?  Randy said that Lee did a "pretty good job."  Ellen thought he did "better than a pretty good job."  Kara enthusiastically commented on how Lee smiled a few times, but Simon disagreed about whether or not he was smiling and said that he was "pulling some kinda weird faces." Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this performance.

Michael Lynche- "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing"
As this week's mentor, Shania Twain was "very moved" by Michael's song choice.  Big Mike's song was smooth and powerful.  His voice will always be easy on the ears.  The performance was slightly boring, but it grew better as the song went on, even bringing Shania to tears.  I thought that the falsetto at the end was a nice touch.  Ellen said that she was nervous at first, but she thought the song was beautiful.  Simon disagreed with everyone and said that the performance was "wet," as if Michael was in a musical acting out the words.  When probed on what "wet" was supposed to mean, Simon added that wet was better than dry, but the song was a little girly for Big Mike.  I can see where he was coming from, but seriously... it's Shania Twain week.  How could you not sound a little girly?

Casey James- "Don't"
Shania offered some great advice when she told Casey that he needed to show more of his inner confidence.  Casey claimed from the start of this week that he wanted to give something a little different, and I think he managed to do that.  The song was soft and gentle, but it was also a powerful choice.  I thought that it was a beautiful vocal, which is a big compliment coming from someone who isn't usually a big fan of Goldilocks.  Randy said that it was "one of the best Casey James performances ever!"  Simon suggested that Casey give Shania a big "kiss on the lips."  At the end of last week, I thought that it was finally Casey's time to go, but I think this last performance has saved him for one more week. 

Crystal Bowersox- "No One Needs To"
Everyone who has kept an eye on American Idol this season has seen Crystal's trademark stoic appearance.  Only recently has she opened up enough to even crack a smile.  However, Crystal chose a lighthearted song this week, and Shania strongly encouraged her to "be a bit happier... It's a cheerful song."  I thought the performance was a little corny.  Randy said, "It wasn't my favorite performance, but I love you."  He also remarked how he was glad that someone was doing a country performance, instead of focusing solely on pop.  Ellen agreed with Randy but added, "There's nothing you can't do."  Kara remarked, "It's kind of impossible for you not to be good."  Simon was truthful enough to say what everyone was thinking, as usual.  "Shocker- we don't like Crystal this week."  He said that the performance was limp, like a coffee shop band hired to sing to you when you don't really want to hear them.  Sadly, I agree.  I don't think she's in danger of going home, but Crystal may be in the bottom three as a result of her weak performance.

Aaron Kelly- "You Got A Way"
Aaron is just too cute not to like.  He reminds me somewhat of Billy Gilman after his voice changed.  Aaron's performance was a little boring and a tad pitchy, but it grew stronger towards the end of the song and finished with a powerful note.  He said later on that he was singing the song to his mother and even grew emotional.  How can you not say "AWWW!" to that?  Ellen couldn't get over the fact that he was sixteen... wait, seventeen.  Simon said, "Tonight you were like a different artist."  Aaron is not my favorite contestant, but his performance was solid.   

Siobhan Magnus- "Any Man of Mine"
I just want to get this out there ahead of time.  Siobhan is probably my favorite contestant of this season.  However, I didn't love her performance tonight... although the judges seemed to adore it.  Country is just not Siobhan's style.  She had a shaky beginning and her famous scream was a little pitchy at one point and somewhat unnecessary this week.  At least the judges seemed to LOVE her.  Randy said he loved Siobhan's punk-country look.  "Guess who's back?" Kara shouted.  Simon also "really, really" liked the song, although he mentioned that the scream at the end sounded a bit like Siobhan was giving birth.

Out of tonight's performance, the contestants who deserve to be in the bottom three would probably have to be Lee Dewyze, Siobhan Magnus, and Crystal Bowersox, and the loser should probably be Lee.  However, this is a popularity contest in many ways, so I predict (and I'm actually not as sure about this week- it's getting harder and harder) that Lee, Siobhan, and Big Mike will be in the bottom three... possibly Crystal because of her horrible performance.  I think it's Lee's time to go this week.

What did you think about last night's performance?  Do you think I'll be right or wrong?  Leave your opinions in the comment box below.    

Danny Gokey was the third place finalist on American Idol last season.  He was best known for his soulful voice and the tragedy that inspired him to audition for American Idol in the first place.  Gokey only recently (on March 2 of this year) came out with his debut album, and so I chose him for this week's secular artist review.

While Danny Gokey professes himself to be a Christian and was once the music director of a church, he still considers himself to be a mainstream artist instead of a contemporary Christian artist.  Many famous music artists today say that they are Christians, but their lifestyles and lyrics profess otherwise.  I decided to review Danny Gokey to help you decide whether or not his lyrics are appropriate to put into your head and into your heart.

Quick Bio-
Danny Gokey actually grew up singing in church and was a music director at his church in Milwaukee for quite a few years.  In July of 2008, Gokey's wife, Sophia, underwent surgery for congenital heart disease and died from resulting complications.  Sophia was a huge fan of American Idol and often asked Gokey if he would audition.  A few weeks after Sophia's death, Gokey auditioned for American Idol in honor of his deceased wife.  Gokey made it to third place and came out with his debut country album last month called "My Best Days."  He will be opening for Sugarland's Incredible Machine tour starting this month. 

While on American Idol, Gokey's musical style ranged in the soul and blues genres, his album is expressly country.  The reason for this change? 

"When I sing, I want to sing something passionately, and I want to sing something that has a lot of meaning to me. I always found that in country. I want to be known as a country singer the rest of my life." 

Passionate and meaningful are two words that can easily describe Danny's music in "My Best Days."  The album's single, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" talks about the struggle Gokey faced while overcoming the tragedy of his wife's death and his discovery that life is only improving with time. "Be Somebody" is a song about the meaningless fight that many people undertake to become somebody important and successful.  "Crazy Not To" is a lighthearted love song, and "Like That's A Bad Thing" is another carefree song about pushing the limits and staying motivated through adversity.  Gokey reflects on the heartbreak following Sophia's loss in "I Still Believe" and "I Will Not Say Goodbye."  "Life On Ya" touches lightly on Gokey's background in the church in the first verse, and his belief in the importance of living and learning.

A couple of Danny's songs reflect his passion to serve the needy and a deeper relationship with God.  Gokey speaks about the insignificance of a life without love in "Tiny Life," and he reflects on the importance of appreciating the little things in life, such as "the love we make, the dreams we share, the friends we make in our short time here."  He even mentions his faith in the bridge of the song.

"It's knowing God's grace, the touch of a hand, holding a baby, calling mom and dad. It's making the most of the moments we have and getting to live long enough to look back on the years, the sweet tears of joy and laughter..."
 
"It's Only" is probably the most blatantly Christian song on the album.  It refers to Matthew 25, where Jesus says, "For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat.  I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in..."

"There's a homeless woman with a shopping cart living on the street.  Lord knows she can't come in here where the pretty people meet.  We're all dressed in our Sunday best and she smiles when she sees us.  Don't worry, it's only Jesus."
 
"It's Only" sounds similar lyrically to Brandon Heath's popular single, "Give Me Your Eyes."  "Lord, won't you open my eyes?  Won't you help me see? A hungry child needs more than a piece of bread, brother needs a job to get ahead, and the homeless need a place to lay their head..." 
 
There is one "iffy" lyric within the entire album, and you can find it in "Get Away," a song about Gokey's longing to escape a hectic lifestyle and take a much-needed vacation.  In the third verse, Danny lightly refers to drinking alcohol and spending time with a "sweet thing."  This "iffy" part is so small that I'm going to trust you to decide for yourself whether or not you're willing to add it to your playlist.  Check it out:  "Yeah, gonna find me a sunset and a cold drink on the beach somewhere. Get lost in a warm breeze with a sweet thing..."

I have studied Danny Gokey's new album, and I give an absolute okay for you to add his music to your playlist. While Gokey would rather put his music out into the mainstream industry rather than into the smaller Christian media, he has managed to touch on his faith in several of his songs and his lyrics are clean.  His goal is to inspire people through his music.  He knows the importance of meaningful lyrics. 

"We want to be entertained, but we also want to be inspired, and music is a universal language."

Do you have any critiques or input to add to this post?  Comment below. 
The credit for the pictures above goes here and here. 

First off, I'd like to say... I'm sorry!  I haven't written more than one or two entries a week for the past month or so, and I really need to get my act back together and start writing.  My life has been extremely busy lately, but I am determined to get a grip.  I need to write more.  I need to post more. 

Another thing, if you want a small, mostly unheard of Christian agency to support, I would like to strongly recommend Reece's Rainbow.  It is an organization that helps raise grants to assist families that want to adopt children with physical and mental capabilities.  If you cannot afford to financially sponsor Reece's Rainbow, then you can also become a Prayer Warrior.  They will hook you up with a picture of a child and some information, and your duty is to pray over this child every day until they are adopted and given a permanent home. 

Who has been watching American Idol lately?  Lacey Brown is from my city, so check her out.  She had a slightly rocky song this week, but I'm still hoping to see her next week. 

Feel free to send me an email at emilytheperson@yahoo.com

This morning, my family and I got up bright and early and after breakfast, we all went to play miniature golf.  We split up into two groups of five people each, and then a third group of latecomers came along later on.  I was in a group with my dad, Luke, Amy, and Nawnie (my grandma). 

I am very proud to say that I made my first (and probably my only) hole in one today.  I am not so proud to say that I lost the game to my 76 year old grandmother. 

These are strange times. 

Even stranger, my 69 year old grandfather got second place overall in our other group.  Apparently, old people are whizzes at miniature golf.  I don't know how they do it.  I can only wish that I could have their putt-putt skills.

After our journey through the miniature golf course, we went to an outlet mall and shopped for a while, and then we arrived at an older theater that resided along the Branson strip.  We were there to see Tony Roi, the Elvis Experience.  After we sat down and got comfortable, the curtains opened, the stage lights flashed in a multitude of colors, and the King stepped out in full Elvis attire. 

Throughout the show he would motion for various women to come up to the stage.  There, he would wipe off his sweat with a scarf, wrap the scarf around their necks, and kiss them rather passionately... and considering the age of some of the women he kissed, I'm not sure that this was such a pleasant thing for him to endure.

During intermission, "Elvis" stood onstage and allowed his fans to come up and take a picture with him.  When I walked up there, he looked at me, took my hand, and said, "Wow... oh, wow, honey.  You have a beautiful soul.  A beautiful, beautiful soul." 

"Thank you," I replied in bewilderment, wondering why on earth he would say something like that.  I answered a couple of questions, telling him my name and where I was from, and then he told me again that I had a beautiful soul, and still holding my hand in his, he puckered his lips and began to lean closer... closer...

Mortified, (he is quite a few years older than me, after all) I turned my head so that his lips brushed my cheek instead of my mouth.  He took it all in stride, we posed for a photo, and then I scrambled off the stage.  My family was cracking up from their seats. 

I can imagine the story that could have been...  "My very first kiss was from a 40-something year old Elvis impersonator."  Lovely.

After this, we went to a wax museum.  I haven't visited one of those since I was in London, and so I had a blast posing for pictures with all of my heroes.  Just about anyone you could imagine was in this museum: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Men in Black, Spiderman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. etc.  There was even a scary section that hosted various mummies, serial killers, skeletons, vampires, and zombies. 

After the end of the wax museum was a maze of mirrors.  We raced through the maze, laughing and running into the slick glass.  At one point, I was separated from my family.  As I gazed around me in sudden despair, I felt completely alone, even though I heard the screams of my family echoing all around me.  I thought I would never get out!  After maybe five minutes, I found them again and relief surged through every part of my being.  We finally found the exit, and then spent another five minutes laughing at our reflections in the goofy fun house mirrors before leaving the building.

Oh, yes.  Before I end this long journal-like entry about my day in Branson, I must tell you about something else that happened to me.  Actually, I don't think words can describe my feelings about what happened.  I'll show you a picture instead.


Yes, we finally were married.  I can now die in peace.

 

---

All I can ask is why? 

He had to try to destroy our ears when he was a contestant on American Idol.  Why burn out our eyes too?  Why do this to us?

Why draw out his fifteen minutes of infamy any longer than he has to?

Why this title?  "Dancing to the Music in My Head: Memories of the People's Idol."  He wasn't the people's idol.  He was the people's terror.  And "dancing to the music in my head" sounds almost schizophrenic. 

What on earth could he have endured in his life that is fascinating enough to write about in memoirs other than his frightening hair and murderous voice? 

No, I did not purchase this book.  I could not bring myself to endure the humiliation of having it in my book shelf.

My eyes are still burning.  Where is the bleach again?